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Subject: Re: Sleep deprivation.
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Alexander Perry wrote:
 
> Well, I've got "6 hours of undisturbed sleep in the last 24" in my
> personal minimums if I am going to be PIC without another PIC capable
> pilot along for the trip.  I didn't even bother trying to fly while
> exhausted <...>

Inadequate sleep can have just as much impact on performance
as alcohol.  But it's often not treated as seriously.  

My opinion though I believe there have been studies done.  

The "S" in the FAA "I'M SAFE" checklist is for sleep.

> When studying, I would get useful work done on 2-3 hours of sleep per
> night for weeks on end.  <...> Things that require planning _and_
> coordination for safety really don't work well when you're tired.

Mmmm.  Well, I've "been there done that", and I submit that 
planning and coordination, even done seperately, really don't
work well when you're sleep-deprived.  I say "sleep-deprived"
and not tired, because personally I might stay up all night,
then get 4 hrs of sleep and feel pretty chipper, not tired at 
all, yet I can see the effects in my thought processes and
coordination if I look closely.

I too once tried to take some dual instruction in this condition,
and frankly my flying sucked.

> The medical students I knew where generally careful to separate the
> 'do things to patients' from the 'plan what to do next', which is why
> they were capable of functioning all the way in to exhaustion.

This is a seperate subject and off topic for this group, but as an
EMT and someone who has taught medical students, they didn't always
seem to me to be functioning too well on the day post-call.  I
personally think it's inappropriate to ask anyone to make health and
safety critical decisions on prolonged inadequate sleep.  And when
a critical situation develops, the neat separation of "do things" and
"plan" kind of falls by the wayside, there isn't time.  I'm sure
intern and resident physicians do the best they can but the fact is,
mistakes happen under the conditions they are required to work.

Snowbird

Snowbird


