I’m not a pilot, but there are all sorts of exemptions to entry restrictions and flight crew are commonly given an exemption. Fly in, quarantine overnight in a hotel, then fly out.

As has been mentioned there are exemptions in place for crew, but also other declarations and recording of temperature etc. If a place is struggling with Covid as China was then some of the flights have been multi crewed and they do a very long duty doing, for example Shanghai and back in one go. There are 7 or 8 pilots on this and they stay on the aircraft, the aircraft stays on the ground for the minimum turnaround time. There are special rules and these are rum as non passenger flights.

I think you best stay on the line, it's going to be a difficult time given all the news, but it should be easier on a Saturday afternoon / evening, for example. BAH tickets are not like flight tickets so even if T5 were operating normally - which is not the case - then going to LHR isn't going to help you.

I wouldn’t like to draw the short straw and fly the return on one of those duties. Reminds me of my time in the Navy and having the 0000-0400 bridge watch after a day at action stations.

(Caveat: I’m sure flight crew are properly rested iaw the regulations)

Noting the very long hours associated with these duties, does the company do anything to help you get home safely after you land at LHR? Or are you left to your own judgment to navigate the M25 safely...?

Apologies if this is the wrong place to ask this, but didn't see the merit in a new thread. Are delays shown on Flight Radar usually accurate or are they often wrong?
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My flight tomorrow from NCE (BA0347) is showing an eight hour delay in FR24 but shows as on time in the BA app and on Heathrow Arrivals. FR24 is showing G-EUYG as the assigned aircraft and presumably is basing this on the aircraft being somewhere it's not meant to be or in for maintenance. Wishing I hadn't looked at FR24 to be honest!
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Correct aircraft and on time.

It was detailed previously on here that all those flying these operations have volunteered to do them, they have to start their day within a short distance of LHR (using a hotel if they live too far away), and with an abundance of pilots onboard (7 where it would normally be 3). I interpret this such that the intention is to make it the other way round... so they can operate the flight safely and land back at LHR with a ‘normal’ level of tiredness, i.e. similar to that off a regular flight. All the efforts are designed to lead them to this point. So they’d be no more (or less) dangerous driving home than after any other flight.

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The company provide hotel accommodation at LHR the night before and the night after these extended duties.

Thanks for your reply. It’s good to see them considering fatigue after your duty as well as during.

It is a CAA requirement for the accommodation and most certainly not an act of goodwill. As such these operations are entirely voluntary for the pilots who operate them.

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There is a wider issue regarding fatigue after a trip.

To what extent is the company responsible for your actions once you have left the airport?

For example, a long redeye with 2 pilots from Chicago, due to bad weather, discretion is exercised resulting in a duty that is as long as the LA flight which has 3 pilots. Those LA pilots achieve a couple of hours asleep on the way back from LA, the Chicago pilots get no bunk rest only catnaps overnight.

To what extent is, or should, the company be responsible for either set of pilots on their respective journies home? One of the LA pilot commutes by road to Manchester, the Chicago pilots each live 30 mins away.

Discuss.

Let me quickly grab my popcorn for this one. 👌