Actiwatch
No, the Actiwatch works independently, and it is pre-programmed in such a way that it does not give any visual or tactile feedback at all.
Yes, you wear the Actiwatch 24/7, including when you work out and especially when you sleep. Please only take it off when you have a shower, go swimming, or complete any other activity that includes the watch being under water for a prolonged time. If you do not wear the watch, there is no data collection!
Some Actiwatch types used in the study indeed have two buttons: one on the left and one on the right. Please only press the left button when registering a nap! Press and hold the button firmly for approximately three seconds. This will create an event in the data, which makes subsequent data analysis easier. Please do NOT press the right button during the study.
The actiwatch records parameters, such as activity and light, which can tell us about the length and quality of your sleep and the build-up of fatigue during the day.
You only have to press the button on the left side of the actiwatch before you go to sleep, regardless of whether this is a nap or a full night’s sleep. Please do not press the button on the right side of the watch at all.
Pressing the button is for recording a so-called “event” for starting to sleep. This makes a mark in the data, which makes data analysis easier for us afterwards. It is preferred to do it, but it is not essential, so no worries if you forget.
If the watch beeps, this is a sign that it is not connected correctly. Please try to put the strap a little tighter so that the watch is connected to the skin of your wrist. If this does not help, please reach out to us by sending an email to ftl2@nlr.nl.
General
No, you are not allowed to use the phone you received for anything else besides completing the tasks in the Fit4Duty app. Internet data abroad can be very costly and the maximum expenditures of the SIM cards in the phones are limited. Because of this, we do monitor your data usage.
Before starting data collection, we recommend to practice the psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) three times. The test is quite straightforward, but you may notice you need to get familiar with the test before being able to complete it to the best of your ability.
When you open the app and go to the section “once at the start of the study”, you will get the question whether you want to practice the PVT. Please familiarise yourself with this task! If you cannot find it there, you can also select any of the tasks that contain the PVT (Start of duty and end of duty), and practice there. Please then make sure to not click submit!
P.S. This task is simply meant as practice. During the actual data collection, you do not need to use this app-option again. Instead, you will get a prompt to complete the PVT when needed.
You can still participate in the study if you use a sleeping aid product. Please add the information about the usage and the name of the product in the open text field at the end of the Flight Duty Period (FDP) questions, under the section “Did anything else happen that you think is important for us to know?”
The PVT test has been earlier in the section “Once start of study” but it seems there has happen something during the latest update of the app, so you may find the PVT test only under the buttons “Start of 1st sector” and “End of last sector” sections. You may open the “Start of 1st sector” and fill the questions it asks about your flight duty after which the app offers you the PVT test. You may start doing the test and after you have finished the test, please select the little cross mark on the upper right corner of the screen and then choose the option “cancel the questionnaire”. That way the app cancels these inputs and that way we know that these inputs and PVT test are not part of your real data collection. You may repeat this 3 times to get the practice done. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Missing some measurements is not a problem, we understand that you have busy schedules and that at times, it is difficult to complete the tasks at the requested times. Please do not give in through! All information you enter is valuable.
Your end date depends on your start date but your data collection campaign lasts 21 days. Some dates are mentioned on the slides used during the briefing (which are uploaded on ftl2.nlr.nl, under “Briefing presentation”), but if you start on another day, please calculate your end day yourself. You can bring back the materials from the day after the end of your data collection period. If you are unsure as to what your end date is, or when you need to hand in the materials, please contact the researchers for clarification.
Please fill in the following items on the time points as stated on the Quick Reference Card and in the information booklet. If you no longer have the physical materials in your case, you can find the digital materials on the FTL2 Participant information website.
EASA has set up a research study to perform a review of the effectiveness of the flight and duty time limitations and rest requirements applicable as of 18 February 2016. The objective is to collect aircrew data on fatigue, alertness, workload and sleep to determine whether these rules provide sufficient protection to aircrew fatigue. If necessary, recommendations will be drafted for changes to the rules. This second part of the review of the Flight Time Limitations (FTL2.0) is being performed by a consortium of the Netherlands Aerospace Centre NLR (lead), Stockholm University, German Aerospace Centre DLR, the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, and Jeppesen.
All participants receive a case with information, a phone with charger and an Actiwatch, all of which are used during data collection. On the phone, there is one app installed called Fit4Duty. In this app, you will complete several tasks during your flight duty period (FDP). No additional materials need to be used during data collection. Note: You can find the most important information on the Quick Reference Card that you received with your case.
The consortium will perform data collection campaigns at multiple European airlines. In Q3 of 2024 the results of the whole study will be presented to EASA. Based on the results and recommendations as composed by the consortium, EASA will decide whether the current FTL will be changed.
