Even when flying an empty aircraft with a Training Captain, one tended to expect the unexpected, which would sometimes occur !
"What was that ?"
And then look around, hoping to spot... Something...
To some extent one " Sat on the edge of ones seat", slightly expecting something to happen..
.In a Sim things might happen rather sooner than after some hours of rather boreing cruising night flight.
Then having to hand fly, something not often practiced.
I had a newish F/O who, following a A/P failure, allowed the Britannia to start to drift down into the opposing traffic flow. I think he may never have hand flown as high ( He had been a crop duster before, I think !)
He hand flew all the way home... Earlier in my life I had had to hand fly a York at cruising level for alternate hours, from UK to KIN before FTL had been appied, as the A/P seldom worked. (I had 1000 hours total time at this stage and was the only other pilot apart from the Capt.)
Last edited by Linktrained; 15th Oct 2014 at 17:30.
Reason: editing