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FAQ – Cumulative Flight Time and Flight Duty Time	FAQ – Flight Duty Time Extensions

Rest Requirements are used to ensure flightcrew members will not report or become overly fatigued while assigned to a FDP. The average person requires approximately 8 hour of sleep, to provide for that opportunity each flightcrew member will be provided a rest period that will permit for a minimum sleep opportunity, immediately before the commencement of an assignment that involves/may involve a FDP.

A Rest Period as defined in 117.3: means a continuous period determined prospectively during which the flightcrew member is free from all restraint by the certificate holder, including freedom from present responsibility for work should the occasion arise.

A Duty as defined in 117.3: means any task that a flightcrew member performs as required by the certificate holder, including but not limited to flight duty period, flight duty, pre- and post-flight duties, administrative work, training, deadhead transportation, aircraft positioning on the ground, aircraft loading, and aircraft servicing.

An Airport/Standby Reserve (ASB) is considered duty as well as FDP (see 117.3 definitions)

A Short Call Reserve(SCR), is considered duty since a Reserve Availability Period (RAP) has been assigned to the crewmember, and a RAP is defined as duty. (see 117.3 definitions)

A Long Call Reserve (LCR) is not considered duty, however the crewmember must be contactable during the time a crewmember is assigned to LCR; the crewmember is not at rest.

Q27) May a flightcrew member be assigned any Duty or Reserve during a Rest Period?

A27) No, this is a violation of 117.25(a), a flightcrew member may not be scheduled to a FDP, ASB, SCR, or any other activity designated as duty during an assigned rest period.

Q28) How is a rest period calculated?

A28) Simply as the span of time from the end of the duty/reserve period preceding a rest period to the start of the duty/reserve period following a rest period.

Q29) Do all duty periods require a rest period before duty?

A29) No, FDP, ASB and SCR all have a minimum rest requirement of a minimum 10 hour rest period immediately before start, with a minimum 8 hour uninterrupted sleep opportunity (117.25(e) refers), Other activities such as administrative work do not have rest requirements stipulated under FAR 117.

Q30) Is a crewmember still legal when; scheduled with an 11 hour rest period that would provide for a 9:30 sleep opportunity, is it permissible to reduce the rest period to 9:30 with a 8:00 sleep opportunity?

A30) No, the rest period must meet the conditions of 117.25(e), there is no reduction.

Q31) Is a crewmember still legal when scheduled with a 10 hour rest period that would provide for a 8:00 sleep opportunity, but the transportation to the rest facility took longer than usual and the crewmember will only have 7:30 sleep opportunity?

A31) No, the crewmember must always have a sleep opportunity of 8:00 and must notify the certificate holder (117.25(f) refers)

Q32) What are the weekly rest requirements?

A32) The weekly rest requirements are defined in 117.25(b), Before beginning any reserve or flight duty period a flightcrew member must be given at least 30 consecutive hours free from all duty within the past 168 consecutive hour period.  The lookback reference point is the start of the FDP or Reserve.

Q33) If a flightcrew member is operating a FDP in a new theater, is it legal to accept an assignment without the a 36 hour rest period defined in 117.25(c)?

A33) Yes, the rest period mentioned 117.25(c) is not a rest requirement, but rather a method for a flightcrew member to become acclimated within a theater, the other method is to remain within the theater for a period of no less than 72 hours. Once acclimated, a flightcrew member may accept a FDP with no 30 minute reduction to the scheduled FDP limits defined in 117.13(b)(1) or 117.17(b)(1) as appropriate.

Q34) Are there any rest requirements for a flightcrew member who has been away from base for an extended period of time?

A34) Yes, the rest period mentioned 117.25(d) requires that a flightcrew member who has been away from base for more than 168 consecutive hours and has traveled more than 60º longitude during a FDP or series of FDPs, is required to have a rest period upon return to home base of no less than 56 consecutive hours, that includes 3 physiological nights rest.

Q35) Are there any rest requirements for a flightcrew member engaged in deadhead transportation?

A35) Yes, the rest requirements are defined in 117.25(g). The rest period specified must be no less than 10 hours or the time in deadhead transportation, it is required when the time in deadhead transportation exceeds FDP requirements in Table B.

 

117.25  Rest period.

(a)    No certificate holder may assign and no flightcrew member may accept assignment to any reserve or duty with the certificate holder during any required rest period.

(b)    Before beginning any reserve or flight duty period a flightcrew member must be given at least 30 consecutive hours free from all duty within the past 168 consecutive hour period.

(c)    If a flightcrew member operating in a new theater has received 36 consecutive hours of rest, that flightcrew member is acclimated and the rest period meets the requirements of paragraph (b) of this section.

(d)    If a flightcrew member travels more than 60º longitude during a flight duty period or a series of flight duty periods that require him or her to be away from home base for more than 168 consecutive hours, the flightcrew member must be given a minimum of 56 consecutive hours rest upon return to home base. This rest must encompass three physiological nights’ rest based on local time.

(e)    No certificate holder may schedule and no flightcrew member may accept an assignment for any reserve or flight duty period unless the flightcrew member is given a rest period of at least 10 consecutive hours immediately before beginning the reserve or flight duty period measured from the time the flightcrew member is released from duty. The 10 hour rest period must provide the flightcrew member with a minimum of 8 uninterrupted hours of sleep opportunity.

(f)     If a flightcrew member determines that a rest period under paragraph (e) of this section will not provide eight uninterrupted hours of sleep opportunity, the flightcrew member must notify the certificate holder. The flightcrew member cannot report for the assigned flight duty period until he or she receives a rest period specified in paragraph (e) of this section.

(g)    If a flightcrew member engaged in deadhead transportation exceeds the applicable flight duty period in Table B of this part, the flightcrew member must be given a rest period equal to the length of the deadhead transportation but not less than the required rest in paragraph (e) of this section before beginning a flight duty period.

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FAQ – Cumulative Flight Time and Flight Duty Time	FAQ – Flight Duty Time Extensions