A long haul for me is anything over one hour! I keep my Gibson Les Paul and a small amp in the same room as my PC/Sim setup. Using Radar Contact, I turn over the comms to the copilot and then make some music, still keeping an eye on the sim. I set RC4 to pause about 80 miles out, then take over the flight for descent and landing.Hey, I did the real thing for the Air Force many years ago, making a dozen or so flights across the Pacific and back - it was boring (unless something went wrong!) and we struggled to stay awake. The copilot and I often did "what if" exercises (What if we lost #4 right now - keep going, turn back, or divert to a closer field? What altitude to request? Go through the checklists and charts, etc), Fortunately we never had a major problem - in the days before GPS it would have taken rescue a long time to find us in the middle of the Pacific.Dale

>>Well, if you're using time acceleration you are "not *really*>doing a "long haul"" either. Bah on that! I've never ascribed to that argument, even since time compression first appeared in FS.Rhett

>>Why didn't you just press pause and return to the failure once>you got off the call?>Because if he did that, he would not *really* be flying the plane, doing an unrealistic pause. :)Rhett

I've got a purty good setup for long-long hauls but admit haven't done one for awhile. But with a multiple PC's, three 21" monitors in a wrap-around set-up, I'll do paperwork, design, surf, have maybe a TV window open but I alway stay at the PC if I am flying and in real time.I never could understand why people want to fly then go out and do yardwork or run errands, etc. during their flight? Why even fly then? If I leave I will just save the flight and resume when I return. I don't want to miss that sunrise or spetacular cloud formation. ;)For me one of the great parts of flying on long hauls IS watching the terrain below, exploring areas I have never seen before. Noting what will be coming up ahead. I've got MS Autroroute as a moving map, got a travel book open with area I am flyin in. But I do make sure I have lot's of scenery, mesh, etc. loaded before I head into that area.It's all good.

>Whats funny is I can go an entire 9 hour flight but the minute I click >of the AP and take her manually for landing..the girlfriend rings on >the telephone. This should be a named syndrome. Every time I'm getting ready to do anything manual, it seems like something happens: kids wake up from nap, wife needs help with something downstairs, etc. Doesn't matter if its short or long haul and it doesn't matter how much "down-time" I've had before I decide to do whatever it is I'm going to do manually.Bob

I have the same deal. I work from home and my sim stuff sits on the same desk I work from. I have been so busy lately that this hasnt mattered though. I might check Avsim or another site etc, but have no time to actually fly. That would be too distracting from my work.Fun though to be blowing thru email at 10PM at night when you are on autopilot. Folks at the office think you are so dedicated...Eric

"come back to find that FS has crashed altogether."John, LOL!! I almost fell of my chair :-lol How true it is. That is why I leave my flights under 1 1/2 hr most of the time.

do any of you do long hauls on Vatsim ?

Work, tv, nap, eat and monitor systems/progress - time accel is a total no no - you know that fun you have at t/o and landing? it's heightened by the satisfaction of completing a successful 9+ hours in between.The 744 especially has taught me the need for proper load/weather/fuel planning and is great fun to do properly.regards,Markhttp://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a319/mar.../sup_banner.jpgXPHomeSP2/FS9.1/3.2HT/1024mb/X700pro256

>"come back to find that FS has crashed altogether.">>John, LOL!! I almost fell of my chair :-lol How true it is.>That is why I leave my flights under 1 1/2 hr most of the>time.>>Tell me about it.I just did a CYYZ to EGKK and had a CTD (terrain.dll error) as I approached northern Ireland.

well I only go out to walk down the stairs to do laundry. But I just imagine if I was really flying Id walk in the back to take a break. I would not get in a car and go out or even take a walk.

I sleep. I used to do the all nighter form LAX IAD all the time. About the same time we departed there was a Qantas 747 going to Sydney. I decided to do that flight departing at the actual time in real time. Man that took a long time. I slept a full night and did half a days worth of stuff before it got there. It was something like 2PM here before I landed. 14+ hours.

Yes, sometimes.And due to the "in plane" restrictions usually use a small program that calls my attention if a controller contacts me, the SB sound isn't irritating enough if you are in another room.Actually Long Hauls are a nice way to do something at home.Jos

>Well, if you're using time acceleration you are "not *really*>doing a "long haul"" either.No kidding. I didn't claim that I was, I said that others were deluding themselves into thinking that they are doing "long hauls" by doing other things.

> So, using time acceleration is more "real" than watching>a movie? Or Reading a book? Ever been in a RW cockpit on a 5+>hour flight?Another one who doesn't understand...I did not say that time acceleration is "real." Guess what? I don't think that ANY part of FS is "real." I was responding to those that THINK that they are doing long hauls while "going out for the day, or kick back and chill to music tv or whatever till it's time to descend, or clean the house, buy groceries, do the laundry, cook lunch, or practice piano."Get it?