Editorial: Keeping pilots fresh

The notion that cargo pilots don't need as much rest as airline pilots is a difficult pill to swallow for the public as well as the pilots.

Pilots at UPS and FedEx let their feelings be known last week after the Federal Aviation Administration exempted their employers from new rules designed to keep airline pilots fresh enough to fly.

The FAA has said forcing cargo carriers to reduce the number of hours their pilots can fly would be too costly compared with the safety benefits.

It was good to get the long-sought pilot fatigue rules in place for the airlines. But to the public on the ground, the dangers presented by a cargo plane with a sleepy pilot seem as worrisome as an airliner, perhaps even more so given the cargo plane's size and the fact that it is more likely to be flying at night.

But "One size has never fit all when it comes to crew rest regulations," observed a spokesman for UPS. FedEx said it supports science-based flight and duty rules and its "internal scheduling practices provide additional protections not required by regulation."

None of which answers the essential question: If safety is at least part of the equation, why would FAA regulations not guarantee the same level of safety for cargo pilots as for those who transport people?

http://www.commercialappeal.com