Flight Crew Issues During Long Haul Trips, Research Paper Example

Flight crews are at the ready when any long haul trip is necessary for their job. This includes the pilot, co-pilot, red eye back up, and stewards. There are drawbacks to long haul flying that are not necessarily well known. This paper will take a look at the psychological, and physiological potential problems for the flight crew during long haul flights. There will be focus on menstrual cycle fluctuation, cosmic radiation, chromosomal aberration, and psychotic disorders.

There are many detrimental factors involved in the job of flight crew. These can include menstrual cycle problems and psychotic disorders (MNT, 2007, para. 1). The crew also must face jet lag. Jet lag occurs during rapid travel in which passengers are moving from one time zone to another and their bodies still adhere to their former time zone thus are “lagging” behind the time zone that they are actually in. Jet lag can be a serious detrimental element to flight crew because it can cause impaired judgment (something that can be serious especially if a pilot is going quickly from one place to another for their job) and can “lead to decreased brain power and increased occurrence of major affective disorders” (MNT, 2007, para. 2). Jet lag can also cause disturbances in a person’s circadian rhythm, which is their sleep cycle. People who suffer from jet lag say that their mood fluctuates; they report occurrences of headaches, as well as intestinal problems, probably caused from the increase of pressure in the cabin.Circadian rhythm however seems to also affect the body’s core temperature, meaning that people with jet lag, namely, the aircrew, may suffer from this as well. Jet lag increases the more time zones that are crossed and have an effect more on people traveling from west to east than from east to west (MNT, 2007, para. 4-5). Jet lag is also worse for elderly people (2007 Reuters para. 4).

Samel et al., (1997) gathered information about two-pilot flying. The researchers focused on how long-haul flights affected pilots (p. 679).The study involved researching two pilots during consecutive night-time flights and the study required that the pilots had a short layover between flights; as Gander et al., (1998) state, “…layover sleep may be compromised if the preferred part of the circadian cycle for sleep does not coincide with the layover and local night. Restricted sleep duration and poorer quality sleep both decrease subsequent alertness and performance” (p. B37).The researchers hypothesized that regulation for flight crew on long-haul flights for layover was long enough to recuperate. The researchers studied flights from a German airline and discovered that layover during these studied flights were shortened by at least two hours, giving the pilots 6 hours of potential sleep (this time did not incorporate driving to a hotel room, meals, or prep for flights – it can only be surmised that the actual sleep attained by pilots fell far short of this 6 hour time).This resulted in loss of sleep, especially when coming back home wherein the researchers determined that pilots lost somewhere around 9.3 hours altogether of sleep (Samel et al., 1997 p. 680).Researchers also noted that fatigue was observed more on the return flight than the outbound flight and actually hit “critical level.Motor activity, brainwave activity (occurrences of micro-events) and heart rate indicated drowsiness and a low state of vigilance and alertness during both night flights, but these effects were more pronounced during the second flight” (Samel et al., 1997, p. 680).Thus, the researchers proved that lack of sleep, or sleep deprivation due to heavy flight schedule, accounted for “mental and physiological” problems in pilots.

Gander et al., (1998) studied sleep deprivation on flight crews with long hauls. The researchers found that there was three very basic sleep layers involved in the study and accounted for over 97% percent of the crew.Crewmembers of the study either slept only once (29% of overall layovers), slept for a longer amount of time between flights then a short amount after the layover (26% of overall layovers), or finally slept for a shorter amount of time followed promptly by a longer amount after the layover (42% of overall layovers) (p. B39).This lack of sleep, or unusual circadian rhythm caused many different psychological effects on the flight crew. The study shows that 80% of the tested crew reported to have experienced some 20 different detrimental affects of sleep deprivation.The three highest ranking of these elements were: headaches, (56% of people reported having headaches in the study) nasal congestion (28% of people reported to have nose congestion during the flight in the study) and back pain (20% of people in the study reporter lumbar aches due to long-haul flights).

