Archive for August 2017

How Successful People Spend Their Weekends

How Successful People Spend Their Weekends

Jacquelyn Smith shared some interesting insights. “I never go into the office on weekends,” Spencer says, “but I do check e-mail at night.

My weekends are an important time to unplug from the day-to-day and get a chance to think more deeply about my industry.

Weekends are a great chance to reflect and be more introspective about bigger issues.”

A new study shows that productivity per hour declines sharply when the workweek exceeds 50 hours, and it drops off so much after 55 hours that there’s no point in working any more.

People who work as much as 70 hours (or more) per week actually get the same amount done as people who work 55 hours. Those extra hours are wasted.

Successful people know the importance of shifting gears on the weekend to relaxing and rejuvenating activities.

They use their weekends to create a better week ahead.
The following list contains 10 things that successful people do to find balance on the weekend and to come into work at 110% on Monday morning.

1. They Wake Up at the Same Time

It’s tempting to sleep in on the weekend to catch up on your sleep.

Though it feels good temporarily, having an inconsistent wake-up time disturbs your circadian rhythm.

Your body cycles through an elaborate series of sleep phases in order for you to wake up rested and refreshed.

One of these phases involves preparing your mind to be awake and alert, which is why people often wake up just before their alarm clock goes off (the brain is trained and ready).

When you sleep past your regular wake-up time on the weekend, you end up feeling groggy and tired.

This isn’t just disruptive to your day off, it also makes you less productive on Monday because your brain isn’t ready to wake up at your regular time.

If you need to catch up on sleep, just go to bed earlier.
2. They Designate Mornings as Me Time

It can be difficult to get time to yourself on the weekends, especially if you have family.

Finding a way to engage in an activity you’re passionate about first thing in the morning can pay massive dividends in happiness and cleanliness of mind. It’s also a great way to perfect your circadian rhythm by forcing yourself to wake up at the same time you do on weekdays.

Your mind achieves peak performance two-to-four hours after you wake up, so get up early to do something physical, and then sit down and engage in something mental while your mind is at its peak.

3. They Schedule Micro-Adventures

Buy tickets to a concert or play, or get reservations for that cool new hotel that just opened downtown.

Instead of running on a treadmill, plan a hike.

Try something you haven’t done before or perhaps something you haven’t done in a long time.

Studies show that anticipating something good to come is a significant part of what makes the activity pleasurable.

Knowing that you have something interesting planned for Saturday will not only be fun come Saturday, but it will significantly improve your mood throughout the week.

4. They Pursue a Passion

You might be surprised what happens when you pursue something you’re passionate about on weekends. Indulging your passions is a great way to escape stress and to open your mind to new ways of thinking.

Things like playing music, reading, writing, painting, or even playing catch with your kids can help stimulate different modes of thought that can reap huge dividends over the coming week.

5. They Disconnect

Disconnecting is the most important weekend strategy on this list, because if you can’t find a way to remove yourself electronically from your work Friday evening through Monday morning, then you’ve never really left work.

Making yourself available to your work 24/7 exposes you to a constant barrage of stressors that prevent you from refocusing and recharging.

If taking the entire weekend off handling work e-mails and calls isn’t realistic, try designating specific times on Saturday and Sunday for checking e-mails and responding to voicemails.

For example, check your messages on Saturday afternoon while your kids are getting a haircut and on Sunday evenings after dinner.

Scheduling short blocks of time will alleviate stress without sacrificing availability.

6. They Minimize Chores

Chores have a funny habit of completely taking over your weekends.

When this happens, you lose the opportunity to relax and reflect.

What’s worse is that a lot of chores feel like work, and if you spend all weekend doing them, you just put in a seven-day workweek.

To keep this from happening, you need to schedule your chores like you would anything else during the week, and if you don’t complete them during the allotted time, you move on and finish them the following weekend.

7. They Exercise

No time to exercise during the week?

You have 48 hours every weekend to make it happen.

Getting your body moving for as little as 10 minutes releases GABA, a soothing neurotransmitter that reduces stress.

Exercise is also a great way to come up with new ideas. Innovators and other successful people know that being outdoors often sparks creativity.

Best ideas come to some while I’m surfing. While you’re out in the ocean, the combination of invigorating activity and beautiful scenery creates the perfect environment for an influx of creativity. Whether you’re running, cycling, or gardening, exercise leads to endorphin-fueled introspection.

