big deal saying it s as far as the government has ever gone to protect people from pilot fatigue. the new f.a.a. rules which will cost the airlines about 300 million a year require that between flights pilots get plenty of time off, including a 10-hour minimum rest period. 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep, 30 consecutive hours free from duty on a weekly basis. pilots must declare themselves fit for duty before each flight segment. this should allow enough time for a pilot to arrive at a hotel, eat, and have an opportunity for 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. now, the rules would also limit the maximum time a pilot can be on duty, including wait time before flights to between 9:00 and 14 hours. depending on the time of day they begin and the number of time zones crossed. shep? shepard: it was that tragedy in buffalo that finally forced the changes, right? that s right, shep. secretary la hood says people have been debating changes for 25 years or so but that they became a lot more