Pre-reading questions:
- Have you experienced jet lag during your flight?
- What happens to people who experience jet lag?
- How do you beat jet lag?
For pilots, managing jet lag is a job requirement since they are spending their days and nights flying across all kinds of time zones. According to R.J. “Dutch” Deutschendorf, system chief pilot at Southwest Airlines, pilots should know how to deal with fatigue. For this reason, their airline company’s training program incorporates ways pilots can cope with jet lag.
To manage jet lag, passengers should stay hydrated at all times and limit their caffeine intake. It is best recommended to drink water instead of having soft drinks, juices or sodas. Also, alcoholic beverages should be avoided as it can worsen fatigue and disrupt a passenger’s rest cycles. Having a healthy diet can help on the alleviation of the exhaustion. Lastly, it is important to get a good night’s sleep before getting on a plane and have a nice rest on the plane.
Vocabulary:
time zone – a range of longitudes where a common standard time is used
incorporate – to include something
alcoholic beverage – a drink that contains a substantial amount of ethanol that causes drunkenness and unconsciousness
alleviation – the action or process of making suffering, deficiency, or a problem less severe
good night’s sleep – an expression that means a night in which one sleeps well
Comprehension Questions:
- According to this article, what specific job requirement does a pilot need to have?
- What is the name of the system chief pilot of Southwest Airlines?
- What are ways one can manage jet lag as mentioned in the article?
- What is the best recommended beverage during a flight?
- Why there is a need to avoid alcoholic beverages during the flight?
Express Your Opinion:
- How do you prepare for a flight?
- Do you think experiencing jet lag after a flight is normal? Why or why not?
- In what ways can a passenger manage jet lag? Discuss.