Introduction to Fatigue-Management
Being a pilot means to understand a responsibility and demonstrate a robust performance while accomplishing the tasks 24/7. However, being a pilot also means to be a human being with the various flaws and a predisposition to run out of energy. In the article “A Systematic Approach to Managing Fitness for Duty” published in Business Aviation Insider magazine, the author covers the fatigue challenges pilots face due to different reasons and highlights how it is important for a flight department to start running effective fatigue countermeasures in order to keep their workers healthy and physically fit. The author managed to create a coherent flow of supportive arguments based on scientific researches to support his main point of encouraging companies to guard physical fitness of their workers to eventually prevent “severe and even fatal consequences” resulted from human factor.
The article seems to be a clear explanation to the importance of fatigue-management program. It is well-written and does not lack vivid arguments stating that Duty/Rest Guidelines for Business Aviation was recommended to the companies as an “operation-wide fatigue education and training” but it still contains inaccuracies. While reading the article, a reader could understand that the author has gathered different views on this issue, and his aim is to introduce the audience with the scientific results. In fact, he did a great job and support his own research with valuable insights from professionals. Moreover, the article is easy to read with a great number of citations. However, this research does not show the critical view of the author. To my mind, he leaves his audience with an open problem not summarizing what he has just written above. Indeed, the article is really important for the industry because many problems could be solved if the companies learn and teach their workers as well about physiological and psychological reasons of fatigue, but the article should have contained more precise solutions.
Works Cited
“A Systematic Approach to Managing Fitness for Duty.” Business Aviation Insider. Sep./Oct. 2015. PDF.
