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Air Aviation Academy
Pillar 03 · 6A System · Pilot Reference
ALERTNESS
Sleep & Recovery · Air Aviation Academy
"You would never fly with a faulty altimeter. But every time you fly on poor sleep, you are flying with a faulty brain."
The ALERTNESS Module — Air Aviation Academy 6A System

Fatigue is cited as a contributing factor in the majority of aviation incidents. Yet sleep is the one system most pilots have never been formally trained to manage. The ALERTNESS module changes that — giving you a science-backed, regulation-aligned system to train sleep the same way you train every other performance skill.

7 Facts Every Pilot Must Know
01
17 hours awake = 0.05% BAC cognitive impairment. 24 hours awake = 0.10% BAC — above the legal driving limit in most countries.
Dawson & Reid, Nature, 1997
02
Sleep cycles run ~90 minutes. Cutting sleep short by 90 min eliminates a disproportionate amount of REM — the memory consolidation and decision-making phase.
Walker, Why We Sleep, 2017
03
The WOCL (02:00–05:59 per EASA ORO.FTL.105; 0200–0600 per FAA AC 120-100) is when reaction time is slowest and microsleep risk is highest. EASA, FAA & UK CAA all apply additional duty restrictions during this window.
EASA ORO.FTL.105(28) / FAA Part 117
04
Eastward jet lag is harder than westward. Flying east shortens the day; the circadian clock adapts at ~1 hr/day east vs. ~1.5 hrs/day west.
Sack, NEJM, 2010
05
Layovers under 48 hrs: stay on home-base time. Over 48 hrs: shift to local. Trying to adapt on short layovers makes fatigue worse, not better.
FAA AC 120-100 / FSF Guidelines
06
Nasal breathing during sleep substantially increases inhaled nitric oxide compared to mouth breathing, improving oxygen delivery, vasodilation, and sleep quality. Research confirms nasal NO is significantly higher than oral breathing.
Lundberg et al. (1996), Acta Physiologica Scandinavica; Lundberg (2008), The Anatomical Record
07
The Breatheology® Extended Exhale (4 sec in, 8 sec out) activates the parasympathetic nervous system within 60 seconds — the fastest evidence-based sleep onset tool.
Severinsen, Breatheology® (Primary — Trained Instructor)
The 4 Sub-Modules
ALIGNCircadian Rhythm
Chronotype assessment · light anchoring · morning activation with Kapalabhati + Breatheology® Breath Hold. Set your clock before the roster sets it for you.
ACCOMMODATERoster Sleep Strategy
Early-start protocol · caffeine nap (200 mg + <15 min nap — keep short to avoid sleep inertia; Reyner & Horne, 1997) · augmented crew rest: Role A (Breatheology wind-down, sleep inertia exit) · Role B (WOCL alertness, clean handover) · post-duty Nadi Shodhana decompression.
ADAPTJet Lag — East vs. West
48-hr decision rule · eastward vs. westward light protocols · melatonin 0.5–5 mg at target bedtime · BOLT score tracking for CO₂ adaptation.
ATMOSPHEREHotel Sleep Environment
18–19°C · blackout · 60 dB white noise · alcohol cut-off 3 hrs before sleep · pre-sleep Extended Exhale sequence (4-8 breathing × 10 reps).
Regulatory Framework
EASAORO.FTL / CS FTL.1 — acclimatisation states, WOCL restrictions, rest compensation for time zone crossings
FAAPart 117 / AC 120-100 — Class 3 acclimatisation, 30-hr window, home-base time strategy endorsed
UK CAACAP 1915 / CAP 371 — FTL aligned with EASA; controlled rest endorsed for 2-pilot ops
Breatheology® Cross-Reference — Primary Authority (Trained Instructor)
Sleep onset: Extended Exhale (4-8) · Nadi Shodhana · Bhramari
Morning activation: Kapalabhati × 30 · Breatheology® Breath Hold
In-flight alertness: Coherent Breathing (5-5) · Ujjayi
Jet lag reset: Hypercapnic Training · BOLT score monitoring
Supporting: McKeown, P. Oxygen Advantage · Brulé, D. Just Breathe
Air Aviation Academy — 6A Performance System
Pillar 03 of 6 · 12-Week Programme · EASA / FAA / UK CAA Aligned · Breatheology® Method (Trained Instructor)
www.airaviationacademy.com
Full module: /research/alertness · 75 peer-reviewed references