See inside the secret Boeing 787 Dreamliner cabin where pilots sleep during long-haul flights
Aviation regulators set the total hours pilots fly and how much sleep they must get between flights.
During ultra-long-haul flights, pilots sleep in special cabins, which passengers can't access.
Insider recently toured a Qatar Airways Boeing 787-9 and saw where pilots sleep — take a look.
It matters how much pilots rest.
Country aviation regulators govern the amount of sleep that flight crews must get between flights and the maximum amount of hours they can work per day.
To ensure that the crew are comfortable and have somewhere to properly rest in privacy on the ultra-long-haul journeys, planemakers, including Boeing and Airbus, equip widebody jets with sleeping compartments.
Insider toured one of Qatar Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliners at Farnborough International Airshow 2022 and spoke with a pilot to learn more about the secret room — see inside.
According to the pilot, the cabin is accessed via a small stairwell in the crew galley behind the cockpit. It's restricted to crew only and is locked to passengers during flights for security.
It's prohibited to use the room during takeoff and landing for safety reasons, but also because all pilots are required to be in the cockpit during those critical phases of flight.
Instead the resting crew sit on two jumpseats in the back of the cockpit.
The Boeing 787 compartment has two bunks, each with a private curtain for privacy.
There are also reading lights, drinks holders, and areas for pilots to store their personal belongings.
Pilots are not allowed to store drinks during takeoff and landing, however.
In case of emergencies, each bunk has a phone that enables pilots to speak directly to the cockpit.
Seatbelts also protect anyone snoozing through turbulence.
If pilots don't feel like lying down, there is a seat they can relax in, which comes with an emergency phone.
Rest time is split equally between the two crews during the flight, the pilot explained to Insider.
Qatar Airway's longest route is Doha to Auckland non-stop, which typically takes around 16 hours and 30 minutes.
During that flight, each of the two crews will typically spend seven hours resting and seven hours on duty in the cabin, with an additional hour an a half in total spent on the flight deck during take-off and landing, the pilot said.
It's not just pilots that need rest, flight attendants have their own dedicated sleeping cabin located in the aft, or rear, section of the plane.
However, some airlines do not have a separate room for flight attendants, but rather a specific row of reclining seats, like on United's Boeing 767. The seats can be closed off using a curtain.
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