How many fatigue calls is too many?

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LowTimePilot@reddit

Ex-Crew Scheduler here.

It depends on who will be seen as the one at fault. If you are asked to take a 2 hour extension, do it, then the next day your trip is WX delayed and then you have a mechanical issue half way through the trip, and you call fatigue, it is what it is.

If you're coming off of 12 days off with a nice 9am showtime and call fatigue, it's something we will pay attention to for the next one to spot a pattern.

The FAA tracks the calls and is looking to see if the airline is being irresponsible. The company tracks the calls to look for abuse. Neither party wants a pilot to fly tired.

TL;DR - Use it if you need to. If its not carrier induced, address lifestyle issues if it keeps happening.

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BagOfMoneyNoChange@reddit

For anyone reading this, fuck this advice. Do not extend.

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canuck791@reddit

In 15 years I have never once extended. It is a hard line in the sand even if it means a single day turns into an overnight and I have no clothing.

I just refuse to do it. Period. Even if I feel ok. Not my job or my obligation to extend.

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BagOfMoneyNoChange@reddit

My buddy at OO says they have to fill out a fatigue report if they refuse to extend. I never flew for the regionals so I'm not sure if that's par for the course or not, but I thought that was terrible.

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Brambleshire@reddit

This was also the case at endeavor unless things have changed

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BasilProfessional09@reddit

When you check in for your first flight of the FDP you are agreeing to an extension. You don’t have the option to reject the extension. It’s some BS

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BagOfMoneyNoChange@reddit

That is some crazy BS.

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3PartsRum_1PartAir@reddit

It’s a very big regional thing to do you can only deny an extension if you’re fatigued. The FAAs position is that it’s between the company and the pilot to determine causes for extension or not. When I argued with mine that I don’t have to take it but I’m not fatigued they directed me to an ALPA FAQ that ALPA signed and they said that’s my obligation. I was livid. After that I’ve said no extensions ever again.

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canuck791@reddit

Sounds like something OO would do.

My airline it's a simple "no sorry we are not extending" and that's the end of it.

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BagOfMoneyNoChange@reddit

Same for us, just a quick call to the duty pilot with a rested and ready time. Unfortunately the FO side of the house is so bad for us that I've seen some guys complaining about 5 leg days and other crazy stuff. It's embarrassing what management has allowed it to become.

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BagOfMoneyNoChange@reddit

My man.

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LowTimePilot@reddit

I never advocated for taking an extension. I think you misread. Hell, I've coached an FA crew into calling fatigue after their pilots timed out and the carrier wanted thrm to sit and wait for new pilots to be flown in.

I am NOT pro extension...

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BagOfMoneyNoChange@reddit

If you are asked to take a 2 hour extension, do it

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LowTimePilot@reddit

Do it in the sense of "and you do it," not "you need to do it."

Sorry about the confusion. Was not my intention to imply you should take an extension.

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3PartsRum_1PartAir@reddit

Thanks for clarifying that statement was a trip up lol

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LowTimePilot@reddit

Yeah that's on me. I went to school in Vegas back when we were 49th in the US for education. If it wasn't for spell check you wouldn't even know I was writing in English, haha.

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BagOfMoneyNoChange@reddit

I'll lower my pitchfork.

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3PartsRum_1PartAir@reddit

^^ this. Crew schedulers do not control whether you’re extending or not in any world. Fatigue doesn’t even matter at that point.

What a ridiculous take. “Do it”

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Chunkynotsmooth@reddit

It read to me as if you do it, I don’t think they’re advocating to

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Fizzo21@reddit

I’ve extended one time, it was horrible. I will never do that again..

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LowTimePilot@reddit

I had a crew call and preemptively accept a 2 hour just to finish their going home flight. Never heard of that before. My directors gastes were flabbered. We actually had to look it up and see if it was legal for us to approve.

I felt so bad when they did a 2nd RTG for some MX issue.

