Summary: Pilot Fatigue In Aviation

Fatigue in Aviation
Without a doubt, a very common and persistent issue in today’s modern aviation industry is pilot fatigue. Fatigue is defined as the feeling of tiredness or exhaustion, on both a physical or mental level (Robson, 2014). The disruption of sleeping patterns has proven to be a major cause of fatigue (Caldwell, 2016). These distributions can be attributed to a variety of factors commonly faced in the industry such as jet lag, shift lag, insomnia and delayed sleep phase syndrome (Caldwell 2016). The fatigue created by these factors may manifest itself in either an acute or sometimes chronic form. It is important to acknowledge the causes and effects of fatigue in modern aviation, considering our biological processes as well.

Despite consciously knowing the time has changed, the body is unable to adapt and adjust its rhythm, thus running on the previous time zone. The general rule of thumb is that for every one hour of change, one day is needed in order for the body to successfully adjust (Robson, 2014). The overall effect of Jet lag is that the sleeping pattern is disrupted as the bodies internal clock does not harmonise with the environmental and social cues produced by the new time zone. This can effect pilots significantly as constant short trips to different time zones can make it hard for the biological and actual clocks to interline thus causing disrupted sleeping patterns. A secondary cause for disrupted sleep for pilots is shift lag. Pilots often have the requirement to work non-standard hours thus staying awake when the natural circadian rhythm of the body dictates sleep (Stokes, 1994). An example of shift lag can be when the body is forced to stay awake during the night and sleep during the day, a polar opposite to what the body is programmed to do. When trying to sleep during the day, sunlight causes signals in the brain to activate thus the body is constantly trying to wake

It is important not only to note the many causes of fatigue like jet lag, shift lag, insomnia and delayed sleep phase syndrome as discussed, but also the ways in which these can be reduced, allowing pilots to fly with peak body condition and mental awareness. A deeper understanding into the technicalities of fatigue, such as looking into the human circadian rhythms and basic needs of this system will excel the future of aviation into one that is more beneficial for not just pilots but the industry itself.
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References:
Caldwell, J. (2016) Fatigue in Aviation: a guide to staying awake at the stick (2nd Ed.) London England
Ewing, R. (2008) Aviation Medicine and other Human Factors for Pilots (6th Ed.) Christchurch New Zealand
Hawkins, F.H. & Orlady, H.W. (Ed.). (1993). Human Factors in Flight: Fatigue, Body rhythms and sleep. Aldershot Ashgate
Robson, D. (2014) Human Being Pilot: Arousal, Fatigue and Sleep (First Electronic Ed.) Darra, Queensland
Stokes, A. (1994) Flight Stress: Stress Fatigue and Performance in Aviation (3rd Ed.) Burlington United States
Green, R.G., Muir, H., Gradwell, D., And Green, R.L (2012) Human Factors for Pilots (2nd Ed) Farnham, England: Ashgate
Wilson, S. (2013) Sleed Disorders: Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders (2nd Ed) Oxford University,