The key is to find a physical activity that does this for you and then to make it an important part of your weekend routine.

8. They Reflect

Weekly reflection is a powerful tool for improvement.

Use the weekend to contemplate the larger forces that are shaping your industry, your organization, and your job. Without the distractions of Monday to Friday busy work, you should be able to see things in a whole new light.

Use this insight to alter your approach to the coming week, improving the efficiency and efficacy of your work.

9. They Spend Quality Time with Family
Spending quality time with your family on the weekend is essential if you want to recharge and relax. Family time on the weekend is so important to Spencer Rascoff that he flies home for the weekend, no matter how far away he is, even if he has to be in the same city the following week.

Weekdays are so hectic that the entire week can fly by with little quality family time. Don’t let this bleed into your weekends.

Take your kids to the park, take your spouse to his or her favorite restaurant, and go visit your parents. You’ll be glad you did.

10. They Prepare for the Upcoming Week
The weekend is a great time to spend a few moments planning your upcoming week.

As little as 30 minutes of planning can yield significant gains in productivity and reduced stress.

The week feels a lot more manageable when you go into it with a plan because all you have to do is execute it.

A Winning Formula For Success to enhance your Performance.

Ultra Successful People’s Strategy

Experts tell us that if we want to be in the best position to succeed, we need to come at it from all angles:

mentally,
physically, and
emotionally.

One will not work without the others, and with all three in conjunction, there is a high probability of success.
A Winning Formula For Success to enhance your Performance.

1. They Work Smarter, Not Harder.

Many of us believe that the hustle is the optimal pathway to success.

We are willing to put in long hours of sweat and toil each day to achieve what we want.

Working long hours is actually less effective because it puts a strain on your body and causes you to burn out.
Rest and recovery are essential to success, so go ahead and reduce your workload each day to increase your long-term output.

Success is a marathon, not a sprint.

2. They Work At Their Peak.

“What are your prime work hours?”

Become self-aware of when you feel the most focused, energized, and creative, and structure your work schedule within that time window.
“It’s requires a little bit of boundaries and knowing your own tendencies.

Too many times we run a reactive schedule and always say yes.”

3. They’re Consistent.

They know their talent and they become consistent in their training and habits.

If you want to be successful, focus on one discipline and be consistent in developing your proficiency.

Show up every single day, for a few hours a day, and you will invariably progress over time.

4. They Have A Support Network.

Those at the top know that success is much harder when you’re trying to do it alone.

The greater the feat that you’re trying to accomplish, the more difficult the obstacles you encounter will be.

You can better equip yourself for the road ahead by enrolling a support team around you.

“At the pro level, you have
a strength coach,
a training coach,
a manager, an infield coach,
an outfield coach…”

Choose your inner circle wisely, and consider hiring specialized professionals.

“People succeed more when they have someone to hold them accountable to that day-to-day.”

5. They Believe They Can.

We’ve all heard the saying, ‘You have to believe it before you can achieve it.’

Science tells us that the belief and conviction that we are capable of achieving something increases our chances of bringing it to fruition in reality.

6. They Train Physically, Too.

Mindset is only one piece of the puzzle—for optimum performance, you must also care for your body.

A winning daily habit is to sweat every day. “Sweat will change your state.

It will change the way you’re feeling. When you sweat it actually creates more motivation for you.

A sweat a day will keep you moving in the direction you want to go.”

In addition to physical exercise, relaxation therapies like epsom salt baths, acupuncture, ice baths, and heat to relieve stress and tension are recommended.

7. They Make Time For Play.

Working optimally is all about balance. Creating space in your schedule for recreation and leisure will help replenish your creativity and problem-solving skills and support your emotional well-being.

Work during your work hours, and afterwards reward yourself with activities you enjoy doing most—it’ll help you stay motivated.

TOXIC CHOCOLATES

 

If you have a sweet tooth, you may have read studies talking about the health benefits associated with eating moderate amounts of chocolate.

Research has found a potential health risk in popular chocolate products that’s been flying under the radar – some chocolate contains toxic metals like lead and cadmium.