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) studied long-haul flight effects of flight attendants.The study stated that typical of working as a flight attendant, workers often were required to work nights, travel across multiple time zones (which causes jet lag as prefaced above), and be exposed to a certain amount of radiation.The latter element has raised concerns that flight attendants may be at risk for certain kinds of cancers.The study focused on cause of death of a controlled group of flight attendants to find out if their job presented occupational hazards that had previously been unnoticed or undocumented.“According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, shift work may cause cancer,” (NIOSH, 2014, para. 4) this means that shift work (or working during the night instead of the day—something that could affect someone’s circadian rhythm) detrimentally affects a person’s normal sleeping hours. This in turn can cause depression, and fatigue as well as general difficulty in sleeping when a person does get a chance to sleep. The disruption in circadian rhythm can drastically change a person’s hormone, serotonin, and melatonin levels.Furthermore, the study showed that flight crews are being exposed tocosmic radiation.

It is known that radiation is a major cause of cancer.One such radiation associated with cancer is ionizing radiation. Cosmic radiation is not known to cause cancer, but there hasn’t been a lot of testing done on it to give a definition answer.Cosmic radiation is radiation that comes to us from space. There are, however, a certain percentage of these radiation rays that reach Earth. Considering that flight altitude is anywhere from 4000-8000 feet, flight crew, and passengers, are being exposed to this type of radiation.The study also found that despite exposure to cosmic radiation, the number of flight crew compared to U.S. death numbers from cancer, was far less, “Out of the 11,311 people included in our study, 331 died of cancer” (NIOSH, 2014, para. 4). The study also referenced that other studies had found higher breast cancer patients in flight attendants comparable to the U.S. population but this study did not reflect that.The potential for concern however is definitely present for flight crews.

The NIOSH study also found some other interesting facts. In the study it was discovered that suicide rates among flight crew were higher than normal (somewhere around 1.5 times higher) and that a “total of 50 flight attendants died from suicide” (NIOSH, 2014, para. 5). The study also cited that in other flight attendant studies, increase in suicide and attempted suicide was prominently found.The study goes on to list other reasons for death among flight attendants and alcoholism was 2.5 times higher than the U.S. population citing that a “A total of 17 flight attendants died from alcoholism” (NIOSH, 2014, para. 6). Reasons for this that were given hinged mostly on alcohol being used as a sleep aid or night shifts in general.

Risks for flying, and risks for long-haul flight patterns for aircrew are so serious a thing that even the British Airlines company lists a guide for physicians when a patient is going to take a long-haul flight. Although this guide targets patients, there is no need to be exclusionary as these physiological problems may also apply to a flight crew’s long-haul journey. Since commercial airlines are noted to maintain a flight altitude of 4000 to 8000 feet, such altitude may have a detriment affect on a person’s body. The pressure in the cabin increases and along with this increase people may experience gastro-intestinal problems. Such altitude also decreases the amount of oxygen in the air by about 10%.This decrease in oxygen may cause hypoxia, which is in essence the decrease of the amount of oxygen in someone’s blood cells (air on the flight is put through an air filtration device, and because of this, it is recommended that crew and passengers try to refrain from travelling during times of contagious diseases (British Airlines, 2014, p. 4).Hypoxia, also known as “mountain sickness” is a condition that can be caused by flying at altitude and can cause a pilot’s mental coordination to slow down and may potentially reduce night vision. According to Group Captain David Gradwell, Consultant adviser in Aviation Medicine with the Royal Airforce, it is a condition that can affect even the fittest and youngest of pilots and there is no known predictor of susceptibility. Although it is extremely rare for flight crew to be affected by hypoxia, it is a potentially serious condition and there are often no symptoms. Research into this condition is ongoing with much of it being carried out in conjunction with aircraft air quality studies. One of the most notable studies has been instigated by the European Union (EU) and is primarily looking at lowering cabin altitude.(British Airlines, 2014, p. 5).

Airlines often recommend getting up and walking around during flights in order to curtail this.

The increase in cabin pressure doesn’t just lead to gastro-intestinal problems but also may lead to “pain and perforation of the ear drum” (British Airlines, 2014, p. 4). A major potential ailment to the flight crew who frequently go on long-haul flights is thrombosis; “Indeed, 5% of DVT sufferers who have contacted the website are pilots. In contrast to flight attendants who exercise enough during a flight to reduce the risk of DVT, pilots tend to move around less and the risk is higher, especially if coagulability is already high from a previous flight and they fall asleep sitting upright” (British Airlines, 2014, p. 4).

