What is the maximum permissible duty period duration involving aircraft activity, and how long must the preceding uninterrupted rest include?

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Fatigue management drives this: there’s a limit on how long you can be on duty with aircraft activity, and you must start that duty with a substantial, uninterrupted period of rest. The maximum duty period you can be on duty for aircraft tasks is 16 hours. Before starting that duty, you need at least 10 hours of uninterrupted rest, and within that rest you should be able to obtain 6 to 8 hours of actual sleep. The sleep portion is what restores alertness and cognitive function, which is why the requirement specifies a solid block of sleep within the rest period. The remaining rest time allows for settling in and any minor downtime, but the key is achieving enough restorative sleep. If you don’t have 6–8 hours of sleep available within that rest window, you should not plan a full 16-hour duty, as insufficient rest increases fatigue risk during the flight duties.