The following manufacturers, including Trader Joe’s, Hershey’s, Mondelēz, Lindt, Whole Foods, Kroger, Godiva, See’s Candies, Mars, Theo Chocolate, Equal Exchange, Ghirardelli, Earth Circle Organics, and more, did not provide the legally required warning to consumers that the products contain cadmium or lead, or both.
No level of lead is safe for children. Lead exposure has been a significant public health issue for decades. Lead is linked to a variety of neurological impairments, including learning disabilities, seizures, and a lower IQ. Developing fetuses and children are especially vulnerable to lead exposure because their brains are in critical growth and development stages.

“Young children and pregnant women especially should avoid exposure to lead.”

Cadmium can cause damage to the kidney, liver, and bones, while also impairing neurobehavioral development. Lead and cadmium are both listed under the act as reproductive toxins.
California law ensures consumers receive warnings before they are harmed.

To protect consumers, companies should take immediate steps to remove these toxic heavy metals from their products or, at a minimum, to provide consumers with warnings according to Proposition 65.

If the heavy metals are not removed, people need to be informed so they can protect themselves and their families.

A consumer health protection organization, commissioned an independent state-certified laboratory to measure levels of lead and cadmium in 50 chocolate products available at retailers across California. Thus the product requires a warning under California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act.

* The asterisk reflects testing that was performed in 2016.

Alfred Ritter Gmbh & Co Kg

Ritter Sport 73% Cocoa Fine Extra Dark Chocolate with fine cocoa from Ecuador

Lead and Cadmium*
Endangered Species Chocolate, LLC

Endangered Species Chocolate Natural Dark Chocolate with 88% Cocoa

Lead and Cadmium*
Equal Exchange, Inc.

Equal Exchange Organic & Fairly Traded Dark Chocolate Very Dark (71% Cacao)

Lead and Cadmium
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company

Ghirardelli Chocolate Premium Baking Bar 100% Cacao Unsweetened Chocolate

Lead and Cadmium*
Godiva Chocolatier, Inc.

Godiva Chocolatier 85% Cacao Extra Dark Chocolate

Lead and Cadmium
Hershey Company

Dagoba Organic Chocolate Eclipse Extra Strong Dark Chocolate (87% Cacao)

Lead and Cadmium*
Hershey Company

Dagoba Organic Chocolate New Moon Rich Dark Chocolate (74% Cacao)

Lead and Cadmium*
Kraft Foods Global, Inc.

Cote D’Or 86% Noir Brut Belgian Dark Chocolate Confection

Lead and Cadmium*
Lake Champlain Chocolates

Lake Champlain Chocolates Dark Chocolate Organic (57% Cocoa)

Lead and Cadmium*
Lindt & Sprungli (Usa) Inc.

Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa Smooth Dark Chocolate Bar

Lead and Cadmium*
Lindt & Sprungli (Usa) Inc.

Lindt Excellence 85% Cocoa Extra Dark Chocolate Bar

Lead and Cadmium*
Mars, Incorporated

Dove Eggs Dark Chocolate Silky Smooth

Lead and Cadmium*
Mondelez International, Inc.

Green & Black’s Organic Dark 85% Cacao Bar

Lead and Cadmium*
Newman’s Own Organics- The Second Generation, Inc.

Newman’s Own Organics The Second Generation Super Dark Chocolate Premium Organic Chocolate 70% Cocoa

Lead and Cadmium*
See’s Candies, Inc.

See’s Candies Premium Extra Dark Chocolate Bar 62% Cacao

Lead and Cadmium*
Taza Chocolate

Taza Mexicano Super Dark Direct Trade 85% Dark

Lead and Cadmium
The Kroger Co.

Private Selection 72% cacao Dark Chocolate Swiss Bar

Lead and Cadmium
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate 73% Cacao Super Dark

Lead and Cadmium*
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s The Dark Chocolate Lover’s Chocolate Bar 85% Cacao

Lead and Cadmium*
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s Single Origin Chocolate Passport Tanzania 73% Cacao

Lead and Cadmium*
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s Single Origin Chocolate Passport Papua New Guinea 70% Cacao

Lead and Cadmium*
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s Single Origin Chocolate Passport Dominican Republic 70% Cacao

Lead and Cadmium*
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s Single Origin Chocolate Passport Venezuela 70% Cacao

Lead and Cadmium*
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s Single Origin Chocolate Passport Ecuador 66% Cacao

Lead and Cadmium*
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s Single Origin Chocolate Passport Peru 60% Cacao

Lead and Cadmium*
Whole Foods Market, Inc.

