4 ms·
Maybe OT, but pilots have a lot of time off between shifts and it's starting to come to light that their depression rates are much higher than anyone is comfort
by pdelbarba 9y ago
Maybe OT, but pilots have a lot of time off between shifts and it's starting to come to light that their depression rates are much higher than anyone is comfortable admitting. This may from a different source though, since flying is very much about precise repetition and less about complex decision making (ADM is hard, but not the same level of mental stress that doctors endure), you eventually realize that you're a very highly trained bus driver.
- killjoywashere 9y agoPilots have more incentive to manage their fatigue: if they screw up, they die.
- pdelbarba 9y agoIt's way more complex than that though. The regulations exist because companies were pushing pilots to do more than they could handle, leading to a number of high profile crashes. Yes, the pilots are incentivized to manage fatigue but it's like any other profession, it's easy to get complacent.
- devdas 9y agoRegulations for pilots currently mean that any treatment for depression means the pilot will no longer have a valid license. https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/aam/ame/guide/pharm/antidepressants/ https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/av...
- pdelbarba 9y agoWhich is part of the problem. They never report completely treatable issues because of the bureaucracy surrounding the FAA medical program.