Killing long haul time

[B-7 5]

Hello everyone.

A lot of us flying long range (or medium range) flights, is FS and in real life. Some of us even don't use simulation speed increment because of model or VA restrictions or just can't, because it is a real life.

And besides reading charts, document and working comms, there's always some free time that you just have to kill somehow, or you'll die from the boredom.

So how do you do that? The most interesting is a real world pilots stories, and regulations about that. Is it just a crossword books, newspapers and 15 minutes napping, or something else? Is it allowed to bring a laptop, web-tablet or, perhaps, a handheld gaming console in a cockpit?

And how about us simmers?

I usually spend long hauls with a book on my smartphone and my Nintendo 3DS console, it really helps and gives an excuse to play a handheld at home 

[goates 576]

 

 

Is it allowed to bring a laptop, web-tablet or, perhaps, a handheld gaming console in a cockpit?

 

Not a good idea, and possibly prohibited by the airline.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Airlines_Flight_188

 

The pilots should be focused on flying the plane. If something unexpected happens while you're in the middle of a game, how quick can you react and properly respond to the situation? Especially if it's something like the AF447 accident.

 

Although in FS, one can do pretty much whatever they wish. 

[B-7 5]

Not a good idea, and possibly prohibited by the airline.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Airlines_Flight_188

 

The pilots should be focused on flying the plane. If something unexpected happens while you're in the middle of a game, how quick can you react and properly respond to the situation? Especially if it's something like the AF447 accident.

Is that the same Delta that started to give it's pilots MS Surfaces in 2013? Extreme situations cause extreme measures that fade out extremely fast.

I don't want to have a flame thread, I just want to hear your own experience and fulfill my curiosity  ^_^

[goates 576]

Is that the same Delta that started to give it's pilots MS Surfaces in 2013? Extreme situations cause extreme measures that fade out extremely fast.

I don't want to have a flame thread, I just want to hear your own experience and fulfill my curiosity  ^_^

 

The difference is the tablets supplied by the airline are for things like checklists, approach charts, weather, manuals and other flight related tasks, not browsing the internet or playing games. One tablet can hold far more than a bag full of paper books, and can be more easily searched too.

 

PS, not trying to start any flame wars either!

[Jordan1995 6]

In a real long haul, pilots are always checking and double checking the position of the aircraft and fuel against the flight plan. In a sim long haul I'll usually stay at my desk until TOC then study, watch a movie, or just surf the web. I usually cant sit a the desk for more than 40 mins at a time, because I think i have ADHD. 

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

pilots

That word right there is the reason why I use time compression.....Pilots

 

In the real world their are two of them working together and keeping each other company on long haul flights, and they are getting paid. In Flight Sim it is just me and yes it is boring so that right their isn't realistic anyways. So I fly the departure and arrival portions of the flights then use autopilot and time compression at cruise altitude. I see no point in sitting alone in front of a computer simulating an artificial world and doing Sudoku for hours on end

 

Using 8X time compression at cruise altitude means I can do a 5 hour flight in under an hour and be able to do more flights or other things with my day

 

Cheers

[BillW 210]

That word right there is the reason why I use time compression.....Pilots

 

In the real world their are two of them working together and keeping each other company on long haul flights, and they are getting paid. In Flight Sim it is just me and yes it is boring so that right their isn't realistic anyways. So I fly the departure and arrival portions of the flights then use autopilot and time compression at cruise altitude. I see no point in sitting alone in front of a computer simulating an artificial world and doing Sudoku for hours on end

 

Using 8X time compression at cruise altitude means I can do a 5 hour flight in under an hour and be able to do more flights or other things with my day

 

Cheers

I agree. Microsoft put that in for a good reason. After flying over the ocean for a few hours, one learns why not everyone wants to be a long haul pilot.

[simmerhead 885]

In the real world being a pilot is quite stranious, so most of them appreciate the piece and quiet that can be had at cruise altitude. It's a good time to read up on manuals, study charts, get to know your crew and get a bit to eat. Short haul pilots aren't that lucky.

 

I rarely fly buses, but when I do I always use time compression while cruising, and even then I use an iPad to keep me busy, if I'm not studiying the POH, checklist or charts to prep for landing.

