Mids: Fatigue Mitigation and meal breaks

GMX

Trusted Contributor
Messages
324
So how does everyone do their Mids? Are they fluid and organic or strictly governed?
 
Standard night (no Super Bowl, CFB Championship, Final Four, weather delays, etc.)
Both show up at 10:15 PM with both working until roughly 11:15-11:30 PM. Then, whomever is working first goes and takes a break (normally me) and I’ll come back at 11:30-11:45 PM to take the whole room and get the person working second up. The person working first will then work until 1:30- 2:00 AM (depending on the supervisor) when the supervisor will come get their currency time. The person working second will come back between 3:45-4:00 AM (depending on supervisor) to get the supervisor up. The person who worked first will come back between 5:30-5:45 AM to see if any positions need to be split off before the morning shift people arrive (2 at 5:45 AM and like 9 at 6:00 AM).
 
The guidance we received from our atm was "nobody on for 4 hours or more." So typically we both work 10:15-10:45, then somebody takes a break till 11:00. That person will then work everything until 2:30, and their partner will work 2:30- 5:30/6, depending on morning flex.
 
When I worked my mid every week:
Both of us work 2200 (or 2230) to 0000ish, combine everything up. 1st "half" works 0000ish-0300, Second "half" works 0300-0530 (or when the 6s show).

Before I had my mid-line I filled-in and worked with a person where after midnight they wanted to do 1+45, 1+45, 1+00, 1+00.
 
I feel like if we make that work where I am then it can work anywhere
Try that with a 3 person mid and let me know how it works.
Prior facilities for me (both 2 person and 3 person) are very fluid. Depends on who's working and what's agreed upon for that specific night.
 
10:30-6:30 MID:

1st person signs in on credit 45 mins early at 10:00pm and works until 10:45pm. The 2nd person signs in at 10:30pm and works data until 10:45pm and takes it combined until 2:30am. The first guy comes back and works until 5:30-6am depending on if the morning crew flex. This way no one goes over 4 hours.

12am-8am SUNDAY MID:

1st person comes in at 10pm, signs in ahead of time for 12am shift and "takes a long rest break" until 3am. (5 hours rest). (The art will adjust time to show correct schedule by showing a count down to correct shift, not credit)

2nd person signs in at 11:45 with 15 mins credit and lets everyone go and works until 3am. (gets relieved at 3am by the 1st person and then takes rest of shift to recuperate unril 8am ( 5 hours rest).

The 1st person works from 3am-5:30-6am and then is relieved and returns to a recuperative break untim 8am.
 
Last edited:
Try that with a 3 person mid and let me know how it works.
Prior facilities for me (both 2 person and 3 person) are very fluid. Depends on who's working and what's agreed upon for that specific night.

I’ve never worked a 3 person mid. Didn’t even know they existed. Still don’t see what’s so complicated about divvying up mid hours. Unless someone wants to work more just make it as equal as possible.
 
Two person mid, fluid depending on who's working that night but will more than likely either work the first and last hour together and split the other 6-hours 3 & 3; or split 4 & 4.
 
I’ve never worked a 3 person mid. Didn’t even know they existed. Still don’t see what’s so complicated about divvying up mid hours. Unless someone wants to work more just make it as equal as possible.
It used to be 5 separate up/down facilities until the 80s-90s. It's now a single up/down controlling two distinct approach control airspaces. On the mid one person works tower with its respective approach, other person works the other approach, and a third person is needed to give breaks.

It's easy to get breaks worked out, just depends on how each group decides to run their mid with breaks. Generally, 22:30-1:30, 1:30-4:00, and 4:00-6:00 (off until 6:30) was a normal schedule. Some people loved the [1st/2nd/3rd] breaks....others hated it. First break was the worst for me. Some crews rotated through the breaks each week, others stayed on the same break. If you're filling in for someone on a mid, you take whichever break the original person would have that night.
 
We have 2 people and almost zero traffic on our mids. We have a lot of imposed rules about when and how we can do breaks on the mid. I was just curious if anyone else did too.
 
Back
Top Bottom