Sleeping on duty

I am home now recovering from the trip. This trip ended with what we affectionately call an "LA turn". That means in the next 36 hours we will fly Tokyo to LAX (10.5 hours) to Tokyo (12 hours) followed 21 hours later with a flight Tokyo to Salt Lake City (11.5 hours). I met myself coming and going across the Pacific. Oftentimes we will hear over the radio the flight number of the leg that we flew the day before heading in the opposite direction.

For any folks who may wonder if pilots sleep on legs such as these the answer is "but of course". Let me explain. In the days of the 747 where we had a crew of three there was a Captain, First Officer and an Engineer (also a pilot but on this plane to monitor engines and fuel etc). On any leg shorter than 12 hours there would be no sleeping. If the leg was LA to Tokyo (11 hours 59 minutes) we would simply sit up front and fly the airplane (on autopilot) and tell each other how great we thought we were until we had exhausted all of the "slightly exaggerated" stories of our flying skills and airborne superiority. Fast forward to today. Now there are three pilots but no engineer is needed. During takeoff and landing all three pilots are up front in the cockpit. After level off one of the three pilots goes back to the bunk room just aft of the cockpit for a rest period, approximately 1/3 of the total flight time. Then he or she comes up and relieves one of the others and they go back so that there is one pilot in the bunk room and two up front at all times during the flight.

The bunkroom: These vary in size and location with different airplanes but the A-330 has fine accomodations to say the least. There is a computer hookup and a table and nice seat if one wishes to study or work. If a pilot wishes to sleep there is a 6.5 foot bunk that folds down. It is firm but effective if one is really tired. The Captain usually takes the middle break. This bunk gives pilots the opportunity to rest on the longer flights. That does not mean we always stack zzzzzz. Time zone changes and rest patterns play into the equation. Sometimes turbulence has you rockin and a rollin in the rack and sometimes you drank a little too much coffee and everything you never wanted to think about creeps into your head. Like "did I put the lawn mower away the other day" or "I think I left my wallet in the hotel room". Then you lay there quietly and think until they call you to be replaced by another pilot.

So the answer is "you betcha" when asked if a pilot sleeps. In your travels I bet you folks have seen a pilot walking around in back and wondered "Who is flying this thing, anyway?" One on break- two in the cockpit. And there you have it.

PS Domestic pilots generally don't have these accomodations for the obvious reasons, they fly shorter legs with smaller aircraft.

I will be headed to Bangkok on my next trip with Thanksgiving on a layover in Honolulu. That ought to be interesting. Do they have turkey on Waikiki Beach?