Fatigue Problems

In 2024, while we were already developing AeroMind, an active pilot approached me, expressing concerns about frequent lapses in focus, near burnout, and persistent fatigue. During our coaching sessions, we emphasize clear communication to ensure mutual understanding of every term. In this case, I asked him to start tracking both the quantity and quality of his sleep. The revelation was startling: his average daily sleep was less than five hours.

Despite being a young pilot in excellent physical condition with quick recovery, this was clearly insufficient. I recalled the 1656 EDT case and the Delta Airlines OPS10IA001 Sleep/Fatigue Management Guide. I shared this document with him, and we began working week by week to increase his sleep duration. Until he reached an adequate amount, I advised him to consistently file fatigue reports whenever he had insufficient rest the night before.

What was the key lesson for me? Should it have taken a coach to identify this? That realization was eye-opening. Had he objectively analyzed himself earlier, he likely would have addressed the problem sooner. This led to a profound insight:

If this pilot had been able to compare his performance once when fully rested and once when fatigued, using AeroMind in a simulator, what differences might he have noticed? If he could see his own metrics, how much more aware would he have become of the critical importance of rest?

Let me take this further: If AeroMind were integrated into aircraft systems and ACARS could transmit data on pilots’ fatigue levels, how significantly could pilots’ awareness of rest and recovery improve?