[air-cool-me]

Its necessary for aviation..

Too many extremely costly choices have to be made by pilots who have Zero ability to move laterally in the field.

Safety and legality should be on the pilots mind.
Not if a company accountant will like it

(True story of one pilot in a small cargo company)
Scenario: Your in a hotel after 14 hours on the job. You have a generous 12 hours of rest from landing to takeoff the next day. After meals with your crew you head to your hotel bed.....

One problem: Its during the world cup and hotels country is playing(or it could have been domestic disturbance,fire alarm, food poisoning, loud weather,insomnia, its loud as hell). You get intermittent sleep.

The next day after 2 of your 3 flights scheduled(11 hours of flight time 18 hours on duty... starting at 7pm) you start to feel really tired. Your head is cloudy, your reactions are slowed, your trying to down coffee to stay awake because your nodding off in your chair at the gate in between flights.

You decide that continuing to fly would be UNSAFE. The airline has to cancel the flight... costing lots of money(several $1000's maybe even more then your yearly salary) and destroying tomorrows schedule.

10 min after you cancel your phone lights up with your bosses number, "its in our companies best interest for you to complete the flight" then your bosses > boss call's "Remember when I interviewed you and gave you a shot? Im not asking you to violate any rules but... This will cost us significantly......."

You mention that this sounds like an investigatory interview and mumble "Weingarten Rights". You find some rest and operate the flight 8 hours late.

When you get back to your home-base you find a pink slip, 2 weeks later you get a check for paid time off and your back on the job. You give a quick call to your representative to thank him. Two months later you turn in documentation showing how the company is systematically cutting your hours and giving the work to other pilots. You get another check, you make another call. All this because you were trying to be safe.....

I know it doesn't always work out but they are a necessary evil in aviation...