When we rescheduled the flight for the next day and bought hotels for the pax, I got the crew a limo home instead of keeping them overnight. I probably wouldn't have gotten approval to do that if they weren't the only crew on Earth to ever do that. Wild times.

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Brambleshire@reddit

Is this "tracking" even legal?

I've called out coming off 12 day trips for 9am reports many times for various reasons. (Neighbors parties, bad sleep, fireworks, bidding mistake, etc). I've never been bothered about it, but it's nice to know I've been "tracked".

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LowTimePilot@reddit

Tracked in the sense of there is an email trail and people are aware, especially because it's required to be reported. Never saw someone get in trouble for a fatigue call though, but I worked at a smallere 121 carrier and we actually really liked our crews.

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Lightlychopped@reddit

Just curious, did you guys track fatigue calls outside of your carriers fatigue management program? Or are you saying scheduling was included in your carriers program?

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LowTimePilot@reddit

This was years ago, but back then, because we were the crews point of contact, it was our job to gather all the details, phone recordings, etc, and submit it to flight safety, the local chief pilot, etc.

For what its worth, there were times I coached a crew into saying fatigue after they mentioned being tired on the recorded line. Never got blowback even from the OCC manager next to me.

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21MPH21@reddit

That's what I'm wondering too. I don't think dispatchers are included in any legacy/majors actual program.

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3PartsRum_1PartAir@reddit

Counter argument. Don’t accept it. Anything happens during that extension you will take the blame no matter what. It’s never worth it. Extensions shouldn’t be a thing.

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nsfvvvv@reddit

Nah…

Its legal and up to your judgment as a captain.

However I am very hesitant using them. I see it as a tool to get the aircraft back home in case of unexpected events. If we allready know we’re going to be delayed before I even started the boarding I will not use the extention.

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3PartsRum_1PartAir@reddit

I didn’t say it’s not legal. I’m saying it shouldn’t exist.

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nsfvvvv@reddit

I disagree.

I think it is a great tool. But only for me as a captain and in exceptional cases.

And as soon as the company assumes that I will use SCD extention and plans the operation on that assumption I probably won’t use it.

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BagOfMoneyNoChange@reddit

Lol you can't force an FO to extend. When I was an FO I had quite a few captains agree to an extension. I did not. Guess who went to the hotel? Both of us.

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nsfvvvv@reddit

I know.

And I don’t know why you would assume that.

ORO.FTL.205 clearly states that the commander shall consult all crewmembets on their alertness levels before deciding the modifications to the max fdp.

If the FO doesn’t want to extent (or is willing but way to tired) I am not going to.

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BagOfMoneyNoChange@reddit

I think it is a great tool. But only for me as a captain and in exceptional cases.

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3PartsRum_1PartAir@reddit

They’re just into spouting off being a captain and making choices and being a commander. This is past the point of extensions now.

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nsfvvvv@reddit

I’m sorry you feel this way.

It is not.

I’m trying to have a meaningful discussion about the use of extention.

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BagOfMoneyNoChange@reddit

"Hey guys I'm a captain!" Thanks for your contribution.

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BagOfMoneyNoChange@reddit

Exactly. "Look at me, I'm the captain now!" What a dingus.

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nsfvvvv@reddit

Yeah, I meant for me as a captain (after consultation with crew) and not for the company.

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BagOfMoneyNoChange@reddit

You sound like a shitty captain. One of those guys who makes being "in command" your entire personality.

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3PartsRum_1PartAir@reddit

Idk who you work for but all carriers plan on pilots being willing to extend.

I will say if you’re going home sure. Fine. But if anything happens to you during the extension that is going to be a major wrench on trying to pin it on you.

“Only for me as a captain”. If you pressure your FO into an extension because you’re very “me” focused on your go home leg you need to reconsider your management style.

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nsfvvvv@reddit

Lol, I think I did not make myself clear enough.

What I meant to say is that if the company wants me and my crew to extend, I won’t just let them.