Your participant ID is mentioned in the invitation email that you have received before the start of the study. In that same email you can find your case number and the time and location where you can pick up the case. If you are unable to find the information, please send an email to ftl2@nlr.nl.
Phone and app
No, you are not allowed to use the phone you received for anything else besides completing the tasks in the Fit4Duty app. Internet data abroad can be very costly and the maximum expenditures of the SIM cards in the phones are limited. Because of this, we do monitor your data usage.
Before starting data collection, we recommend to practice the psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) three times. The test is quite straightforward, but you may notice you need to get familiar with the test before being able to complete it to the best of your ability.
When you open the app and go to the section “once at the start of the study”, you will get the question whether you want to practice the PVT. Please familiarise yourself with this task! If you cannot find it there, you can also select any of the tasks that contain the PVT (Start of duty and end of duty), and practice there. Please then make sure to not click submit!
P.S. This task is simply meant as practice. During the actual data collection, you do not need to use this app-option again. Instead, you will get a prompt to complete the PVT when needed.
Please fill in these questionnaires about your current level of sleepiness and/or fatigue i.e. at the time of filling in.
How to fill in the questionnaires depends on the task you are trying to complete. Please ensure first that you are completing the right task. Once you have selected the right task, please bear in mind that for all tasks, different questions are asked. Please progress through them by following the instructions on the screen. If you are unsure on how to progress, please contact the researchers through the Fit4Duty app or email ftl2@nlr.nl.
The PVT test has been earlier in the section “Once start of study” but it seems there has happen something during the latest update of the app, so you may find the PVT test only under the buttons “Start of 1st sector” and “End of last sector” sections. You may open the “Start of 1st sector” and fill the questions it asks about your flight duty after which the app offers you the PVT test. You may start doing the test and after you have finished the test, please select the little cross mark on the upper right corner of the screen and then choose the option “cancel the questionnaire”. That way the app cancels these inputs and that way we know that these inputs and PVT test are not part of your real data collection. You may repeat this 3 times to get the practice done. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Please fill in that you have a deadhead duty by means of a response option in the “Upon wakening after main sleep” task. Next, if you press “Start of 1st flight”, the start of the duty is the time of your deadhead flight. The start time of the first flight is the time of the flight you are actually working, as is the corresponding airport.
Local time concerns the time of the time zone your flight departed from. During flight, you can also use the time as indicated by the phone.
Yes you still need to fill in your sleep logs. However, all tasks involving flight duty periods can be ignored on off days.
No problem, you can do that later. If you do not know the exact times, please make an estimation and enter this in de feedback form.
If you have a positioning flight that is part of your Flight Duty Period (FDP), please consider it as such, and fill out the questions in the app accordingly. If the positioning flight is not part of your FDP, you do not have to fill out the ratings during this flight.
In this case, although you are working, we ask you to consider such a duty day as a day off. Please only fill out the “Upon awakening after main sleep” question on such days.
If you cannot complete the questionnaires at the intended moment, please look at the suggested moments in information booklet that can be found on the FTL2 participant information website.
That is not a big problem; the data will not be usable. However, you can retake the test at a later moment. Please let us know if you retake the test at a later time using the feedback form within the app (under the button “Send feedback”).
Unfortunately, there is an issue with the frontend of the app (the part of the app that you see as a participant) which causes that the “last execution information” function doesn’t work correctly. However, we can assure you that your data does get logged in on our servers correctly, so there is no need to worry. You can just disregard this ‘last execution: never’ information. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Yes, the app stores data you filled out while offline locally first. When online the app starts sending all locally stored data to the secured servers of the consortium. The phone contains a sim-card, so there should be a regular internet connection. If you doubt the phone has been connected recently (e.g. because 3/4G does not work in a certain country), please connect the phone to a WIFI network when you are able to (e.g. while being at a hotel or your home), but normally this is not necessary.
Privacy, anonymity, and informed consent
No, your data is completely confidential and will be processed anonymously on NLR servers, meaning that only the NLR has access to data. Your airline nor will not have access to your individual data at all, but will only receive aggregate data at the end of the study.
Your informed consent for participating in this study is given when you start the questionnaire you filled in when you signed up for the study. You were asked to consider whether you agree on the following points: • Having understood the information; • Opportunity to ask questions; • Participation is voluntary; • Contribution is confidential and anonymous. If you agree with the above points, you can start or continue your participation by using the materials provided to you.
When you indicate that you no longer wish to participate in the study, we will delete all of your (personal) data as soon as you have returned the measurement devices to the drop-off location.