India May Allow Commercial Pilot Power Naps

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DGCA, the regulating authority for Indian aviation, has drafted strict rules under which airline pilots may be allowed to nap while on the flight deck. Pilots unions had sought changes to flight duty time limitations to combat fatigue associated with flight duty time limitation provisions. DGCA would allow controlled rest only under certain conditions and on flights of three or more hours during cruise in conjunction with added responsibilities for the cabin crew and non-sleeping pilot. Regulators in other parts of the world, including the U.S. and Europe, already regulate controlled rest periods for pilots during certain phases of flight to combat fatigue.

DGCA’s draft rules would allow for controlled rest periods not longer than 40 minutes followed by another 20-minute reorientation period prior to resuming duties. Both pilots must remain fully harnessed and the resting pilot’s seat must be moved aft. During the controlled rest period the cabin crew would be responsible for calling the on-duty pilot every 30 minutes if the flight is conducted during the day and every 20 minutes at night to make sure that pilot remains actively conscious. The rest will be at the discretion of the captain when weather conditions are benign and deviations are not required. Regulators in the U.S., Canada, Europe, UK, Hong Kong and elsewhere developed controlled rest rules after a 1992 NASA study showed pilots were more likely to be alert after if allowed a short nap during a non-critical phase of flight. Pilots who spoke with TimesOfIndia.IndiaTimes.com said some of their peers already organized non-approved in-flight rest periods and the new regulations would be welcome.

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