No Aircraft
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown; Fatigue
No Specific Anomaly Occurred All Types
General None Reported / Taken
Company Policy; Human Factors
This is a fatigue report. For 4 months now our trips are seeing significant changes. When I bid; I bid based on how I prefer to fly; this includes fatigue mitigation measures that I set for myself from years of flying experience. Many of the specific characteristics of a trip that I bid away from are being imposed through last minute changes. Min rest overnights that were originally 30+ hrs specifically bid for; Deadheads; 4 legs in a day to airports I bid away from; operations during times I generally avoid like late at night and extended check out times that eliminate 'commutability.' The constant fight to receive correct pay after a trip changes is affecting all of us; it's a significant distraction amongst many right now. These all add fatigue to each trip and each pilot is different in their preferences.Changes occasionally are part of the job and we all adapt as necessary. The continuous changes we are seeing every trip are building into chronic fatigue issues and little mistakes are becoming more frequent. If changes are here to stay; then the personal protections we bid for to mitigate our own personal known fatigue areas need to be considered. Just because the changes fit the footprint; doesn't mean they fit the pilot. We bid for a reason! This report is associated with a gear overspeed also directly reported. I own that I let it happen; under normal circumstances I would have caught it. I ate my humble pie and moved on; but see more and more of these events happening if we don't protect our schedule changes. This was the 2nd to last leg of a 4 day that saw many changes and 3 min rest overnights in a row. The fatigue issues listed here are an important factor in understanding and preventing future little mistakes that ordinarily wouldn't happen.The only option we have to avoid known fatigue issues imposed into a trip is to remove ourselves from that trip and those issues. Crew scheduling provides absolutely no flexibility when awarded trips are changed; yet we show up to find two Reserves put on our original awarded trip with a great overnight we cherry picked. A lot of us have pushed through for several months now; but our Certificate is more important than being overly flexible. We all appreciate having the work and the ability to do our jobs. But these constant changes are adding up and becoming very fatiguing. Comply with Section X.X of the procedure for schedule changes and honor Bid preferences and awards. Limit the number of min rest overnights to 1 per trip change. Allow pilots to work with Crew Scheduling and address fatigue issues and alternative legs to protect fatigue.
Air carrier Captain reported that continual; significant changes in crew schedules over the past months are causing cumulative fatigue.