Only under exeptional circumstances, I can make that decission. Not the company.

And I will make that decission after consulting with every crewmember. If one of them is not up to it. I will not extend.

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DefundTheHOA_@reddit

You will be in trouble if anything happens.

You sign a fit for duty statement every flight and if you use the excuse “I was a little tired I shouldn’t have taken the extension” then you weren’t really fit for duty

Aircraft repositioning is not your responsibility.

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nsfvvvv@reddit

So… why would I take the extention if I was not fit anyway?

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DefundTheHOA_@reddit

You literally said you’re concerned about getting the aircraft back to base lol

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nsfvvvv@reddit

I am not.

I am very hesitant to use it. Only in exeptional cases and only to get us home or the airplane home. And only in unexpected events (like a sick passenger during boarding causing additional delay causing us to exceed the max FDP).

At home base I will simply never use it. They have other crew to fix the problem.

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DefundTheHOA_@reddit

lol you said “I see it as a tool to get the aircraft back to home base…”

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nsfvvvv@reddit

Fine dude. Whatever you want.

If you are not willing to see it in context. This is where the discussion ends.

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DefundTheHOA_@reddit

I don’t want anything I’m just saying what you said lol

Take some responsibility, CAPTAIN since you want everyone to know that

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nsfvvvv@reddit

Whatever dude.

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Altruistic-Cod1330@reddit

Lol. Never take the extension.

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BagOfMoneyNoChange@reddit

That depends on the airline, the trips, the reroute, the season, the hotel, etc etc. There's no such thing as "too many" fatigue calls. If you're fatigued and there's a clear operational reason like multiple min rest nights with 5 leg days, then it's a no brainer.

If you're calling out fatigued just to get out of trips, that will catch up with you.

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gromm93@reddit

What if you have no good reason? Ie: My brain woke me up at 3am for funsies and wouldn't let me sleep after that.

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Brambleshire@reddit

In both my regional and legacy career I probably call out fatigued 3-4 times a year. Usually 1-2 of them are for extremely non-operational reasons such as: my early report trip hasn't even started yet, im at home in my own bed, but I just couldn't sleep/fireworks were blasting/neighbors had a party, I bid my trips too close together, etc. I've never received any phone calls or bs. The board determined it was "non-operationally induced fatigue". pay came out of my sick time. End of story.

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scamp9121@reddit

You have a good boss. Some would ask why you didn’t get yourself a hotel room so you could be prepared for work.

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Brambleshire@reddit

No. Fatigue calls MUST remain non-punitive otherwise the entire fatigue system collapses. And it would be not to mention illegal.

There would have to be clear and proven abuse to even have a chat about it.

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canuck791@reddit

No real airline CP would ever say anything like that.

Maybe at a charter company or something.

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scamp9121@reddit

lol. Dude a legacy would have you do it enough. CP’s are trained to confront lifestyle choices if it’s interfering with your ability to show up to work reliably.

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Brambleshire@reddit

Because going and sleeping somewhere else will interfere in my sleep even more

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canuck791@reddit

I am at a legacy. And I have done it a fair amount of times. The key is always file your report with the explanation.

If you don't do that or have some stupid same reason all the time like "kids kept me up" then yes you'll probably get a call. And be told on your off time you need to figure out a way to ensure you get your rest and away from your kids.

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scamp9121@reddit

You have a lot of valid points. And then there’s the crowd who was invited to the bday party, knew about it in advance, and it started at 7pm…

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canuck791@reddit

Ok even if your neighbour lets you know. What are you supposed to do?

Are you supporting the idea that you as a pilot should be going out of pocket to go sleep at a hotel for your early check in?

No thanks. Wear some ear plugs, if that doesnt work and you don't feel fit to fly you book off. It's really as simple as that. And your neighbour ins't having weekly birthday parties.

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scamp9121@reddit

Go walk into a legacy chief pilots office and tell them that. Half may be cool with it. But I guarantee some are going to have a problem with it.

