title: Sleep and sleepiness during an ultra long-range flight operation between the Middle East and United States.
abstract: This study provides a practical example of fatigue risk management in aviation. The sleep and sleepiness of 44 pilots (11 trips × 4 pilot crew) working an ultra long-range (ULR; flight time >16 h) round-trip operation between Doha and Houston was assessed. Sleep was assessed using activity monitors and self-reported sleep diaries. Mean Karolinska Sleepiness Scores (KSS) for climb and descent did not exceed 5 ("neither alert nor sleepy"). Mean daily sleep duration was maintained above 6.3h throughout the operation. During in-flight rest periods, 98% of pilots obtained sleep and sleepiness was subsequently reduced. On layover (49.5h) crew were advised to sleep on Doha or Universal Co-ordinated Time (UTC), but 64% slept during the local (social) night time. Pilots originating from regions with a siesta culture were more likely to nap and made particularly effective use of their daytime in-flight rest periods. The results indicate that the operation is well designed from a fatigue management perspective.
authors.affiliation: Clockwork Research, 21 Southwick Mews, London W2 1JG, United Kingdom. alex@clockworkresearch.com
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: Soha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Al-Bayat
authors.forename: Cassie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hilditch
authors.forename: Samira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bourgeois-Bougrine
mesh_terms: D000337:Aerospace Medicine; D001359:Aviation; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008877:Middle East; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014481:United States; D014940:Work Schedule Tolerance / Q000502:physiology*