Is there any chance to get something more happening enroute?

I would apprechiate if the FO could regularly (say each 30-60 mins) check the EICAS pages, maybe the FA coming up from time to time asking if everything is alright and if we need anything, etc.
Maybe even the FO taking some controlled rest?
Just some sort of stuff that brings a bit more life into our cruise flights on long hauls.

Good ideas, we'll see what we can do!
 

Cheers,

Thank you Bryan!

Yeah Emi brings up something good (he always does). Having something to do enroute and maybe some extra ground prep and after landing towards shut down. Will UGCX have something like this?

I like this idea. What about the FA coming into the cockpit announcing a passenger medical emergency which forces you to divert? Just to keep you on your toes!

Out of curiosity -maybe this is an abyss I don't want to look into lest it look back on me-, but how many of you are actually doing 10 - 12 hour flights in "real-time"?

 

I did until a year and a half ago when I started real life flight training and thus I simply didn't have the time anymore.

I think I did a 10 hour flight once. However, I regularly fly Vatsim CTP and do preparation flights for it, so a couple of times every year I do maybe a 7 hour real-time flight.  For those flights, and for 3-4 hour flights that I do on weekends, I would love to see something like Emi suggested.

Peter

Hi,

I always fly online so all my flights are real time. I fly all kind of real flights ranging from 45min up to 15h30.
My longest flight was 17h30 with the -200LR but it was not a real flight.

However with remote CDU and shadow play, I manage to monitor my flights doing some other activities in parallel from other rooms of my flat so I don't have to seat for that long in front of my sim computer. 

Well I don't have a reliable FO to call me in the living room if a failure occurs so I have to keep an eye.

I do ULH flights all the time.

Scott

Here's what my 747 consultant said about adding enroute activity:

 

"Well the 747-400 is a highly automated aircraft you just monitor it during the cruise phase. 

The only thing I can think of is do simulate a fuel check every hour. 

Make the fo select the fuel page and the progress page on the cdu every hour to simulate a fuel check. I can't think anything else to do. Otherwise it will spoil the immersion. It wouldn't be realistic."

 

 

 

On 9/12/2017 at 11:30 PM, byork said:

Out of curiosity -maybe this is an abyss I don't want to look into lest it look back on me-, but how many of you are actually doing 10 - 12 hour flights in "real-time"?

 

I do it nearly all the time. All the ideas here are quite good. I would like to see an emergency 744 expansion pack, which honestly would be useful for things like medical emergencies discussed here. As for the crew rest idea, I like it. 747 flights often have multiple pilots. It would be an interesting experience to possibly have two FOs. On a side note, would it be possible to some day be able to mix and match crew members? It would allow a lot more accuracy when it comes to sounds. For example, Emirates crews are incredibly international. You can have a flight with an American Captain, a British FO, and an Indian Purser. Mix and match sound sets could also add a touch of personalization. I am from Seattle, but I often do BA flights. It is a little annoying to have a British Captain do a briefing, when you yourself lack a strong British accent. (I do have a British speech pattern though...) Of course, what I would really like to see is customizable voice sets, but I have a feeling that will never happen :(

On 17.9.2017 at 11:31 AM, byork said:

Here's what my 747 consultant said about adding enroute activity:

 

"Well the 747-400 is a highly automated aircraft you just monitor it during the cruise phase. 

The only thing I can think of is do simulate a fuel check every hour. 

Make the fo select the fuel page and the progress page on the cdu every hour to simulate a fuel check. I can't think anything else to do. Otherwise it will spoil the immersion. It wouldn't be realistic."

 That's interesting Bryan, do they not get regular visits of the flight attendants checking if all is well? Do they not do things like controlled rest, etc?

System wise he surely is right, there is not a lot you can do (regular fuel checks would be a good start though! Maybe even accompanied by the FO telling you that your fuel status is fine or something?), that's why I am mainly asking for the human/human relations to become more active in cruise. Stuff like the FA asking if you need anything, etc.

Perhaps the FO could challenge you to a kind of "pop quiz" every now and then. Or, bore you to death with tales of their down route conquests and drinking victories, or even about how tired they are because of their new baby? That's what real FOs do during the cruise. I knew a female cabin crew staff member a while back who used to enter the cockpit and start giggling for no apparent reason, then leave. To this day I still don't know why and she would never tell us, even when drunk. I suspect she was mental and eventually, we had to ask her to refrain from entering the flight deck unless we called her. 

15 hours ago, lukehall said:

Perhaps the FO could challenge you to a kind of "pop quiz" every now and then. Or, bore you to death with tales of their down route conquests and drinking victories, or even about how tired they are because of their new baby? That's what real FOs do during the cruise. I knew a female cabin crew staff member a while back who used to enter the cockpit and start giggling for no apparent reason, then leave. To this day I still don't know why and she would never tell us, even when drunk. I suspect she was mental and eventually, we had to ask her to refrain from entering the flight deck unless we called her.