Quite true Keith, and that's why there are flight and duty time limits in Part 121, 135, 125 for example. Just not in Part 91. For the years I flew under Part 135, single pilot flight time was 8 hrs max, and dual pilot time was 10 hrs max. Duty day for both was 14 hrs max, with 10 hrs uninterrupted rest prior to any further duty. Professional pilots and their companies can be severely disciplined and fined for exceeding those limits. Also, that is why there is an extra pilot on long overseas flights. I believe the trucking regs have similar restrictions to driving time.Keith B wrote:
As a pilot fatigue is one of the major factors we look at in safety. There have been some extensive studies done on fatigue and how it affects decision making, reaction times and response to problems. It has been found that fatigue can impact a person very similarly to alcohol or other depressants. Pilots in the study had not had adequate sleep over a short time period actually reacted similarly to those that had a .04 - .08 BAC.
Does professional law enforcement have any such limits? I would hope so, as there is just as much reason for a LEO to be as alert as a pilot.