I like it all: GA locals, Beaver in the bush, regional pax, trash hauling, turboprops, jets of all sizes. I just do whichever ones I am in the mood for. I will be hooked on one thing for a few weeks, then do a binge of something else, with some locals thrown in.I have a question about long hauls. I usually save them and finish them in several settings, rather than leave my computer on for a long time unattended. I have a hard time with logging that kind of time, anyway. When I start up a saved flight, I have to restart the GPS, but that is no big deal. Now, I am getting intersted in planes with FMC installed. How does restarting affect the FMC in a plane? If you have to restart the FMC, is it accurate after that, or is it screwed up for the rest of the flight?Gotta Run Now - Regards - Steve

afaik you'll have to reprogram most fmc's.i have to fly longhauls in one session too,as the ins does not save it's last state.tataJP.

Long Haul? - yes, here's the story.Daytime Flight:Climb into your cockpit. Setup and fly the flight to cruise level. Pass control to FSNavigator. Note the ETA at destination. Now go mow the lawn, do some wallpapering or whatever chores you have to do. Look in every now and then to make sure all is well and, maybe see some new scenery views. Return to the cockpit an hour before ETA and complete the flight.Nightime flight:Climb into your cockpit. Setup and fly the flight to cruise level. Pass control to FSNavigator. Note the ETA at destination and set your alarm clock for a hour before ETA. Just as in real life you, as the Captain can now kip down - preferably at the back of the cockpit - that's what a sleeping bag is for :-)If the flight is longer than the number of hours sleep you need then you don't need the alarm. I do lots of long haul as well as short or medium. 12-14 hours is not unusual. Average of maybe two a week. You can do all this when you're retired :-)Pat

"Daytime Flight:Climb into your cockpit. Setup and fly the flight to cruiselevel. Pass control to FSNavigator. Note the ETA atdestination. Now go mow the lawn, do some wallpapering orwhatever chores you have to do. Look in every now and then tomake sure all is well and, maybe see some new scenery views.Return to the cockpit an hour before ETA and complete theflight.Nightime flight:Climb into your cockpit. Setup and fly the flight to cruiselevel. Pass control to FSNavigator. Note the ETA atdestination and set your alarm clock for a hour before ETA.Just as in real life you, as the Captain can now kip down -preferably at the back of the cockpit - that's what a sleepingbag is for :-)If the flight is longer than the number of hours sleep youneed then you don't need the alarm."LOL, that's crazy!!longest flight I have done? Well the aviation group my VA belongs to held a rally with members of all the various VAs flying at least 100 nm for their leg in real time and realistic conditions in GA aircraft (had 29 pilots). I flew from Alert Bay, Canada to PAKT, AK, in the Flight1 Cessna 421 (VA colors), thru a severe winter storm, in marginal IMC most of the way. Took 3.5 hours and white knuckle a good part it (icing and turbulance), my butt was sore after that! LOLRegards, MichaelKDFWhttp://www.calvirair.com/mcpics/mcdcvabanner.jpgCalVirAir International

Yep, long haul flights are also useful for book ending late night study sessions as well. ;-) Setup the flight, takeoff, obtain cruise, and then switch to the FMC. Then open the textbook or start writing that paper. If you become bored with the books, just check back on the flight.Wrap up the study session as the initial descent approaches and you're good to go for enjoyable approach and landing.The big plus for our method: the more outrageously long the flight, the more that useful things tend to get done around the house. ;-) I've been following this system for the last four years while going to school (and working full time) and I almost have that degree in my hand. I call it the joint Flight Sim-(Insert Your Degree Here) program. :-)

No way, hour at most for me.I love learning about the jets that fly the long haul routes but find nothing interesting about watching the hours go by where the plane flys itself. Even with the LDS 767 I only fly a couple hundred miles a "hop". Not realistic, I know, but's it my plane ;-)

hi pat, what about us youngsters in our 50s? LOL. i didn't get a chance to fly this weekend, well i did but fell asleep twice and never completed the flight. it's about 4 hours. i tried it friday night and again saturday night but mister wizard kept throwing pixie dust in my eyes so i'll try again in another day or two. something about seeing alot of pilots on WhazzUp flying those 10 hour type flight late on a friday or saturday night just makes me want to do it. i wouldn't want to stray to far from the computer though. of course you have to do what you have to do but i'd rather stay close by. maybe wash some clothes and get a small TV to watch during the flight. i think you have to be ready to do it also. great feedback guys. william

if i do a longhaul i'm ever present in the cockpit.longest sit has been 8.5 hours.i don't have fsnav ,and i don't have an fmc equipped plane on longhauls(do have the pss a320 somewhere :-? ) :)i just check the ins,monitor fuel,watch airspeed(the plane doesn't have an A/T too,so wind changes result in speed changes with fsmetar)plug in the next waypoints,do updates,etc etc.and i plan my arrival on the fly.it's fun,and it is very satisfying to land at your destination,with everything turning out just as you planned :)if i'd do it often i'd go nuts though.but every now and then,it's a challenge to plan a flight in the 8.5 hours my wife isout of the house,usually i touch down at about 10 minutes before she walks in :-hahhow's that for planning :-hahtataJP.

TV? Well, I must admit my DVD player gets a work out and I watch a movie (or two :) depending on how long the flight is)... Besides backing up important data, the DVD is the way to go lol

Real World ferry flying: (I'd s... my pants in a single!)http://www.cirrus147.com/GT_FerryTop.htm TRY THIS IN THE NEW CIRRUS FREEWARE (time-compression press r and + :)http://www.utility-aircraft.com/ferry_flight/index.htmhttp://www.utility-aircraft.com/gallery/pi...rbo%20arrow.htmhttp://www.socata.eads.net/frame/lang/en/1...4/32100047.htmlhttp://www.racedr.com/log/crossing/http://www.iol.ie/~asire/mempage2.htmlhttp://soloflights.org/index.htmland many more ....Have fun,Dasher7

Dasher, I'd love to be in that line of work. You're very lucky to get to have those kinds of adventures. I'm very jealous. ;>

Donny AKA ShalomarFly 2 ROCKS!!!Some of these posts remind me of an article in Flying magazine I saw years ago. Mainly about how cargo crews use redeyes to catch up on their sleep. Seems once an entire crew was asleep and went past their destination LAX. A controller recognised the situation and yelled till they woke up as they headed out into the Pacific...I'm interested in doing more "ferry style" or "record setting" flights. I doubt anyone actually uses them there but I took that Navaho to Bermuda so it could be used by a commercial sightseeing venture... Ferried a Hawker back that had a "malfunctioning" port engine, me copilot baggage and fuel. Fired up the starboard engine and went back to KABE. Some companies actually do flights like that for demo purposes.Was that a 35 you tried taking from SFO to Hawaii?Failure generators are an incentive to stick around during all flights... though I can turn them off when I know I'll be away.Best Regards, Donny:-wave

Edit: My posts keep multiplying on me lately

Yep, I do John F. Kennedy to Cairo, Egypt. About 10 hour flight. I flew as pax on real world flight, usually left at night and arrives in the afternoon. You can sleep for about 7 hours and wake up to watch the Pyramids of Giza go by on final approach. What a sight.

Exactly! :) - minus fsnav that's how I do them too, (and I'm not retired yet) it's not boring simply because the total time actually spent in front of the pc is no more than maybe 1 - 2 hrs!In fact it's when I DON'T have a lot of time that I avoid GA/short haul which requires attention full time.Currently planning the 6000+nm trip from Sydney to LA - definitely an overnighter :)regards,MarkXPHomeSP2/FS9.1/3.2HT/1GIG/X700pro256