Cavallo et al., (2001) discussed a very different kind of effect on flight crew from long-haul flights; that of chromosomal aberrations. Chromosomal aberrations could lead to risk for cancer. The study focused on 48 male flight crewmembers whose primary job was on board long haul flights. The study also had a control group of 48 ground crew members. The study found that there was indeed a correlation between translocations and cancer (Cavallo, 2001, p. 15).

Long-haul flights may also have a psychological effect on the flight crew. Long haul flights can induce stress in pilots (part of the flight crew). There are warning signs to this type of environmental stress. Some pilots have suffered from acute psychosis and have even been accused of crashing airplanes on purpose.Some signs of anxiety include mood swings and an argumentative behavior. Flight crew that exhibits high anxiety may also be at risk for unhealthy behavior such as alcoholism (as mentioned prior).

There are other factors involved in stress and long-haul flying. Many pilots who work these unusual hours, and night shifts do not have a stable home life if they have a home life at all. The job is almost a lifestyle. A flight crewmember, especially a pilot, may have multiple marriages (divorce rate for this profession is high because of the hours). This is just another added level of risk and may lead to alcohol or drug abuse as a coping mechanism: “Many flight crew indulge in activities that are not always conducive to promoting good health. These do not only have adverse effects on their physical and mental well-being but can also be a real threat to safety. An acronym often used to list these factors is DEATH which stands for “Drugs, exhaustion, alcohol, tobacco and hypoglycaemia” (Gander, 1998, B40).There are other environmental levels that can cause stress and anxiety for flight crewmembers. Since pilots are piloting a plane at record-breaking speeds, they must remain constantly alert. Such alertness can cause added anxiety because a person can only stay at that level of awareness for so long before it starts to take its toll; “This is especially true in poor weather and night conditions where there is an increased risk of an accident as visual references are lost. During such difficult conditions, pilots need to be extra vigilant and ensure that flight instruments are accurately monitored and this is naturally very tiring” (Gander, 1998, B40). The physical environment for pilots can also contribute to stress. The cockpit is a heated and ventilated environment but any upset in hegemony in the system can cause side effects in the crew. If it’s too warm the pilot may become sleepy, if its too cold then the pilot may go into a state of pre-hypothermia and lose consciousness. Maintaining the right comfort level can contribute to the relief of stress and therefore distractions.

The work environment is such a unique one that not only can the job cause stress but also the physical environment. Since the plane is traveling at an average of 4,000 to 8,000 feet in the air it must be noted that this is where the most atmospheric changes occur. Thus, a pilot must be on the look out for lightning, heat lightning, and storms. The pilot must also be aware of tornadoes, hurricanes, and inclement weather of any kind and gas pockets that may cause turbulence.The altitude the flight crew is exposed to each time they fly may also have a lasting effect on their inner ear causing vertigo that can be a permanent thing, or nose and sinus problems (Gander, 1998, B40).

References

Cavallo, D., Marinaccio, A., Perniconi, B., Tomao, P., Pecoriello, V., Moccaldi, R., and Sergio Iavicoli. (2001).Chromosomal Aberrations in Long-Haul Air Crew Members.Elsevier, 513. 11-15.

Frequent Long-Haul Flights are Hard on the Body.(2007, March 30). Reuters. Retrieved From http://uk.reuters.com/article/2007/03/30/health-frequent-flights-dc-idUKCOL05543820070330

Gander, P.H., Gregory, K., Miller, D., Graeber, K., Connell, L., and Mark Rosekind. (1998).Flight Crew Fatigue V: Long Haul Air Transport Operations. Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine, 69(9). B37-B48.

Health Concerns for Flight Attendants. (2014). The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/pgms/worknotify/pdfs/FA_Notification_FINAL.pdf

Repeated Long Haul Flight Problems for Air Crew. (2007, March 31). MNT. Retrieved From: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/66629.php

Samel, A., Wegmann, H.M., Vejvoda, M., Drescher, J., Gundel, A., Manzey, D., and Wenzel, J. (1997).Two Crew Operations: Stress and Fatigue During Long-Haul Night Flights.Aviat Space Enviromental Medicine 68(8), 679-687.

Your Patient and Air Travel: a Guide to Physicians.(2014). British Airways Health Services. Retrieved from http://www.britishairways.com/health/docs/before/airtravel_guide.pdf