Reading in the Cruise?

[Agaricus bisporus]

What are PRuNer's views on shorthaul (Europe) pilots reading newspapers in the cruise?

Does your opinion change if the reading matter is a novel?

Or a sudoku/crossword?

[ZBMAN]

Is this a wind-up or a serious question?:confused::confused:

[Roidelstein]

Why should it be a wind-up? Seems like a reasonable enough question..

[Voeni]

Why should not at least one of us be allowed to read a newspaper or a crossword?

Never read novels, so cannot comment on that :uhoh:

[HeavyDog]

One has to read so the other can sleep.............. It'd be a pretty poor show if both slept will on duty.
I prefer PSP than a novel.....

[tropical wave]

Obviously not on short sectors.I have no problem with one pilot reading newspapers during a long cruise.However he/she should not block the view of the instrument panel while reading, just hold the paper to either side so that a quick scan can be made.Do remember to keep the newspapers out of sight when the cockpit door is open [i know that is only for a few seconds].

[Algy]

All perfectly sensible comments. Here's another (I think)..

Imagine the consequences if the recent Dispatches documentary on Ryanair had included even two seconds of covert in-flight filming of the cockpit with one pilot dozing and the other reading the paper.

Ah, you say, but it wouldn't happen on short-haul. OK, well imagine if the programme was about BA and it was filmed long-haul. Look any better now???

[klink]

With Tropical on this one. No novels, since you will get too concentrated on the story. In fact only "light" reading.

[Flip Flop Flyer]

Floppy needs glasses. Read it as "breading in the cruise". Never mind, carry on. Hat, door and all that.

[False Capture]

Depends on the type of aircraft.

If you're flying an aircraft with an electronic alerting and warning system (EICAS/ECAS/MWS etc.) then you can both read newspapers, magazines, novels, comics, crosswords, sudokus, etc.

[Dave Gittins]

Weren't flight engineers to allow the pilots to read ? :ok:

[EGBKFLYER]

What else did Airbus take out a yoke and put in a table for, if it wasn't to save litigation arising from arm strain due to holding your book up?:}

[HeavyDog]

The table was introduced to hold the ash tray. Stop's the cigarette ends ending up under the seat!!!!
Only bad point with the tables is that you cant rest your feet on the f/o.

[FougaMagister]

Actually, the folding table was introduced so as to be able to eat a meal in comfort, instead of trying to balance a tray on your lap... :rolleyes:

[klink]

Oh.. I thought that one was meant to put your head on!:}

[Algy]

It's not just novels that are risky, what about Flight International and its world-leading jobs section. (www.pprune.org) It's brilliant - no pilot should be allowed to read it in the cockpit as explained here. (http://www.pprune.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=16)

(I'm only doing this to keep the mods on their toes - as it's Friday night they're probably all in the pub, so I think this post with its flagrant advertising might survive for a few hours.)

[PPRuNe Towers]

How about 5 mins?

Rob:} :}

The joys of Connexion by Boeing - the future of modding while on duty. Who needs steenking papers to while away the cruise.

[Algy]

Go on, give us a break in Jetblast.

[fireflybob]

Well as long as it's a "quality" paper then it's ok by me!

Rather than reading though, why not write your book whilst in the cruise. I always said I would write a book on my experiences as a pilot one day but the trouble is nobody would believe it!

[Shore Guy]

I read Ops Specs.....they put me to sleep....
:} :}

[silverhawk]

Well we had one German captain who insisted on no newspapers on the flightdeck as all the instruments should be monitored at all times. Shame his attention to detail didn't extend to personal hygiene.

We had one French captain who would have the paper open before the gear lights were extinguished.

Both these guys are now elsewhere thankfully, and no reflection on their respective nationalities.

I suggest somewhere between these two extremes would be acceptable depending on workload, conditions, etc. There must still be a place in this sanitised job for commonsense.

[Bealzebub]

To answer this question seriously, there are a couple of points I have issues with.

