I used to be able to hop on my PMDG 737, go from Cold & Dark, and take a 2-3hr flight, park & power down the aircraft. (I used to be able to do 5-6hr flights!)

 

But now I can't, I just get very bored when I'm up in the air, I can barely do an hour flight anymore without getting painfully bored. Its not that I don't have time to do them, I just get very bored and have a hard time to get myself to take 2-3hr flights anymore.

 

Right now, I'm mostly doing small regional flights with my Carenado C208 Caravan, or just exploring with my A2A cub, RealAir duke, or some other GA or Regional get aircraft.

 

I just don't see whats fun anymore of going at 30,000FT with the AP doing all the work for me. And believe me, I want to get back into that, but I can't see the fun anymore. And no, I don't want to load up a flight and go to sleep or do something else, because I want to do flights im my free-time, and I really don't have much to do otherwise. 

 

Any ideas on how to make big airliners more exciting to fly? I love airliners but I'm just painfully bored when I fly them in FSX.

 

The only thing that makes it slightly more exciting is using Skyvector.com and studying charts during the flight. 

 

Also, I will never increase the sim rate, EVER!

Well... I have a 7 week old. If I'm lucky I'll get to TOC with only two pauses and from TOD down with three... I have plenty to keep me going during the trip, with the occasional check along the way. Long haul is now an option. It's a pretty extreme solution, but I've found it works for me.

 

Mike

Do housework?

Explore challenging procedures and new regions?

Perform circuits, diversions, failures, and holdings?

Read and study charts and manuals?

Try not using the FD and/or VNAV?

VATSIM?

 

I accommodate boredom and time shortage by performing only short-haul B747 flights (less than two hours). 

You could enroll in an online course in particle physics and  study the details of the standard model... that will keep you busy while at the computer checking that altitude dial with devotion.

Have a second computer running and watch movies from YouTube or full length features offered from Amazon Instant Videos.

Do only short hops on the NGX? I have flown a lot of short hops (under an hour) between major airports in Asia and Australia on the 737 in RL as a tourist passenger (Melbourne-Canberra-Sydney for e.g.).

 

That said even I am attracted to GA much more - can pass the time navigating by landmarks and admiring the ORBX scenery + REX OD. And time flies by fast. My flights are pretty short (under 35 minutes usually) on Kodiak, Cheyenne, Duke or Legacy but planning and remembering the route, then trying to find the airport, approach etc - couple of hours go away easily from cold dark on to cold dark off.

Fly Southwest or United in America. You can fly all along the east or west coast. SFO-LAX-LAS-SAN-PHX etc etc

Another thing that you can do is get FS Instant Approach, then set up your destination airport in it and put yourself at 30 miles from the ILS. You can approach the ILS from any angle.

Go ahead and set up your complete flight from the departure airport with the NGX or any other aircraft.  When you get up to cruise altitude, fly there until you get tired or run low on time and just hit the "Connect" button on FS Instant Approach.  FSX will reload and you will be 30 miles from the ILS on approach at the speed and altitude you selected.

I suggest that if you were flying at cruise on LNAV, you change it to "Heading" just before connecting with FS Approach. That way it will be on "Heading" mode when FSX loads back up and it makes it easier to get everything set up for your approach.

Go to the FMS and select your STAR and runway and set your Vref. Then do a "Direct To" on the closest waypoint of the STAR and commence with your approach to landing.  You can even rub your eyes like you just had to fly 16 hours.

This completely eliminates the long time at cruise altitude, and you can take off from New York and land at Hong Kong within the same hour.

You get to do all the fun parts of take off, climb, short cruise, approach and landing at any airport in the World.

fly a short vatsim flight but go to where the controllers are active the whole route, usually there is one somewhere, guarantee you wont be bored. or pay a month prescription and fly pilot edge with your ga stuff , either will give you sweaty palms :-)

 

Ps dont feel guilty about letting the jet stuff go for a few months, absence makes the he.....

I have 2 monitors, so on my second one I like to watch YouTube, Netflix, or I do other stuff (like homework... ).

 

Get a book, read, listen to music, watch a movie, etc. If your computer can handle it, try playing a game with FSX minimized... 

 

I love airliners but I'm just painfully bored when I fly them in FSX.

 

For long flights I just initialize everything, using GSX & FSPax, get up to altitude, then leave the sim in the hands of the autopilot, returning when it's time to start my descent.  The only time I will stay in front of the simulator during cruise in longer flights is if I'm working on something for my work, on my laptop.  Kind of like sitting on a long flight and working.  Outside of that I can certainly understand feeling bored, so this is why I do other things during the dull cruise part of the flight.

I used to be able to hop on my PMDG 737, go from Cold & Dark, and take a 2-3hr flight, park & power down the aircraft. (I used to be able to do 5-6hr flights!)

 

But now I can't, I just get very bored when I'm up in the air, I can barely do an hour flight anymore without getting painfully bored. Its not that I don't have time to do them, I just get very bored and have a hard time to get myself to take 2-3hr flights anymore.

 

Right now, I'm mostly doing small regional flights with my Carenado C208 Caravan, or just exploring with my A2A cub, RealAir duke, or some other GA or Regional get aircraft.

 

I just don't see whats fun anymore of going at 30,000FT with the AP doing all the work for me. And believe me, I want to get back into that, but I can't see the fun anymore. And no, I don't want to load up a flight and go to sleep or do something else, because I want to do flights im my free-time, and I really don't have much to do otherwise.

 

Any ideas on how to make big airliners more exciting to fly? I love airliners but I'm just painfully bored when I fly them in FSX.

 

The only thing that makes it slightly more exciting is using Skyvector.com and studying charts during the flight.

 

Also, I will never increase the sim rate, EVER!

 

Try an aeroplane where the autopilot doesn't do all the work, like the Coolsky DC9 or the Stratocruiser, maybe even the upcoming Tristar.

 

I enjoy the DC9, there is a real satisfaction in getting to destination after doing all the navigation and radial intercepts.

For long flights I just initialize everything, using GSX & FSPax, get up to altitude, then leave the sim in the hands of the autopilot, returning when it's time to start my descent.  The only time I will stay in front of the simulator during cruise in longer flights is if I'm working on something for my work, on my laptop.  Kind of like sitting on a long flight and working.  Outside of that I can certainly understand feeling bored, so this is why I do other things during the dull cruise part of the flight.

 

Why don't you just get FS Instant Approach?  Then in the same time you are taking walking away from your flight sim, you can do several complete flights and landings.

Try an aeroplane where the autopilot doesn't do all the work, like the Coolsky DC9 or the Stratocruiser, maybe even the upcoming Tristar.

 

I enjoy the DC9, there is a real satisfaction in getting to destination after doing all the navigation and radial intercepts.

Or Concorde. Lovely plane.

Real pilots get bored.