[MarioDonick 752]

 

 

After flying over the ocean for a few hours, one learns why not everyone wants to be a long haul pilot.

 

It is an interesting experience, though. Trying to be focused all the time and achieving a proper landing even after 8 hours. Not really "fun", but maybe it tells you something about yourself

 

Once I was flying in real-time from Phuket to Adelaide, which is about 8:11 hours. My local time, when I started, was evening and the flight ended at 03:00 a.m. local time in the next morning. I had planned for a 3 hours sleep in-between, and I wanted to get up again at 02:00 a.m., i.e. shortly before the approach and landing.

 

I set the alarm properly, but it was VERY hard to get up. Once I sat in front of the desk again, I was very unfocused and forgot lots of things. We landed, but certainly not very well

 

This was the last time so far I did a long flight. I want to do the same again, though. I just did not have time so far for that.

[ckyliu 1,749]

I think that ultimately it boils down to keeping busy during your flight, whatever type of flying it is you're doing; if you're not occupied doing something fulfilling, you'll be bored.

 

With the typical tubeliner addon you spend half an hour planning, loading and programming, a few minutes flying the first and last 6 miles of the flight and then basically nothing else other than monitoring the instruments and watching clouds; there's little scenery to look at or weather to deal with at FL370. Whilst I appreciate there are unique challenges with longhaul automated flying, these remove many in-flight tasks and challenges thus leaving a void between departure and approach.

 

With medium or long haul you'll be in that void for hours; many people do other stuff at this point  (e.g. watch a film or TV) but ultimately they're semi-chained to the PC and just finding ways to try and pass the cruise time, which seems a bit nuts! Isn't it more logical to do your flight, have your fun with that and then move on to something else? Or you can increase the sim-rate during cruise, but personally I find that an unacceptable compromise when you're flying a realistic addon aircraft.

 

The shorter the flight and the less the automation, the more potential things there are to do throughout the flight and therefore getting bored is less likely.

 

The longer I flight sim (over 12 years now), the shorter the flights and the smaller planes seem to get. PMDG J41 and Majestic Q400 showed me how much fun airline flying can still be; there's just enough automation to be manageable by one person, but it's still a challenge and will keep you busy throughout the flight, not just for the first and last 15 minutes!

[sauviat 137]

Flying as part of VATSIM, especially where there is other traffic, will ensure that you are on the ball. You will have other pilots call you up and you will have controllers monitoring you. If you need to leave the 'cockpit' for a few minutes... you only have to alert the controller before and when you return. Remember VATSIM realism is there for your enjoyment, while it is not nice if you are called up by a controller and you are not there to respond!

 

In my early days of VATSIM, I was not at the cockpit when a controller called. I received an email telling me of this, which is why they do take 'enjoyment' seriously. By contrast, it is frustrating when a controller forgets about you when routing you to finals at EGLL  from the south and you are on your way to Edinburgh before you know it.

 

Such is the hobby we like so much!

 

Sauviat

[nateanderson 1]

If you are looking for "as real as it gets" then remember that countries and airlines impose restrictions on how long a pilot can fly in a 24-hour period. Often this is 8 hours, so it would be "illegal" for you to stay at your simulated long haul flight longer than that. What I often do is to take off and fly through the first step climb. then raise the simulation rate until an hour from landing. Obviously if you are online or that is against your VA then that won't work.

 

Ben

[BeechPapa 32]

Past TOC I usually open up a browser tab for Netflix, listen to music and read. I'll do the step climbs, and monitor ETOPs but that's all my attention span can handle. I'm not sure how pilots cope with it. There's usually a point I'll say forget this and use time acceleration. It's not just monotony that encourages time acceleration either, but the fact Id rather not have the computer staying under heavy load for hours on end.

[Fi5kuS 57]

The "problem" with flightsim is that the only bad thing that can happen is a crash-to-desktop. There are programs like the emergency NGX that may induce for instance engine failures during a random time of the flight, and thats why you need to be sitting at your desk. Another thing is flying on VATSIM, then you are certainly not allowed to nap at any circumstances. Its not only annoying to the controllers trying to give you a realistic flight, but also to other pilots close to you. 

[Jordan1995 6]

 

 

crash-to-desktop.

 Yeah nothing like a 5 hour cross country flight and CTD on approach.