Comment from Jeff Kelly
Jeff KellyOtherIndividual
Summary: A crew member on the Global 7500/8000 fleet expresses concerns regarding the safety implications of extended duty periods and fatigue. They argue that if the exemption is granted, it must include specific safeguards, such as prohibiting repositioning flights for the same crew following a long segment.
As a crew member on the Global 7500/8000 fleet my concerns are as follows. While one additional flight hour may seem trivial, the totality of the extended duty period is the problem. No one ever sleeps the entire time while in crew rest, at best a good nap is typically the goal. Following a long segment a period of focus during the approach and land phase is typically followed by immediate decline in alertness as fatigue and need for sleep set in. These flights are often followed by a short repositioning flight which is not the best safety practice when the entire crew has slept just a few hours in a 24 hour period. If the requested exemption is granted it must have proper safe guards in place such as no repositioning flights following an extended leg with the same crew.