Narrative:

I am an international captain on reserve. Several times a month I am required to stand domestic reserve simultaneously with international reserve. I do get a rest break before commencing domestic reserve but I am subject to be called out to fly a domestic trip that will depart at any hour. On international reserve; most trips leave ord in the mid to late afternoon or early evening. This puts me on a late morning sleep schedule. There are a few international trips that leave ord in the early to mid morning. When given one of these; it greatly disturbs my sleep schedule; but they are either 1 leg duty days of about 5-6 hours with no relief pilot; or they are 1 leg duty days with a relief pilot which provides me with a mid-flight sleep break. No domestic trip provides a relief pilot. All that I have experienced are multi-leg duty days and most are more than 8 hour duty days. These domestic trips may involve shorter flight times than international trips but the domestic duty day is as long or longer than international duty days. These domestic reserve assignments that start at hours other than the hours that international pilots are used to or involve all-night flts without a relief pilot are dangerous for international pilots that are accustomed to international hours of operations with relief pilots or at least 1 5-HR leg followed by an opportunity to rest. Domestic trips are un-safely demanding upon our bodies. Domestic pilots do not have to stand international reserve; therefore; are better suited to stand domestic reserve and cannot imagine the demands on the sleep cycle and thus the bodies and mental alertness of international pilots.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR STATES THAT THE PRACTICE OF INTL RESERVE PLTS STANDING DUTY AS DOMESTIC RESERVE PLTS CREATES SLEEP CYCLE DISRUPTIONS AND IS A SAFETY ISSUE.

Narrative: I AM AN INTL CAPT ON RESERVE. SEVERAL TIMES A MONTH I AM REQUIRED TO STAND DOMESTIC RESERVE SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH INTL RESERVE. I DO GET A REST BREAK BEFORE COMMENCING DOMESTIC RESERVE BUT I AM SUBJECT TO BE CALLED OUT TO FLY A DOMESTIC TRIP THAT WILL DEPART AT ANY HR. ON INTL RESERVE; MOST TRIPS LEAVE ORD IN THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON OR EARLY EVENING. THIS PUTS ME ON A LATE MORNING SLEEP SCHEDULE. THERE ARE A FEW INTL TRIPS THAT LEAVE ORD IN THE EARLY TO MID MORNING. WHEN GIVEN ONE OF THESE; IT GREATLY DISTURBS MY SLEEP SCHEDULE; BUT THEY ARE EITHER 1 LEG DUTY DAYS OF ABOUT 5-6 HRS WITH NO RELIEF PLT; OR THEY ARE 1 LEG DUTY DAYS WITH A RELIEF PLT WHICH PROVIDES ME WITH A MID-FLT SLEEP BREAK. NO DOMESTIC TRIP PROVIDES A RELIEF PLT. ALL THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED ARE MULTI-LEG DUTY DAYS AND MOST ARE MORE THAN 8 HR DUTY DAYS. THESE DOMESTIC TRIPS MAY INVOLVE SHORTER FLT TIMES THAN INTL TRIPS BUT THE DOMESTIC DUTY DAY IS AS LONG OR LONGER THAN INTL DUTY DAYS. THESE DOMESTIC RESERVE ASSIGNMENTS THAT START AT HRS OTHER THAN THE HRS THAT INTL PLTS ARE USED TO OR INVOLVE ALL-NIGHT FLTS WITHOUT A RELIEF PLT ARE DANGEROUS FOR INTL PLTS THAT ARE ACCUSTOMED TO INTL HRS OF OPS WITH RELIEF PLTS OR AT LEAST 1 5-HR LEG FOLLOWED BY AN OPPORTUNITY TO REST. DOMESTIC TRIPS ARE UN-SAFELY DEMANDING UPON OUR BODIES. DOMESTIC PLTS DO NOT HAVE TO STAND INTL RESERVE; THEREFORE; ARE BETTER SUITED TO STAND DOMESTIC RESERVE AND CANNOT IMAGINE THE DEMANDS ON THE SLEEP CYCLE AND THUS THE BODIES AND MENTAL ALERTNESS OF INTL PLTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.