Long haul flights, do you really sit there for 14 hrs?

[captain420 3,099]

I'm curious those who fly long haul flights like 10+ hours. Do you actually sit there the entire time to monitor everything? I love flying, but I can't imagine just sitting in front of the computer for that many hours, especially during the cruise phase (after ToC and before ToD).

If so, what do you do during those long hours?

[Patco Lch 1,465]

No. I use time compress, go sit outside and listen to the birds sing for a while then go back to see where I am. Not realistic but I like keeping my sessions to two or three hours. I do more domestic flying with ideally twenty to thirty minutes of cruise time. To me the approach and landing is the most fun part anyway.

[vadriver 247]

9 minutes ago, captain420 said:

If so, what do you do during those long hours?

to be "real", after about 4 hours swapping PF & PNF roles, you "handover" to the "other" tech crew for about the same time whilst you have a pee then a "nap" to front up bright & shiny for the last / next 4 hours.

i let others give you examples of the real "shifts" but it would be rare to be PF for both takeoff & landing.

in simming, you'll need a partner to make it real .... otherwise, pretend.

[rooster hancock 2003 38]

No I cheat! With the QW 787 it's easy, with the others I drag the aircraft across the world map to top of decent and then adjust the fuel! I know, I know, the purist flyers out there probably want to lynch me for this 😄.  I just don't have the time available otherwise.

[skystar 10]

Depends if there's to expect any ATC online (IVAO).

Flying from VHHH to EDDF you simply know, after you left Hongkong, there will be no controller over China, Kasachstan and those parts of Russia southeast of the capitol.
But If you fly like Europe -> South America you always need to be prepared to an ATC popping up over the Canary Island, Cabo Verde... And as there is a huge amount of SimPilots in Brazil there's nearly ATC coverage all the time.

So yes, sometimes I'm sitting here 10-12hours, without leaving for more than 20-30min.

Ralf

Edited June 5, 2020 by skystar

[snapshot21 254]

If I have work to do or things to study, then I do that during cruise. Maybe watch netflix or take a nap if I still have enough time. Ill be back fully committed around 30mins-1hr before top of descent. I cant bear the thought of staring at the screen for 10 hrs straight while watching the scenery slowly pass by.

Atleast the real pilots take turns and they have each other to talk to and pass the time with lol.

[DAH4062 45]

I'm not getting paid by the hour to sit there and look at a screen, so I use time compression and pause at ToD, then pop off to eat, watch TV, PS4, whatever.

 

Especially as I fly offline with little to no ATC use. Also, I bet that the time flies a bit more on a real aircraft, what with the sight of the world passing by out the window, and a crew plus up to 500 people for company.

 

Having said all that, yesterday I did do LHR-DEN in real time without intending to. All 10 hours of it.

[yvjjflores 13]

 

Particularly I do many long haul flights in IVAO and VATSIM, the flight time is shared with work, since I do it from my home. Ivao or vatsim map monitoring on a monitor and cabin check constantly. Zero Stress. When they see SCV002 in IVAO and TCA7933 in Vatsim, there I go ... hahaha.

[LHookins 3,103]

I have to psych myself up and set out a block of time for any flight over about 4 hours, but I've made several in the 9-12 hour range in the last few years.

I do not use time compression and I do not use autopilot except a few brief times on the A2A Connie and I do not use GPS or other map "cheats". I hand fly in real world weather, sometimes with only a vague idea of what the winds aloft are but some idea of the weather along the route.  I typically don't use ATC which doesn't really exist between San Francisco and Hawaii anyway.  I navigate by dead reckoning or VOR. 

I like to fly period planes in period conditions.  Since I'm not flying jet airliners, I'm usually down where there is still weather, and I spend a lot of time dodging storms.  Active Sky Cloud Art gives me some fantastic cloudscapes so there's usually something to see even flying over the ocean.  Lots of time to think and dealing with boredom (what there is of it, I seldom have a chance to get bored) is all part of flying.

This kind of flying isn't for everyone but once upon a time it was all there was.

Very early on when I was on autopilot whenever I was more than 50 feet AGL and used GPS Direct-To for all navigation, I flew the 747 from London to Sydney in two stages, saving the flight and sleeping overnight halfway through.  This was still an interesting flight with an incredible tailwind over China and reasonably attractive (stock) scenery at altitude.

Hook

[Bobsk8 12,678]

Did long hauls many many years ago. Now about an hour in a GA aircraft is enough for me. 

[Farlis 2,281]

I seldomly fly long haul these days.

If I do I either pick a real world flight that has already passed switch Actice Sky to Historic mode and then use an Aircraft that works well with time compression.

Or I do a real time real world flight and just leave the computer and do something else while the flight goes on. Especially during the oceanic and night legs.

[Steve_Ellis 273]

I never use accelerated time, there is so much choice out there for flights, if I do not have the time to do longhaul then i do shorthaul..Simple

Personally I have never understood it myself but that is just me..

[captain420 3,099]

1 hour ago, PATCO LCH said:

To me the approach and landing is the most fun part anyway.

I totally agree... cruise phase is the most boring.

[captain420 3,099]

1 hour ago, rooster hancock 2003 said:

I drag the aircraft across the world map to top of decent and then adjust the fuel!

lol, didn't know you can cheat in a flight sim.

[captain420 3,099]

59 minutes ago, skystar said:

Depends if there's to expect any ATC online (IVAO).

Flying from VHHH to EDDF you simply know, after you left Hongkong, there will be no controller over China, Kasachstan and those parts of Russia southeast of the capitol.
But If you fly like Europe -> South America you always need to be prepared to an ATC popping up over the Canary Island, Cabo Verde... And as there is a huge amount of SimPilots in Brazil there's nearly ATC coverage all the time.

So yes, sometimes I'm sitting here 10-12hours, without leaving for more than 20-30min.

Ralf

Curious as to what happen if you fly online with live ATC. Let's say you take a nap for a bit and ATC tries to contact you and you're not there. What will happen?