Simviation Forums

European ministers, including the transport secretary, Alistair Darling, meet on Thursday to decide on increasing airline pilots' maximum flying time from 12 to 14 hours. Balpa, the pilots' union, said it might tell members to refuse to fly if they felt tired and could jeopardise safety.

I think some of these people need to spend on day with an airline pilot to see just how much work is involved. Nice to say oh its 14 hours flying time. What about pre flight, after the flight, to and from the airport, 14 hours quickly can become an 18 hour day. Add in delays more problems will be caused.

Another stupid idea, by the same oblivious-to-sense politicians.
This world's crazy, particularly the 2 Islands north of France. Sadly I happen to live on one of them, (in the northern highland region on the bigger Island to be precise) :-/ , that 'Darling' of an Alistar - I don't think much of him as a rule.
Ben

According to its own website BALPA has the support of the British government. http://www.balpa.org/

Flying time limits
BALPA's campaign has UK Government support - but the European Commission is not listening.

read more

Not being a member of BALPA I can't read more.

I always thought that commercial pilot's flying hours were subject to international agreement, not decided by individual countries, airlines or unions. In the end it all comes down to safety which should never be compromised for other interests. In most cases the rules are becoming stricter, not being relaxed. I find the reasons for this decision puzzling. Without knowing the full facts I suspect it must be due to pressure from the airlines or employers.

PS. Read more from this link. http://www.balpa.org/intranet/BALPA-Camp/FLTs/index.htm

This is quite disconserting considering, as a Coach driver I would only be allowed to do 10 hours driving in 24 hrs .... my shift would be restricted to 15hrs and in that time if I were to complete the 10 hours driving I would have had to have 1.5hrs break in no less than 15min segments.... this is further restricted to 4.5hrs continuous driving. Thats just the regs for one 24hr period .... should I complete 2x10hrs..driving in any given week (the max is 2x in one week) then within the next week I am restricted to 2 days @ 8hrs driving (A week runs from 00.00hrs Monday to 00.00 Sunday).. A maximum of 6 working days per week and 96 driving hours per fortnight.. should In any week I work 7 days then there must be a rest period of 96hrs before I can commence the next weekly period ... Daily rest periods are a minimum of 11hrs ... this can be lowered to 9 hrs twice in any one week ... with the corresponding extention to the rest period taken on 2 days the following week.......

now if ya bothered reading all that then the first point that needs to be made is ..... WTF do Brussels think they are doing.... Second point why when I do coach driving jobs aint I getting paid as much as an airline pilot  ;)

cheers for taking the time to read this
eno