I’m not talking about weekly parties. I’m talking about stuff regularly coming up. 4 fatigue calls per year is on the higher end of the spectrum. You will eventually be on someone’s radar.

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canuck791@reddit

It completley depends on the circumstances.

Something airlines are needing to get a handle on, is the change in demographics within their ranks. I find younger pilots now (gen y/z) are much more willing to actually call in fatigued than former gen X and boomer who were big on "get the job done" mentality.

Things are changing, quickly. And what might have been considered a red flag even just 10 years ago is not so much any more.

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scamp9121@reddit

I agree. But that CP is likely at some point a boomer with military background. They will expect you to go above and beyond if it’s causing you to cause a trip interruption every 3 months and everyone else can figure it out.

A call every now and then outs totally fine. 4 per year is pretty high.

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canuck791@reddit

But that CP is likely at some point a boomer with military background.

Irrelevant.

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canuck791@reddit

Lol bro this never happens in reality to normal pilots using the system as it was designed.

It happens to the people booking off bi-weekly and taking advantage of the system.

That's not what this thread was about.

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scamp9121@reddit

Cool. And before you put your two cents in, I was talking to someone who was borderline on the other side of this.

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canuck791@reddit

Well were you taking advantage of the goodwill of the system? Or not?

If you weren't, then sounds like that's a major saftey issue if you are being manipulated into not using those avenues by your company.

If you were abusing the system, then not much more to say.

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mav3r1ck92691@reddit

Yeah sleep away from home while home… cause that makes sense… the other guy is a moron.

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scamp9121@reddit

And you are a…. Dick….

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mav3r1ck92691@reddit

Nope, I just have a brain.

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mav3r1ck92691@reddit

Slept somewhere else other than my own home when at home? Are you stupid?

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canuck791@reddit

I wish my airline actually did this, instead we just book off sick. For non-operational. The downside to that is it doesn't end up getting tracked will so those early starts/poor bidding issues dont get tracked.

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x4457@reddit

That's a non-operational fatigue call. Shit happens, we're human beings.

Too many of those and it becomes a problem. What "too many" is depends on way too many factors to provide an actual answer.

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BrolecopterPilot@reddit

Reading these replies as a helicopter pilot in the utility/fire sector is hilarious in the most depressing way. Really should’ve flown airplanes

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DogeLikestheStock@reddit

Seriously.

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Small_Chicken1085@reddit

Maintenance should really have fatigue days.

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DogeLikestheStock@reddit

Oh you’re exactly right. I’ve been a pilot for about 15 years now, but in rotor pilots and mechanics just work. There isn’t a solid culture where calling fatigue is accepted. This is true even in organizations that have policies to that effect.

I think it is the worst for mechanics and, like the guy above was saying, utility is one of the toughest industries for that.

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gromm93@reddit

There isn’t a solid culture where calling fatigue is accepted.

I'm curious if there's a work culture anywhere that it is. The reason that pilots have this at all isn't because the managers were charitable, quite the opposite. Before several costly and public fatal accidents, the attitude was "shut up and fly".

It's the exception - and a rather extreme one - not the rule. Don't expect anywhere else to have it.

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DogeLikestheStock@reddit

I’m not sure why you got downvoted. Only in areas where we have strong organized labor are these safety measures institutionalized.

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gromm93@reddit

Strong unions yes, but pilots have had strong unions longer than there have been strong regulations about fatigue, and it was the FAA that made it a rule, not a union demand.

There might be dangerous professions where "getting enough sleep" is the law of the land, but I definitely haven't been in one yet.

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ThatLooksRight@reddit

Helicopters don’t have rules, silly!

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-smartcasual-@reddit

There is no law for them, not even gravity

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canuck791@reddit

Generally when that stuff happens at home, I book of sick.

If I am impacted while on the road, I use the fatigue avenue. Part of that is also because my airline is not pay protected for at home fatigue book offs (they consider it under your control) so it's a credit drop. But on the road it's protected.