Whole Foods 72% cacao Organic Dark Chocolate & Almond Tanzania Schoolhouse Project

Lead and Cadmium
Whole Foods Market, Inc.

365 Everyday Value Organic Dark Chocolate Coconut 56% Cacao

Lead and Cadmium*
Bissinger’s Handcrafted Chocolatier

Bissinger’s All natural 60% dark chocolate, whole almonds

Lead*
Cadbury Uk Ltd

Cadbury Mini Eggs Royal Dark Dark Chocolate With A Crisp Sugar Shell

Lead*
Cadbury Uk Ltd

Cadbury Royal Dark Dark Chocolate Indulgent Semi-Sweet

Lead*
Creative Natural Products, Inc.

Chocolove Extra Strong Dark Chocolate- 77% Cocoa Content

Lead*
Creative Natural Products, Inc.

Chocolove Strong Dark Chocolate Bar 70% Cocoa Content

Lead*
Endangered Species Chocolate, LLC

Endangered Species Chocolate Natural Dark Chocolate (72% Cocoa)

Lead*
Godiva Chocolatier, Inc.

Godiva Chocolatier 50% Cacao Dark Chocolate Sea Salt

Lead
Godiva Chocolatier, Inc.

Godiva Chocolatier 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate

Lead*
Hershey Company

Hershey’s Special Dark Mildly Sweet Chocolate

Lead*
Moonstruck Chocolate Co

Moonstruck Solid Dark Chocolate Hand-Painted Calico Bunny

Lead*
Moonstruck Chocolate Co.

Moonstruck Dark Chocolate Chile Variado (68% cacao)

Lead
See’s Candies, Inc.

See’s Candies 4.5 oz Sitting Rabbit Dark Chocolate

Lead*
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Bar Toffee With Walnuts and Pecans (70% cacao)

Lead
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s Swiss 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate

Lead*
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s Pound Plus 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate

Lead*
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s Pound Plus- Dark Chocolate

Lead*
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s Single Origin Chocolate Passport Sao Tome 70% Cacao

Lead*
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s Single Origin Chocolate Passport Ghana 70% Cacao

Lead*
Vosges, Ltd.

Wild Ophelia All Natural New Orleans Chili Dark Chocolate Bar (70% cacao)

Lead
Earth Circle Foods Dba River Canyon Retreat Inc.

Earth Circle Organics Organic Balinese Cacao Nibs Cold Pressed

Cadmium
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company

Ghirardelli Chocolate Intense Dark Twilight Delight (72% Cacao)

Cadmium*
Hershey Company

Scharffen Berger Semisweet Fine Artisan Dark Chocolate (62% cacao)

Cadmium*
Hershey Company

Scharffen Berger Extra Dark Fine Artisan Dark Chocolate (82% cacao)

Cadmium*
Mars, Incorporated

Dove Silky Smooth Dark Chocolate Bar

Cadmium*
Taza Chocolate

Taza Wicked Dark 95% Stone Ground Organic Chocolate

Cadmium*
Theo Chocolate

Theo Organic Fair Trade Pure 85% Dark Chocolate

Cadmium*
Albertson’s, LLC (SuperValu, Inc.)

Wild Harvest Organic Rich Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix

No warning required
DeMet’s Candy Company

Flipz 50% cacao Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzels

No warning required
Ferrero USA Inc.

Ferrero Collection Fine assorted Confections

No warning required
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company

Ghiradelli Intense Dark Midnight Reverie (86% Cacao)

No warning required
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company

Ghirardelli Chocolate Milk Chocolate Eggs

No warning required*
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company

Ghirardelli Chocolate Premium Baking Bar 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate

No warning required*
Hershey Company

Hershey’s Kisses Milk Chocolate

No warning required*
Hershey Company

Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Eggs

No warning required*
Hershey Company

Hershey’s Solid Milk Chocolate Snapsy Snap-Apart Bunny Easy To Snap And Share

No warning required*
Jo’s Candies

Jo’s Candies Dark Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers All Natural

No warning required
Kraft Foods Group, Inc.

Toblerone Swiss Milk Chocolate Bar with Honey and Almond Nougat

No warning required
Lindt & Sprungli (USA) Inc.

