<br />Enabling the random failures on some of the complex birds and watching the printer spitting put that QRH. <img src='http://static.avsim.net/forum/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':(' /><br />

<br /><br /><br />Printer? FSX? Im intrigued. Please explain.

Printing pdfs while FSX is running actually does work. :smile:Just mentioned that some addons offer some nice random failures and also come with a QRH to look them up and "fight for your live" then. The MD11 would be such a thing for example.These random failures therefore offer some factual basis for really checking your systems in the sim from time to time. So you can watch a movie, pause it, check the systems, watch the movie, pause .. cry for help.

Laundry, read a book, watch tv in other room, surf web on laptop, many things. Never touched the time rate key, in fact I removed its key mapping.I love to fly heavy iron almost all the time, but only flown a flight longer than 10 hrs once.

Laundry, read a book, watch tv in other room, surf web on laptop, many things. Never touched the time rate key, in fact I removed its key mapping.

Not picking on you, but this is what I never understand. If your doing a flight that is so long that you feel compelled to go away from the computer and do other things, why not use time compression to speed up thru the long boring cruise section and then take if off compression for the fun part of the descent, approach and landing.The way I see it, being away from the computer for 6 hours while the plane flys itself accomplishes nothing more that sitting in front of the computer and using 4x or 8x time. If your not going to be there, why not speed it up? Why waste 6 hours or more of nothing just to say you did it in 'real time'?

The long haul using real time does give a real sense of accomplishment. I always love the watching the return leg of the WAR DVD from a long haul. Those crews look bagged, wrinkled shirts, baggy eyes.....

Sometimes my wife performs tasks while I'm flying :(

:(

The long haul using real time does give a real sense of accomplishment.

Even if your not at the computer looking at the screen?I tried a few 8 to 10 hour fligts in real time and pretty much at the computer the whole time, in the end I just felt like I wasted a good 8 to 10 hours that I will never get back :( Even using time compression on a 12 hour flight will still take you 6 hours or less depending on how fast you speed up.

Sometimes my wife performs tasks while I'm flying :(

Gives good meaning to the term cockpit B)

I guess this isn't quite on topic. I rarely fly flights greater than 1.5 hours in the air (2.5-3 hours when adding full start-up/taxi/shutdown procedures). However, I on occasion will fly 8-10 hour transatlantic flights and on one rare occasion a 15 hour flight in to Kai Tak. So, what's my point...How furstrating is it when you botch a landing (off center, long, >200 fpm touchdown, etc) after 8-15 hours in the air? It drives me crazy!

Sometimes my wife performs tasks while I'm flying B)

:( :( :(

Sometimes my wife performs tasks while I'm flying :(

:( :( B)

On a serious note... I dont fly routes longer than 1-2 hrs but while in route I will study my approach, look over my aircraft manual and study up on a particular system, check out AVSIM. That being said I would "LIKE" to do an around the world trip but I just cant convince myself on the time commitment. Heck, I even fell asleep one time and was awoke with my son standing and looking at me saying "OMG - he is sleeping"!!! LOL Jim

Even if your not at the computer looking at the screen?

Fact of the matter is to each his own, sitting at your screen for eight hours or four hours with time compression is totally up to the sim pilot in charge. :( In all honesty I do not care how others do it, I do what I enjoy. :( It's not a contest or debate, the OP asked what guys do on a long haul while in cruise.....

It's not a contest or debate, the OP asked what guys do on a long haul while in cruise.....

Don't worry, I don't think cmpbellsjc hat the tone in mind you seem to read there.

Heck, I even fell asleep one time and was awoke with my son standing and looking at me saying "OMG - he is sleeping"!!! LOL

Had to laugh about this, in a friendly way. What did the plane do at that time? And how far over the 'normal Dad's flight sim usage time' have you been there?But don't feel guilty now, this stuff even happens to the Pros.The Last Straw: Reno Tower Asleep During Lifeguard Flight

For very long transoceanic flights I do suggest the A2A Stratocruiser with navigation based on dead reckoning and the se'xtant gauge by Dave Bitzer and Mark Beaumont. This is the ultimate solution againt boredom. Every half hour or so you have to plan your star shots then get your position from the se'xtant, report it on a map (not a "connected" nor "moving" one!), estimate the winds and plot a new course compensating for them... While doing so you need to closely monitor the state of the plane (the A2A Accusim engines and systems can and will fail on you if you're not careful)... That gives you barely a few minutes at each step to get some rest! Happy flying,David