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TheMarineLayer@reddit

Too many of those and too get a wellness check from the chief pilot

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BagOfMoneyNoChange@reddit

If your reason wasn't operational, (e.g. calling in fatigued before reporting for a rotation) then the fatigue review board might not pay protect your trip. It's a case by case basis. Every one is reviewed.

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jkoz226@reddit

It all depends. You’ll likely be fine the first maybe few but beyond that without reason? Toast.

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Suspicious-Gur-8453@reddit

Really just depends on the circumstance. If you don't feel right, call out.

With that said, is it work induced? Or are there personal factors?

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indianmcflyer@reddit (OP)

4 months ago was personal. This time, also personal. Before the last one was 2 years.

I just have a bad feeling about 2 personal fatigue calls in a row 4 months apart

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frogdenjersey@reddit

Are you ALPA or ALPA-C? Our fatigue committee has said the people that pop up on the CP radar are calling out weekly for a couple months.

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No-Foundation-8034@reddit

One of those cases where spelling out CP might be worthwhile..

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canuck791@reddit

It's r/flying.

Everyone here should know what CP means.

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Slippery_when_RA@reddit

I think CPO is better

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canuck791@reddit

I've literally never heard this before.

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frogdenjersey@reddit

Chief Pilot. Sorry

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ThatLooksRight@reddit

Carrier Pigeon?

No, that can’t be it.

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dodexahedron@reddit

Cognac, Probably.

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Tman3355@reddit

If its personal than why fatigue instead of sick call? Or are you saying you were fatigue due to personal factors effecting rest? Either way could always mix it up with a sick call.

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21MPH21@reddit

Yep, call sick. If you REALLY WANT to you can always pick up the trip after your nap

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Slippery_when_RA@reddit

Yeah I called out sick once because I had a massive headache and could barely sleep. When it came time for my trip it wasn’t really sick anymore but it’s easier to explain a sick call from home than a fatigue one.

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canuck791@reddit

It can sometimes be a company issue though.

Like getting home at 2am one night then a day and a half later having a 0400 report. To me that is a scheduling issue, not a personal issue even though you are at home and it's considered "non oeprational"...

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Tman3355@reddit

No where in the US is it legal to get done at 2am then have a 0400 report in commercial aviation. Need at least 8hr sleep opportunity behind the door. If they live 3 hours away and choose to go home with a report 10 hours after block in then that is on the pilot not the company and they should probably plan to sleep at a hotel near the airport or crash pad for the next duty period.

There are plenty of scheduling things that can induce fatigue like pm/am swaps, back to back long duty days with delays etc. Either way whether its personal or company induced if you are fatigue call fatigued I just wasnt sure what they ment by saying a coupld were personal.

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canuck791@reddit

Getting done on a Monday (Tuesday) at 0130 + check out and then report Wed at 0400? Yup happens and is completley legal. At least where I am.

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indianmcflyer@reddit (OP)

Yeah that's pretty much what happened here. Got home around 1 in the morning on Friday, and had a 5am report this morning which is a 3am wakeup. I just couldn't flip my sleep that fast, and ended up tossing and turning for hours.

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canuck791@reddit

I can never do it. These are 99% of the flights I've booked off on, and I've never had any phone calls about it.

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Tman3355@reddit

Sorry, chill, I misread that as 0200 then 0400 that same morning.

Yes that is completely legal, and not fun at all. Been there done that. And if you arent rested then call fatigued. Month to month overlap where something like that happens sucks.

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canuck791@reddit

I know that's how you read it.

Like getting home at 2am one night then a day later having a 0400 report

Not sure what part of the phrase "a day later" means the same morning. Maybe slow down on your commenting.

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Tman3355@reddit

Lol chill man a misunderstanding ain't that serious.

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canuck791@reddit

I'm literally talking about a PM/AM swap.