Lindt Excellence A Touch of Sea Salt Dark (with Fleur de Sel sea salt crystals)

No warning required
Lindt & Sprungli Gmbh (Germany)

Lindt Gold Bunny Milk Chocolate

No warning required*
Mars, Incorporated

Snickers

No warning required
Mars, Incorporated

CocoaVia Daily Cocoa Extract Supplement

No warning required
Mars, Incorporated

Snickers Bar

No warning required*
Mars, Incorporated

Dove Solid Milk Chocolate Bunny Silky Smooth

No warning required*
Mars, Incorporated

M&M’s Chocolate Candies Milk Chocolate, Made with Real Milk Chocolate

No warning required*
Mondelez International, Inc.

Green & Black’s Organic Milk Chocolate (34% Cacao)

No warning required
Mondelez International, Inc.

Toblerone of Switzerland Milk Chocolate with Honey and Almond Nougat

No warning required*
Mondelez International, Inc.

Green & Black’s Organic Milk Chocolate (34% Cacao)

No warning required*
Nestle Holdings, Inc.

Nestle Crunch

No warning required
Nestle Holdings, Inc.

Ovaltine Classic Malt Mix

No warning required
Nestle Holdings, Inc.

Nestle Crunch Milk Chocolate with Crisped Rice

No warning required*
Russell Stover Candies, LLC

Russell Stover Milk Chocolate Break-Apart Bunny

No warning required*
Starbucks Corporation

Starbucks Dark Chocolate covered grahams

No warning required*
The Hershey Company

Hershey’s Kisses Milk Chocolate

No warning required
The Hershey Company

Reese’s Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

No warning required
Whitman’s Candies, Inc.

Whitman’s Solid Milk Chocolate Rabbit

No warning required*

 

 

Fatigue in Pilots

 

It is perfectly normal for people to become tired. Nearly everyone experiences fatigue, however, some professions, such as aviation, medicine or the military, demand precise, rapid and well-informed decision making as well as communication with little margin for error.
Concern about the potential for fatigue to negatively affect human performance in the aviation context extends back decades, with both airlines and pilots agreeing that fatigue is an issue posing a very troubling threat to millions of passengers as well as valuable cargo supplies that are carried by various means of air transport each day.
Obviously, this is an acceptable risk which cannot be fully excluded; however, this problem is not given enough credits. Exhaustion in the cockpit can be deadly as seen in 2009 when an American commuter plane crashed killing everyone on board. That accident was blamed in part on fatigue.

Another example might be 16 passengers on an Air Canada flight that were injured as a result of pilot fatigue. The co-pilot woke disorientated from a nap and, believing that the plane was going to collide with another aircraft, put the jet into a dive, sending passengers sprawling in the cabin. What the pilot thought was another plane was actually the planet Venus.

In light of possible fatal outcomes, aviation authorities are actively discussing pilot fatigue-related concerns and are putting dozens of efforts to resolve this problem and minimize all the potential risks.

Quality Sleep The Only Effective Fatigue Countermeasure

ICAO defines fatigue as “a physiological state of reduced mental or physical performance capability resulting from sleep loss or extended wakefulness, circadian phase, or workload (mental and/or physical activity) that can impair a crew member’s alertness and ability to safely operate an aircraft or perform safety-related duties”.
So, no doubts that primarily the pilot fatigue problem comes out of the lack of quality sleep which is the only effective fatigue countermeasure. Whilst muscles can recover with rest, the brain can only recover with sleep.
An average adult person needs between 6 and 8 hours of sleep per day to sustain optimal performance. In turn, the quality of sleep depends on the structure and continuity of sleep. The quality of sleep depends, amongst other factors, on the time of the day.

Professor Torbjorn Akerstedt, a sleep expert based at Karolinska University in Sweden, said that most people are able to stay alert for 16 hours during the daytime, but that reduces at night. It has been well established scientifically, Mr Akerstedt said, that the impairments a pilot experiences landing a plane at 05:00 in the morning are the equivalent of having a blood alcohol level of 0.08%.

For example, pilots who fly on long-haul routes or operate planes at night have to fight with body’s natural internal clock which reminds a person that this time his body needs relax. The imbalance of the body’s natural circadian rhythm makes a pilot feel tired. This is especially true for those pilots that have varying schedules or alternate day and night shifts.

Actually, a lot of reasonable insights regarding pilot fatigue issue were provided by a famous pilot, Charles Lindbergh. He managed to fly from New York to Paris without falling asleep. During his record-breaking 33.5 hours transatlantic flight he hardly fought to stay awake and later wrote in his journal that “nothing life can attain, is quite so desirable as sleep”.
Is The Lack Of Quality Sleep The Only Reason Behind Pilot Fatigue?

