FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute

Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-65/16

Title and Subtitle: Pilot fatigue: Intercontinental jet flight: Oklahoma City-Tokyo.

Report Date: March 1965

Authors: Hauty GT, Adams T.

Abstract: Following 3 consecutive days of biomedical assessment in Oklahoma City, six healthy subjects were transported to Tokyo, where assessments were made on alternate days throughout a period of 10 days, and were then transported back to Oklahoma City, where assessments were made for 3 consecutive days. Based upon the single parameter of rectal temperatures, the mean values of all subjects revealed that biological time had apparently shifted from Oklahoma City to Tokyo time within 3 days and from Tokyo back to Oklahoma City time within 1 day.

Individual rectal temperature curves of the different subjects, however, revealed a profound range of individual differences. The mean proficiency with which the subjects executed basic task functions was adversely affected to a substantial extent during the first day in Tokyo and, to a lesser extent, the first day of return to Oklahoma City.

Key Words: pilots, fatigue (physiology), medical examination, reaction (psychology), reflexes, body temperature, thresholds (physiology), decision making, aviation medicine, jet aircraft, physiology, graphics.

No. of Pages: 24