If using data link(CPDLC) only need HF to confirm SELCAL at boundaries,eg New York,Shanwick,Gander and Santa Maria.

Picking peanuts out of the seat rails. lint out of belly buttons.

Pulling nose hair to fight sleep!

YouTube - Sleepy Pilot

YouTube - Sleepy Pilot

On atlantic crossings, we monitor 123.45, and 121.5. We also monitor SelCal. Position reports are given at each required reporting point, or on the Nat Tracks, at each ten degrees of longitude. Aside from that, our company also keeps plotting charts, which require plotting positions, crossing times, altimeters for RVSM, and position plots ten minutes after each fix...which takes some time, too. There's more to do than simply waiting for the SelCal to chime. Additionally, there's weather reports and mid position reports to take and make (when off a track), plus fuel logs, engine trend monitoring, etc...and not uncommonly updating of manuals and other administrative duties.

Gosh, SNS3Guppy, with all that work to do - it sure is lucky that you have the Autopilot to actually fly it for you ... :}

(Ducks down into his seat and pretends that he was asleep all the time :E)

Now do you guys see it is better to leave threads like this well alone?

There are two of us to fly the airplane, and a flight engineer. We're required to have the autopilot engaged whenever in Reduced Vertical Separation Minima airspace. Which we are when crossing the North Atlantic tracks.

No, that's not a lot of work to do, there's considerably more, and we still have to struggle sometimes to find thins to do...but then that's the idea behind this thread, isn't it? Or did you not bother to read the title?

Someone asked, we answered...perhaps you don't like the answer...but then that would be your problem, wouldn't it? If in this lifetime you are assigned to a cockpit and have a clue what you're talking about, then you'll get to answer the same question in a thread just like this one.

So far as automation, yes, we're very fortunate for it. Automation is an important part of what we do. It's required by the certification of the airplane, the operating rules, and the airspace. You might be happier if one of us crawled out onto the wingtip and moved the ailerons with our bare hands...but that's not possible. Instead we control it remotely by working through a control column, which moves cables, which move valves which move hydraulics, which eventually move the control surface. Sometimes we put our hands on the control column, sometimes we put our hands on the flight control system controls...what you refer to as the autopilot. Either way, we're controlling the airplane, and flying the airplane, and in neither case do we have any direct connection with the control surfaces out on the wings or on the tail.

If it's an airbus...even less connnection, and even when the pilot is handflying, he or she never directly controls the airplane. The pilot's input is limited to telling the airplane what he wants done, and then the computer determines if it will let the pilot do it, at what rate it will let it be done, and how far it will let it go. Stuff that into your pipe and smoke it, next time you're playing paxboy around the world.

A very courteous reply PAXboy

Paxboy, being from the wrong side of the pond I'm somewhat slow on the uptake and not well versed in subtlety (ask my wife); my apologies for what would appear an overreaction to an innocent comment.

on the 330/340 .. the feet go up on the rests and the natter starts.

cant speak for other types.

Boeings have foot rests too..... don't know why it's labeled 'speed brake' though

On flights with INTERNET access it is obvious:

Upon reaching the cruise altitude, grab the laptop and log onto PPRuNe...