The lack of sleep is the main cause of fatigue, but not the only one. A bomb scare at 30 000ft, bird strikes, drunken passengers, medical emergencies, or simply a handbrake forgotten to disengage during take-off might contribute to general pilot’s condition as well.
Moreover, besides the accumulation of duty hours, cumulative fatigue can be caused by such factors as disruptive schedules (for example, starting early in the morning or ending late in the evening), extensive time zone crossings or combinations of rotations (for example, flying first to the east and then to the west or vice-versa).
One more reason is long commuting. A recent survey of European pilots found that more than half of those interviewed commute to work. These pilots are forced to start their work day 2-3 hours earlier than others to get to work on time.

Sometimes this happens due to the fact that a pilot lives far from the airport. However, more frequently this problem appears because a pilot lives at a totally different base and must fly from a different airport which are located far from each other and add hours to the beginning of a pilot’s working day.

Consequently, even a pilot who slept enough to perform his duties might get exhausted even before his job begins. According to a transportation safety watchdog, the commuting issue is “one that everyone wants to turn their head away from” pilots included.

Also, jet-lag is considered a huge problem impacting pilot fatigue on long-haul flights. Most operators give ample time for pilots to adjust to jet lag, but the body does go through stress when its circadian rhythm is interrupted, making it hard for pilots to sleep when they need to, and difficult for them to stay awake later when they have to.

Additionally, pilots that fly the same aircraft on the same routes into the same airports daily are prone to boredom fatigue. Nevertheless, it important to keep in mind that every pilot is a human that apart from his job deals with different problems that occur in his personal life. These psychological matters also greatly impact a pilot while carrying his duty in the cockpit.

Therefore, in the result of exhaustion pilots become affected both personally and generally. They lose their motivation to work, perform their duties carelessly without paying the necessary amount of attention. Also their decision-making skills diminish, especially this one is important for decisions that must be made rapidly.

However, the most important outcome of pilot fatigue is an aircraft accident and potential fatalities.

Aviation Authorities Taking Actions To Prevent Fatalities

In February 2016 new controversial European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) flight time limitation laws came in to force. Now, almost a year has passed since European airlines started flying under new fatigue management rules which place stricter limits on when pilots fly, how much they fly and how much rest they get in between.

The Agency undertook an extensive and in its depth unprecedented consultation process, which included the assessment of a large amount of information and comments with the assistance of a group of industry experts and scientists.

It reflected the findings of all relevant publicly available scientific studies and proposed many key measures to mitigate the risks arising from major factors affecting human fatigue. Sleep loss, extended wakefulness, circadian phase, workload and the cumulative effects of fatigue were managed by a combination of limitations to flight time, flight duty periods, duty periods.

However, pilots fear these changes are made to force pilots work even longer and harder leading to dangerous levels of fatigue. Pilot unions still argue that the proposals do not go far enough and put passengers in danger.

Do Pilots Exaggerate The Level Of Their Exhaustion?

Of course, pilot fatigue related discussions make people sympathize with aviators complaints. However, Forbs notes that there are several reasons to remain skeptical about such claims.

Recently a large number of surveys were conducted to find out pilots’ assumptions regarding this problem. Accordingly, the results made it obvious that many pilots are bad at judging how fatigued they are.

Automatically, this raises questions about the validity of their claims.
However, there is no need to blame pilots. Humans generally fare badly when questioned about their health. One group of scientists has found that the more tired people get, the less tired they feel.

Legislating tiredness out of the workplace is another matter. As the BBC’s David Robson notes, “cities (and technological devices) are always buzzing with life, and this ‘24/7’ culture can make it difficult to rest at any hour of the day or night.” After juggling spouses, children, exercise and chores, the real surprise would be that pilots – and indeed workers in general – are not tired when they show up at the office.

Responsibility Lies on Pilots’ Shoulders

Aviation accidents are still extremely rare, but when they have occurred, figures show that 80% are a result of human error, with pilot fatigue accounting for 15-20% of human error in fatal accidents.

Thus, fatigue is a very real problem for flight crews. While aviation authorities can help mitigate the risks of pilot fatigue through education, changes to flight hour limitations and other fatigue management programmes, the ultimate responsibility of fatigue management lies with pilots themselves.

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