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Crew factors in flight operations 2: Psychophysiological responses to short-haul air transport operationsSeventy-four pilots were monitored before, during, and after 3- or 4-day commercial short-haul trip patterns. The trips studied averaged 10.6 hr of duty per day with 4.5 hr of flight time and 5.5 flight segments. The mean rest period lasted 12.5 hr and occurred progressively earlier across successive days. On trip nights, subjects took longer to fall asleep, slept less, woke earlier, and reported lighter, poorer sleep with more awakenings than on pretrip nights. During layovers, subjective fatigue and negative affect were higher, and positive affect and activation lower, than during pretrip, in-flight, or posttrip. Pilots consumed more caffeine, alcohol, and snacks on trip days than either pretrip or posttrip. Increases in heart rate over mid-cruise were observed during descent and landing, and were greater for the pilot flying. Heart-rate increases were greater during takeoff and descent under instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) than under visual meteorological conditions (VMC). The following would be expected to reduce fatigue in short-haul operations: regulating duty hours, as well as flight hours; scheduling rest periods to begin at the same time of day, or progressively later, across the days of a trip; and educating pilots about alternatives to alcohol as a means of relaxing before sleep.
Document ID
19950009235
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Technical Memorandum (TM)
Authors
Gander, Philippa H. (San Jose State Univ. CA., United States)
Graeber, R. Curtis (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Foushee, H. Clayton (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Lauber, John K. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Connell, Linda J. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
November 1, 1994
Subject Category
Aerospace Medicine
Report/Patent Number
NASA-TM-108856
A-95012
NAS 1.15:108856
Accession Number
95N15649
Funding Number(s)
PROJECT: RTOP 505-64-53
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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