I can see no problem with reading a paper in the cruise so long as adequate and proper attention is being given to the monitoring of the flight. However one thing that does concern me is the increasing trend ( I see ) of pilots who seem to feel it is ok to continue reading whilst the aircraft is climbing or descending or approaching a waypoint turn. I may be old fashioned but this is poor airmanship and as far as I am concerned a totally unacceptable practice. Those who offend can expect a swift reminder.

As far as sudoko or reading books is concerned, I have no real problem with this as long as the practice is likely to allow for sufficient monitoring. Provided one pilot has the flightdeck in their scan then a slightly longer period of non monitoring by the other pilot is probably no different than if they were off the flightdeck for physiological breaks. Crosswords and the like tend to be short distractions in any event. I might get slightly irritated with someone who felt it was ok to engrose themselves in a novel, writing a letter or other long distraction without discussing it first and getting an agreed arrangement. If you think I am going to do your job for the next hour or two while you bury your head in the next 5 chapters of your novel, you are in for a rude surprise.

At the end of the day crew rest ( which is the category this largely falls into ) is another resource to be carefully managed, and a bit of thought and properly applied discretion should make this an easy task. Unfortunetaly in all cases this isn't so, and it might explain why some Captains are reluctant to permit a relaxation in the flight monitoring requirements when a few others excercise a less than acceptable responsibility to the task.

Finally I would state that you are paid to do a job and do it professionally and to the best of your ability. Before picking up a paper etc, ask yourself : Have I done everything I need to do; Am I satisfied there is nothing else I sensibly could be doing; Have I set up the nav aids for the next requirement as they become redundant; Have I extracted charts or plates now rather than later; Am I at least one step ahead of the game ?
Only if you can answer yes to these questions should you really be contemplating doing anything else less relevant to the job in hand.

[klink]

Well, I guess that summarizes the general consensus...

[Rednex]

I thought the last bit of the 10,000 ft checks were news papers and mags placed on the glare shield?

[Stan Woolley]

Back in the days before TCAS we had a very nasty same level head-on airmiss with a Transavia 737 whilst in Greek airspace heading for Larnaca. I was in the RHS and saw him coming at maybe seven miles, if I had been reading a paper we might well have hit.(Anybody from Holland know more about this as I heard bog all from anyone!)

I occasionally do have a quick read but quite rarely and mainly because I feel I need a break.I draw the line at an FO unfolding the paper while waiting for line-up at a major international airport!!! Unbelievable to me but he seemed nonplussed in spite of my colourful pointing out that he was not at home watching the ******* telly!:eek:

Agree with Bealzebub's post.

[quarefellah]

Hi All,
Unfortunately for some I fall into the 'German' category wrt reading in the cruise. I believe we are paid money to do a job and to do it to the best of our ability (hence it being a profession). There are enough hours in the day to read newspapers/magazines etc. when you are NOT in an operating seat of a fast-moving vehicle carrying fare-paying pax.
Here's my dilemma. In times past, F/Os customised their behaviour to whichever captain they were flying with. If s/he was happy to have the F/O read then so be it. Now it seems to be a given that newspaper reading is the norm (making me the quarefellah!!). My point being how do you ensure that your colleague is aware of your feelings on the subject and therefore at least for that day's flying will have to forego his sudoku, crossword etc?

[cavortingcheetah]

:hmm:

I cannot see a lot of difference between reading a newspaper, a detective story, a holy writ, an operations manual, a technical manual or an MEL in the cockpit.However, as a frequent offender, I have to say that I do think that stock market tracking, spiritual solace and base check preparation belong rather more on the ground than in the air.
These days, commercial radio is available on most airborne Coms boxes. A low volume classical selection on box 2 still allows for SELCAL or call sign recognition and, whilst relaxing the troubled soul, permits the brain to stay on track and the eyeballs to roam.:cool:

[beamer]

No problem if reading at an appropriate time but please no working-class rags with red-tops please..................................

[Clandestino]

These days, commercial radio is available on most airborne Coms boxes

Another piece of modern technology I'm missing. I'm still on ADF for that.

