Pilot Opinion Survey Re: Changes To Fdt Regulations

[Fred Lewis]

This survey is intended to measure the extent to which pilots agree with the changes to Canada’s flight and duty time regulations as proposed by the Canadian Aviation Regulation Advisory Council Flight Crew Fatigue Management Working Group. This report was published by Transport Canada on August 15, 2012.

 

Participants have the option of providing their name, email address and phone number or all or none of these as they wish. All results, anonymous or otherwise are tabulated. A preliminary survey indicated that 66% of potential participants would provide their names.

 

The survey software allows only one survey response per computer.

 

Participants are given the opportunity to specify their preferences on several aspects of the regulations to which change is proposed. These responses will be tabulated and compared with both the existing and proposed regulations on January 20, 2013.

 

Click here to take the survey.

[helicopterjim]

You had best fix question 7 - it makes no sense.

[Helilog56]

Yes....I could not rearrange the order of what I thought was most to least important!!!

[GoldMember]

I completely disagree with the proposed regulations. I also disagree with "Fred" putting together survey after survey. I agree completely with Jim regarding question 7.

 

Kevin McCormick

[Harmonic_Vibe]

I don't know why Fred would do this survey since we have on being constructed but he has consistently shown that he is in a different industry than most of the rest of us. Question 7 doesn't have enough choices is the problem, as they all assume a benefit in some area so you need the option to opt out completely.

 

We are still drafting our survey petition, and the "conductor" of the survey will be a Professor at the University of Calgary. All information will be kept confidential and no one will have their name aired publicly. We will not be asking people how they "feel" about tour length and how many hours they "like" to fly. We will ask them their opinions on fatigue and safety. Specifically how the proposed regulations may affect safety. Everyone would love to pick their tour length and hours flown... that has zero to do with safety Fred. I suggest you red a book or something.

 

HV

[Skidz]

I have a hard time with the idea of supplying my personal information in a survey being conducted by someone we know nothing about... Furthermore, responding to this survey without providing the requested personal info is pointless as there can be no reliable validation as to the source of the respondent's opinion and therefore it will carry no weight with the authorities.

 

As for stating that the survey can only be completed once per computer, I know about ten different ways to defeat that "feature", so, in my humble opinion, the validity and accuracy of this survey is nil unless every respondent provides their personal information. Therefore, I'm not gonna bother responding. I'll wait for Corey's poll instead...

[Helilog56]

Point taken.....I'm on the other side. I could care less about giving what little was asked.....nothing was divulged that could be held against me in a court of law !!??

I was actually thinking I could root out some of what Fred is about.....as he seems to be reluctant too come forward with what he actually does??

We are all very concerned in my sector of the industry, which is mostly heli-logging, how the proposed changes will affect us. Our side has used due diligence to mitigate fatigue by keeping very strict rotations with our flight crews.

Pilots are only part of the equation.....engineers and apprentices that pull long hours need to be monitored and restricted with their duty time also!

[helicopterjim]

Point taken.....I'm on the other side. I could care less about giving what little was asked.....nothing was divulged that could be held against me in a court of law !!?? I was actually thinking I could root out some of what Fred is about.....as he seems to be reluctant too come forward with what he actually does?? We are all very concerned in my sector of the industry, which is mostly heli-logging, how the proposed changes will affect us. Our side has used due diligence to mitigate fatigue by keeping very strict rotations with our flight crews. Pilots are only part of the equation.....engineers and apprentices that pull long hours need to be monitored and restricted with their duty time also!

 

Bob - I don't log any more but having done heli-logging for 18 years I understand so well what you mean about how well fatigue is kept in check whilst logging. I also remember our insurance agent telling me about a study that TSB had done regarding logging back in the late 90's. The general impression at the time was that heli-logging equalled death and so on. She said that someone (no longer there) at TSB had a hard-on against logging and this study would prove him right and it would mean the end of it all. When she enquired about the report about a year later she was told that the results "needed to be assessed some more". When she spoke to someone else at TSB (someone she knew and trusted) she said that it turns out that with respect to the number of hours flown that heli-logging is the safest sector of helicopter flying and is safer than almost any other form of aviation except for the airline. The report would not be released publicly as it did not provide the intended results and therefore had no worth to TSB. I am aware that there are people at TSB who would not support this train of thought and I doubt that anyone there would corroborate this but I was told this by someone with whom I have full faith in their honesty (the insurance companies would have also loved to have a report sinking some form of flight so that they could charge more).

 

My point to the diatribe above is that there are reports out there that support us operating in a safe environment but are not and perhaps will not ever be available to us even though we know the truth. Whether we will ever find them or have access to them I don't know but I do know that the FEDS will only look at what they want to look at unless we shove something else in their faces to show otherwise!

 

By the way Bob - I miss logging - every day I miss logging!

[GoldMember]

Nice post Jim.

 

This process we are about to take part in, the survey/petition, is about something more than Flight and Duty Times, it's about standing up to be counted and reminding the PUBLIC officials that they work for us. Just because we as helicopter pilots don't have a union or association to represent and lobby on our behalf, no offense to HAC, does not mean we can't have an impact here and now. All it takes is a moment in time to state your opinion. Thanks again to Corey, and whomever else is helping to organize this process, for providing the means with which we can make ourselves heard.

[ACHILLES]

I Will wait for Corey's As well.

 

Paul Farrugia