Real pilots, real boredom ?

[Captain Caveman 1]

Hi,after playing flight sim for many years i have always wondered aboutthe boredom of being a real pilot.I love flying sims but if the cruise time is more than an hour or soi tend to speed up the simulation speed.Except the occasional radio contact and turning some fuel pump off ect it just isnt much to do and get kind of boring.I know that on long routes they have extra pilots rotate but stillyou have to sit there for hours.It is important to monitor the systems ect i get that but it cant be directly fun?So my q is, is it boring in real life also ?Is it something one just gets used to and find not so bad after some time ?Secondly do the 2 active pilots get to do anything or do they just have to sit there?Can one of them play a handheld game or watch a laptop movie while the other monitors the systems ?Extra question to simmers out there.Do you sit hour after hour in cruise just watching the systems or do you tend to speed things up also ?

[out 769]

Get a nice fellow first officer to your home cockpit (like you do in the RW) and you won't notice the time passing! :( And no, I never speed up the sim. It would spoil all the realistic fun for me. I've never ever used it.When I do longer flights, I trust my autopilot and often leave the 'cockpit' to do other things.Even flying on VATSIM I tend to have small breaks, being cautious of course.And during short flights I have a look at maps, charts, checklists, TCAS, WX reports and landscape around.Just enough to keep me busy before the TOD.

[JET 1 0]

The truth from behind the closed cockpit doors: egg timers, recycled jokes and farting competitions! :(

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

I couldn't fly a 5 or 6 hour flight in FSX without using time compression. At least in the RW you have someone to talk to but in FSX you have Time Compression....Good Tool. :)

[trisager 2]

I couldn't fly a 5 or 6 hour flight in FSX without using time compression. At least in the RW you have someone to talk to but in FSX you have Time Compression....Good Tool. :)

Unfortunately, this is a big no-no with most virtual airlines. I don't really understand why they feel compelled to mimic that particular aspect of reality (instead of rewarding their pilots based on, say, takeoff/landing cycles). Even on VATSIM/IVAO you can use time compression, as long as you are not in controlled airspace.

[des182001 1]

I used to use time compression, but now I just let my FO handle the comms (Radar Contact) and go play Modern Warfare 2 on my XBOX, play with the kids, etc. I just poke my head in every once in a while to see if I need to stepclimb or play with the fuel system (747). I also set the pause distance from the airport to 175NM in case I'm running a 10-13 hr flight overnight while I'm sleeping. I think if I was a pilot of a long hauler in the real world I would get bored.

[JET 1 0]

I used to use time compression, but now I just let my FO handle the comms (Radar Contact) and go play Modern Warfare 2 on my XBOX, play with the kids, etc. I just poke my head in every once in a while to see if I need to stepclimb or play with the fuel system (747). I also set the pause distance from the airport to 175NM in case I'm running a 10-13 hr flight overnight while I'm sleeping.

I've heard a similar description that so many times that I just have to ask - what do you get out of it doing it that way?I mean, if you play with the kids, go buy groceries or sleep, isn't it the same as not running the simulation at all? Why not just set up a scenario 200 miles from your destination and fly the approach from there? Is it maybe you get a feeling of actually "travelling somewhere" as the simulated plane behind a turned off monitor is flying along in real time to some far away destination? How would you describe it?Please don't get me wrong, I don't mean this in a patronizing or condescending way! I'm just really curious as I can't understand it myself :(

[tfm 169]

I've heard a similar description that so many times that I just have to ask - what do you get out of it doing it that way?I mean, if you play with the kids, go buy groceries or sleep, isn't it the same as not running the simulation at all? Why not just set up a scenario 200 miles from your destination and fly the approach from there? Is it maybe you get a feeling of actually "travelling somewhere" as the simulated plane behind a turned off monitor is flying along in real time to some far away destination? How would you describe it?Please don't get me wrong, I don't mean this in a patronizing or condescending way! I'm just really curious as I can't understand it myself :(

Surely the great advantage of the sim over real life is that you can choose how to use it, and different people will have different preferences. My own fascination with FSX is getting an insight into how a complex machine is actually operated in the real world in a variety of challenging circumstances, largely because airline flight is one of the relatively few areas of modern life where (i) we have no control at all over what happens to us AND (ii) we have no understanding about how the pilots are looking after us. I don't like that combination, and although being a passenger on an aeroplane will always involve (i), at least the sim lets me take (ii) largely out of the equation. So personally I'm completely relaxed about speeding things up. I'm not interested in BEING a pilot, bored or otherwise. Neither am I interested in "reality" for its own sake. "Reality" in this context is a pretty protean concept anyway: how "realistic" is it to sit in front of a screen with a keyboard and a mouse? What I want is insight into the operational techniques; and this requires that the sim should perform well enough to be tolerably immersive, not necessarily that I should use it for such long flights that it becomes boring.Tim

[BlakeWilliams 6]

When I fly cross-countries at fl150 in a Seneca I get bored - I can only image what a 777 pilot has to endure over water, through the night.

[falcon999 24]

When I fly cross-countries at fl150 in a Seneca I get bored - I can only image what a 777 pilot has to endure over water, through the night.

RW, I fly cross country in a Cirrus (full glass avionics) and after a an hour or so of cruise it does get a bit boring. Good news is I usually have some "interesting" passengers aboard. :(

[Guest yankeesji]

I've never used the time warp option. Generally when I'm choosing a flight, I'll do one that's no more than 4 hours. Durning that time, I will generally just read while the plane is cruising. I have a flight attendant also that needs some servicing now and again :)

[Leffe 4]

I use to set up flights lasting about 3 to 4 hours. Sometimes (once a month) I make real long haul flights, lasting up to 10 to 11 hours.I never use time compression either. The first hour one is fully occupied with flight deck prep. taxi, departure and climbing.All other hours, from cruise up to top of decent I usually hand over the comm (Radar Contact) to my Co Pilot, and do other things myself.Usually Im looking at the news, (TV) CNN or BBC, having a beer, having a smoke etc. Now after I got this "Electronic Flight Bag" I spent more timelooking at charts, weather reports, and sitting and browsing the PMDG forum, and that was exactly what I did right now, when flying from DUBLIN to HELSINKI.As a probe, you here got the screenie. :( / Leffe

[BlakeWilliams 6]

RW, I fly cross country in a Cirrus (full glass avionics) and after a an hour or so of cruise it does get a bit boring. Good news is I usually have some "interesting" passengers aboard. :(

I love the Cirrus. Did some training on it a while back. Great flight deck and amazing handling. The "stick" took some getting used to though!Cheers

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

I used to use time compression, but now I just let my FO handle the comms (Radar Contact) and go play Modern Warfare 2 on my XBOX, play with the kids, etc. I just poke my head in every once in a while to see if I need to stepclimb or play with the fuel system (747). I also set the pause distance from the airport to 175NM in case I'm running a 10-13 hr flight overnight while I'm sleeping. I think if I was a pilot of a long hauler in the real world I would get bored.

LOL - That is way too funny....The VA's won't allow time compression but it is ok to step out of the Flight Deck and play XBOX or watch a DVD....Imagine that in the real world:"Ladies and Gentlemen the Captain has turned off the Seatbelt Sign and we are now reaching cruising altitude. For something a little different the Captain and First Officer will be joining us in the cabin to watch our feature film with us. Don't worry about a thing this is perfectly safe as the aircraft will be left on Autopilot and the Captain will be checking in on the Flight Deck periodically.....Thank-you for flying with our airline today" :(

[Captain Caveman 1]

With the big LCDs on the new 787s they can watch a movie straight on that, or play xbox ;)Just need to add some inputs :(