Pilots sleep in the cockpits even during short flights. Such a statement may shock passengers who believe that the crew is awake 24 hours a day. A commercial pilot who has been flying for more than 10 years told the Express newspaper about the secrets that the aviators’ cabin door hides.
As aircraft captain Andreas Stober explained, “Flying is a 24/7 business, so we fly at every possible time of day and night, which means we spend a lot of time fighting our biological clock.” “There are strict rules that govern our maximum duties and rest times, which are designed to avoid the threat of pilot fatigue at the controls. The reality is that our bodies don’t always agree with those laws, and the truth is that every pilot has experienced fatigue,” he added.
In general, many airlines allow one pilot to take a nap during a flight when the workload is light. “I’ve done that many times, especially on night flights, which can greatly affect our ability to concentrate,” he admitted.
According to Stober, pilots do take naps during short flights if they last at least one hour, because “the rule for daytime naps is that they can only be used during the ‘non-critical’ phases of flight, which essentially means during cruising flight [constant-speed flight mode].” The inability to take a nap on short flights is explained by the pilots’ preoccupation with landing the aircraft only a few minutes after takeoff, in which case the cruising phase of the flight can last only minutes.
The interlocutor also confessed that sometimes “pilots would snore nearby,” but he never had the heart to wake them up about it. “Sleeping in a near-vertical position is a skill in itself. Experienced veterans will work out their own little tricks, such as using pilot caps as a sleep mask,” he shared.
Another fact that an airline employee and travelers may not have been aware of is that “sometimes we carry human remains in the cargo hold.” “Commercial airlines’ luggage bays are filled with all kinds of cargo other than luggage. Everything from online shopping orders, fresh fish, weapons, human organs, coronavirus vaccines, and sometimes even cars are all carried in the holds. And yes, sometimes we take human remains home to their families for burial,” he added.
As the pilot noted, it may seem strange at first, but it’s important to respect the circumstances. I’m sure many passengers would be shocked to learn about things that are carried in the holds of commercial airlines. But that’s the way the world works. Our daily lives are more dependent on air cargo than many might think,” he summarized.