02.18.09

InfoReps,

FLIGHT ATTENDANT FATIGUE STUDY MOVES FORWARD

The FAA has been directed by the U.S. Congress and President to assess the risk of fatigue during Flight Attendant operations, specifically the extent to which Flight Attendants are affected by length of duty periods, sleep loss, circadian rhythm disruption, workload, and nutrition. The FAAís Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) is seeking 210 full-time Flight Attendants to voluntarily participate in a field study in which data associated with Flight Attendant operations will be collected.

The federally funded field study provides for a stipend of up to $400 from the government upon completion. Participation will include assessment of sleep/wake cycles, duty periods, and alertness and performance levels using both objective and subjective data collection methods over no more than one (1) month of flying. These data will be collected using a personal daily logbook on a PDA cell phone, a sleep watch, and a pedometer. Entries in the daily logbook on the PDA cell phone will take approximately one (1) hour per day.

The field study will involve US-based Flight Attendants of various levels of seniority from network, low-cost, and regional carriers embarking on domestic and extended international flights and will be the first to provide the evidence necessary to assess and address potential fatigue challenges faced by Flight Attendants. The results will be presented by the FAA to the U. S. Congress.

More documentation describing the study and how to participate is available through the link: "Flight Attendant Work/Rest Patterns, Alertness, and Performance Assessment" on the Safety and Security Department page of APFA.org. The PDF document contains a web link to obtain more information about the study.