B747 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Fatigue
No Specific Anomaly Occurred All Types
General None Reported / Taken
Company Policy; Human Factors
We are now grossly understaffed and are being scheduled to the extent of 121 rules. The unique situation [here] is that we have pairings that go around the world for an average of 17 days at one time. We constantly change times zones; sleep cycles (day/night); and now endure innumerable schedule changes that also disrupt not only food planning but sleep planning as well.This has led to extremely unhealthy habits that are unavoidable and damaging to our abilities to operate safely. I am an average aged pilot; fairly fit with generally healthy eating habits. After coming back from a short pairing with three 20 hour overnights in a row; it took a better part of the week to recover from it. I am not alone. What we are being asked to do is undoubtedly scientifically destructive to our persons let alone the potential to the operation.Here is a very brief example of a summary of just one pilot's schedule:Day 1: Commercialed in from the states to the Near East. Rest before flight 13h.Day 2: 10h duty day flying Near East to Far East. Originally a short overnight was assigned.Day 3: 50h overnight due to a broken airplane. Delays kept rolling. A 24/7 was assigned.Day 5: 14h duty day flying Far East to Australia. 20h overnight assigned.Day 6: 11:30h duty day flying Australia to Mid East. 18:30h overnight assigned.Day 7: 6:30h duty day flying Mid East to Far East. 21h overnight assigned.Day 8: Commercialed home.To endure the '20h' overnights and prevent two sleep opportunities in favor of one big sleep opportunity; we stayed up as much as possible upon landing. Though this helped to feel rested for the flights; fatigue accumulated and by the time I got home my body crashed.This is an example of just one week of this unhealthy; unsustainable schedule.They say knowing is half the battle. I wanted to document this continual; no-end-in-sight situation to ensure the knowledge was there that this situation IS happening and not changing despite us having a fatigue program in place that is supposed to help prevent the continuation of these types of situations when documented.
B747 pilot reported the scheduling practices used at her international airline were extremely fatiguing and unsafe.