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mfreeman8@reddit

I'm not an ATP pilot but an engineer that builds ships. I typically call in sick once a year due to stress on the job. If you're flying and have ~one call in a year, that's definitely reasonable when you're trying to be safe in the air carrying many people

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canuck791@reddit

Oh bro, you good. Just call.

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JadedJared@reddit

If you’re that concerned about it call out sick

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UnhingedCorgi@reddit

3 in two years shouldn’t be a problem.

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Suspicious-Gur-8453@reddit

I really would not worry about that at all.

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Immediate_Elephant92@reddit

mate you're fine, don't stress about it.

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Mike734@reddit

In order to build time I flew double shifts for a month. I flew my normal single engine shift at night until the morning. Then I went home, had a shower and some breakfast, flew a day trip in a twin as an “instructor” until late in the afternoon. Then I repeated the process. I did that for a month until I fell asleep for an hour, in cruise flight, in the single, at night.

A whole hour passed. When I woke up it seemed like I had closed my eyes for a split second. But in fact, I was an hour down the road and it was time to start my descent into KBUR.

I was very lucky that night and didn’t challenge fatigue ever again. I also built my multi time so that I finally had enough to get a better job. But in the future I had a tremendous respect for rest and fatigue. I didn’t intentionally place myself in situations that would cause fatigue and I didn’t hesitate to call in if I really was tired and fatigued. Don’t be like young and stupid me. Don’t fly fatigued.

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Oregon-Pilot@reddit

Some of us have that one flight that taught us, under no circumstances, will we ever flying fatigued again. A little sleepy because it’s an early morning flight is one thing. But truly fatigued? No, and because of my “almost” experience, that is a hill I will die on. I almost flew me and 4 others into the side of a hill because I misheard an ATC assigned altitude after a very long day. Never again!

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Worried-Ebb-1699@reddit

Subjective for sure.

I’d say 5-6 in a year is A LOT. But, I also am good at preparing for redeyes.

For me, early morning flying is the worst.

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StrangePersimmon5695@reddit

One month I called out fatigue four times. One operational, three personal. After the third personal my chief pilot called to see what was going on, I explained, (pet emergency all night, family emergency overnight, then house caught fire). It wasn’t in trouble they just hadn’t read my reports and wanted to check if it was better for me to take personal leave if all three instances were because of the same thing and he wanted to help coordinate that. Don’t abuse it, but twice in four months usually isn’t enough to pop up red flags if your fatigue report is filled out and reasonable

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HappyGnumff@reddit

17500hrs. Never called once

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canuck791@reddit

No such thing.

I have called off fatiuge at most 6 times one year? Never heard a second peep about it. Just file your report, and move on.

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lnxguy@reddit

Offshore helicopter pilot says what?

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Plus-Worry-1847@reddit

4 calls in a year is too much. It truly isn’t that “fatiguing” and I work at a 5 leg a day regional 😂

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21MPH21@reddit

4 calls in a year is too much. It truly isn’t that “fatiguing” and I work at a 5 leg a day regional 😂

5 legs a day is a lot, especially when you were a new FO.

I also think you might be flying fatigued and not realize it. Especially if your 5 leg days are min rest, max FDP/block which is typical regional BS

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Comfortable_Ad5417@reddit

In the corporate world, we do 4-6 legs per day with min rest (10 hours) 4 or 5 nights out of the 7 or 8 days you’re on your trip. Min rest is 10 hours. Duty is 14, and you’ll fly, clean, stock, fuel your own jet depending on where you end up, load and offload bags, brief pax etc etc day after day. After a day or 2 of this with cross country timezone changes and operating on the local time zone you can easily fatigue out on the 2nd or 3rd day!

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21MPH21@reddit

Yep. I don't think semi-rich folks realize how little sleep their pilots get and how much danger this causes.

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TripNo1876@reddit

My airline didn't start asking questions until 8 book offs in 12 months. Some guys bid vacation every other month so they can book off every month in between and have a full week off every month.

