Less Night/Red Eyes
01-02-2024, 10:04 AM
#21
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2018
Posts: 2,335
I’ve done a few back to back red-eyes at AA. I take a low dose 3mg melatonin after the night flight at the hotel. Sleep for 6-7 hours. My ability to sleep during the day isn’t a concern, but my overall health with flying through the middle of the night is a huge concern. The data I’ve received from the device I utilize to track my health during those sequences is not good. I’ve been reconsidering my ambitions be a WB FO tbh. I’ll probably stay on the NB for a while.
01-02-2024, 07:11 PM
#22
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,547
01-02-2024, 08:02 PM
#23
Sweet Chin Music
Joined APC: Mar 2023
Position: AB FO
Posts: 253
I receive more periods of “deep sleep” during day naps when I take melatonin. I’ve compared the sleep data with my tracker.
01-02-2024, 11:28 PM
#24
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Dec 2009
Position: B777 LS
Posts: 142
Ever since the pandemic at my old outfit our flying patterns went down the drain.
3 or 4 nights long haul in a row was pretty much the standard.
I used to manage my rest well as I am rather a good bunk sleeper, but accumulating fatigue was not someething my body could deal with in the long run.
I normally sleep 6 to 7 hours at night, after such a marathon I could sleep for 14 hours uninterrupted and still wake up extremely tired.
I have been using Garmin watch with its sophisticasted Body Battery measuring function which draws data from numerous sources, etc and produces overall body state result in percentage points.
During normal day my body battery would recover to 100% easily. Flying at night and catching occassional naps (in the bunk or at the hotel after the flight) I would never go back to anything more than 25%. Departing for the all-nighter I would force myself to sleep early evening the night before with a pill of Melatonin and whilst that would knock me out almost instantly waking up I did not feel rested at all.
I think the problem is, that regardless of the time zone issue our body is not meant to be asleep during a day. Cyrcadian low is a monster and exposing yourself to it on continuous basis is asking for trouble in the health department.
This is an extreme example of course and AA like all other US based airlines is subjected to rigorous FTL regulations, but I presented this case to show how dangerous the chronic fatigue could be.
3 or 4 nights long haul in a row was pretty much the standard.
I used to manage my rest well as I am rather a good bunk sleeper, but accumulating fatigue was not someething my body could deal with in the long run.
I normally sleep 6 to 7 hours at night, after such a marathon I could sleep for 14 hours uninterrupted and still wake up extremely tired.
I have been using Garmin watch with its sophisticasted Body Battery measuring function which draws data from numerous sources, etc and produces overall body state result in percentage points.
During normal day my body battery would recover to 100% easily. Flying at night and catching occassional naps (in the bunk or at the hotel after the flight) I would never go back to anything more than 25%. Departing for the all-nighter I would force myself to sleep early evening the night before with a pill of Melatonin and whilst that would knock me out almost instantly waking up I did not feel rested at all.
I think the problem is, that regardless of the time zone issue our body is not meant to be asleep during a day. Cyrcadian low is a monster and exposing yourself to it on continuous basis is asking for trouble in the health department.
This is an extreme example of course and AA like all other US based airlines is subjected to rigorous FTL regulations, but I presented this case to show how dangerous the chronic fatigue could be.
I’ve done a few back to back red-eyes at AA. I take a low dose 3mg melatonin after the night flight at the hotel. Sleep for 6-7 hours. My ability to sleep during the day isn’t a concern, but my overall health with flying through the middle of the night is a huge concern. The data I’ve received from the device I utilize to track my health during those sequences is not good. I’ve been reconsidering my ambitions be a WB FO tbh. I’ll probably stay on the NB for a while.
01-03-2024, 05:21 AM
#25
Banned
Joined APC: Jan 2008
Position: Pilot
Posts: 2,625
Melatonin doesn’t help me sleep, just gives me an incredible headache.
01-04-2024, 06:31 PM
#26
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2019
Posts: 1,079
Leading red eyes are much easier IMO, since you get to recover right way in a hotel on company time. I really hit a nerve withsome people with the embrace the red eye comment. All I meant is that if you are willing to do them (and yes they get easier) you will artificially gain some PBS bidding horsepower as senior guys will do anything to avoid them including working weekends. So you,a jr pilot might get weekends off by working them. Also, if you commute, a leading red eye trip is awsome. That said, one man's trash is another's treasure.
01-09-2024, 05:45 PM
#28
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2019
Posts: 179
Seniority in your aircraft/seat/base has always been the skeleton key in this industry, but AA's crappy pref bidding program concentrates it higher in the seniority list than other PBS programs or traditional bid packages. So go for whatever aircraft/base/seat gets you the highest one.
01-10-2024, 03:48 PM
#29
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Dec 2013
Position: A320 CA
Posts: 2,315
Seniority in your aircraft/seat/base has always been the skeleton key in this industry, but AA's crappy pref bidding program concentrates it higher in the seniority list than other PBS programs or traditional bid packages. So go for whatever aircraft/base/seat gets you the highest one.
You mean higher seniority pilots get their pick of trips first? Isn't that how it's supposed to work. Most PBS haters, don't know how to use it correctly.
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