[BANANASBANANAS]

I remember being told many years ago by the DFO of a MAN based charter airline that "You can't read newspapers on the Flight deck." I think he must have been trying to read them in turbulence because we found we could read them with no problems at all!:ok:

[Ghostie31]

Why would you want to when you have the best views from any office in the world and its your job to look at it?

[silverhawk]

Even Astraeusnots get bored you know. Five times round the solar system gets repetative. No matter how good the view

[Clandestino]

All clouds look the same from the inside.... they just feel different.

[Rednex]

Sun, Sunday Sport, Mirror, Flight International, FHM, Maxim or the Sunday Times. Can't go wrong really.

[Agaricus bisporus]

Even Astraeusnots get bored you know

Astraeu-snots!

That's not exactly full of the milk of Human kindness, is it?

[silverhawk]

That was supposed to read something like ' astronauts/astraeusnauts' sorry.

Those at AEU that know me, also know I am a big fan and would happily still be there.

My keyboard skills are less than spectcular.

[Tight Slot]

Think too many people are a bit up tight here! I'd read anything to keep my attention up and running. No newspapers on the Flight Deck - bugger off! If on say a 8 hr sector I'm asked to study the nice TV instruments ADI HSI etc by management, I'd be fast asleep after an hour. Keep awake, keep having a glance (often) and keep interested!!

Now where's me Maxim....

[jonny dangerous]

Count me in QUAREFELLAH's court. I too believe that if we wish to belong to a highly skilled "profession", then act like it. There's been enough downward pressure on T's & C's since the advent of deregulation, that we certainly don't need to portray our job as being merely there to react if something goes wrong.

In the jumpseat a while back, along with a Flight Attendant, when the skipper pulls out the "Financial Times" through 12,000 feet in the climb. As an invitee to the flight deck, I said nought. My disbelief was heightened when I realized the gentleman was also certified to conduct line indoctrination flights to newbies...professional indeed...makes it tough to ask for pay augments at negotiation time if the job has become that routine.

[Dualbleed]

Nothing better than a good read to keep you awake and alert. The monotony of staring emty in front of you or out the window is not good. Keep your brain ticking with some interesting reading instead. And you would really be on top of it if something happend.

[Agaricus bisporus]

JD, I agree with your disquiet at reading in the climb, I am a believer in the Sterile Cockpit concept during climb, that's not on.

My original question was intended to derive an opinion between say, skimming a folded newspaper with instrumentation unobscured beyond and becoming involved in in-depth reading matter, as is the case in novels or sudoku, which are designed to remove the reader's attention wholesale from the present for substantial lengths of time.

I'd see technical study as OK too as it usually does not involve long timespans of concentration (compared to a compelling chapter in a good novel) and in any case is clearly on-topic.

For heaven's sake, it's a sad flight-deck where no newspapers are allowed. surely? The ususal problem is getting newspapers, as opposed to comics...

[JW411]

You see, that is where all these modern pilots such as Hand Solo who pooh pooh the necessity to have a flight engineer and a navigator in the cockpit are so seriously misguided.

It is now absolutely impossible to organise a four for bridge when all the papers have been read and you still have 6 hours of very boring ocean crossing to go.

[Maude Charlee]

I only look at the pictures. :}

[BGQ]

IMHO reading anything in the cruise is OK as long as it is a minimum two man crew and one non-reading pilot is assigned the flight monitoring duties. In other words only one reader at a time boys and girls.

I can see little difference between the paper and the flight ops manual in terms of distraction from the primary job.

Those who advicate folding the newspaper in a way that you can still see the instruments are dreaming if they think you can read and monitor at the same time. At best it might allow a quick scan between articles.

Increasingly I am on flight decks where MP3 players are asked to be used. Again I have no problem as long as speakers are used .. not earphones and they are secured properly. The earphones have the potential to eliminate the ability to hear aural warnings. I have actually found the music to enhance wakefulness in the dead hours of the night.