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hypnotoad23@reddit

I average one a month and have never been denied or contacted about them.

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21MPH21@reddit

Wow

All operational or some personal?

If operational, are you at a regional?

USA?

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hypnotoad23@reddit

All operational. Mainline USA

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21MPH21@reddit

All operational. Mainline USA

That's crazy, Sounds like a regional.

Sounds like they need to correct things if they're causing you to fatigue/cancel 1:36 trips a month.

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21MPH21@reddit

Wow

All operational or some personal?

If operational, are you at a regional?

USA?

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acidreducer@reddit

I’ve called fatigue once at my current company after 6 years. My buddy that got hired with me had probably called fatigue 12+ times.

No right or wrong answer, but a rule of thumb is “if you ask yourself 3 times ‘should I be doing this?’ The answers is most likely no.”

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NoDistribution9217@reddit

Coming from a single pilot cargo 135, the idea of a fatigue call out is totally foreign to me. We flew in the shit with little sleep and did that day after day 5 days a week! Been at a 121 for 1.5 years and haven’t called fatigue yet. But I’m starting to learn it’s there for a (good) reason and it’s ok to use when needed. There’s some flights I can think of that I probably should’ve called out. Also learned… don’t extend before doing a 2 leg transcon red eye… that one was brutal and never again!

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21MPH21@reddit

There’s some flights I can think of that I probably should’ve called out.

Everyone has one or two of those. But, you shouldn't have a bunch.

Start calling fatigued when you need it. The pax deserve well-rested pilots and the companies need to be held responsible for min-rest nights into max FDP days

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mfsp2025@reddit

If I called out fatigued every time I was tired, I’d probably be fired. This job is fatiguing in nature. But you have to figure out where the line is. Unfortunately, it’s tough to predict sometimes.

I was pretty fatigued when I had to divert on leg 5 of day 1. But at that point, I was already flying. There’s also external factors that play in. Hotel issues ALWAYS happen on the go home overnight so you don’t really want to call fatigued since you have one leg anyways before going home. Usually it’s a non issue but it could turn into one.

I’ve only ever called fatigued once. I feel like there’s been instances where I should’ve called fatigued but didn’t. But again, it’s about finding that line between “normal tired from the job” and “I’m actually exhausted to the point I could be dangerous if something happened”.

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cbj_fanatic@reddit

Sounds fatiguing

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muchoqueso26@reddit

laughs in bush pilot

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BasilProfessional09@reddit

There’s never “too many” if they are legitimate. My airlines fatigue program is spelled out as non punitive in our CBA. Don’t fly fatigued. Physiologically It’s not much different than flying drunk. The flying public would really appreciate it.

That being said you should not abuse the program, even once. If you need to call out for personal reasons use your sick time, that’s what it’s for.

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BasilProfessional09@reddit

I have called out fatigued maybe 6 times in the last 3 years, because I was legitimately tired or because I was going to be put in an uncomfortable position where I would be very fatigued, but in an inconvenient location like an outstation or mid flight. I’ve never heard a peep about it.

It’s also a good way for those of us without a union to pushback against scheduling when we get a questionable assignment. They track the fatigue trends and I like to think that they make adjustments to their operations if multiple people are calling out during something similar. For example they have tried to make me take a taxi over 5 hours between two cities that we have multiple flights a day for. No thanks, get me a seat on one of those. I don’t do road trips for this job unless there’s some nation wide IROP where it’s absolutely necessary.

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r361k@reddit

I’ve called fatigue like maybe 4 or 5 times in 11 years of airline flying. If you’re calling in fatigue 10 times a year the company will for sure investigate that. Maybe three or four times in one year at the most would be some of the higher end people I’ve represented when I was an elected LEC in ALPA.

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Computerized-Cash@reddit

6-7

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rFlyingTower@reddit

This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:

4 in a year? 10 in a year? what do you all think is ordinary?

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