Long Haul Boredom?

[Dozza2k]

Hi,
I was once told by a BA 747 F/O that

"Real Pilots Fly long haul"



haha. contorversial eh?
Anyway what i want to ask you guys is if u are flying a long flight, is boredom ever a factor? I love flying, but i never used an autopilot (none availabe on a 152 ). I have heard from jumbo drivers who say it never is and some who say it alwasys is! I am a wannabe (A380's for Qantas please!) and so just want to get your opinions. Thanks guys n dolls!
Dozza.

[lomapaseo]

You will never get bored trying to keep up with automated computerized systems blinking lights and numbers at you.

However, boredom is prefered to panic any day.

[Dan Winterland]

There's not much real flying involved with flying Ultra Long Haul in an aircraft such as a 747-400.

You punch the route into the FMC before engine start, engage LNAV and VNAV before take off, and the follow the flight director before engaging an autopilot. On a good day, this can be as late as FL200!

You then let the aircraft follow the flight plan route while reading the newspapers, eating, speakin to the pax on the PA and chatting to the other pilot and flight attendants. You make a few radio calls, (but not across the Atlantic these days, as the Satcom does that for you) and put in an ocaisional direct in the kit. Ten hours later, you dial in a lower altitude so the thing knows what height to go down to when you reach the automaticly computed ToD, and by the time you're on safely established on the ILS, it's time to click out the automatics and do the landing - if you feel so inclined!

Yawn!

I recently left the 744 to fly the Classic 747. More to do, much more fun! Some short haul involved in the new job as well. That's a bit more like being a real pilot.

Meanwhile, I also instruct at the local flying club. Flying an NDB to ILS in a Warrior on raw data is far more demanding and more akin to real flying than monitoring a 744 on a route.

[A/P Disc]

I fly longhaul most of the time.Don't like it.Trying to get back
into shorthaul. I have seen enough ocean to last a lifetime.

[Dozza2k]

So it is then?

the general consesnsus being that long haul is boring, but boredom is better than panic - that goes without saying i suppose!!!. Thanks for your help tho, keeps putting everything into perspective for wannabe's like me. Although knowing me i will be a wannabe until i kick the bucket . Market conditions not favouring the wannabes at the mo!.
Thanks again.

[FlyingForFun]

I was once told by a BA 747 F/O that "Real Pilots Fly long haul"

I suspect you'd find that many pilots would claim that "real flying" is whatever type of flying they do! Personally, I think real flying is landing an aircraft with only one main wheel on a bumpy grass airfield, having spent an hour or so doing steep turns around flooded fields along the M4.....



FFF
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[Sheep Guts]

I used to do mini long haul. King Airs on 5 hour legs single pilot inthe Carib. It got boring, but it was also a battle to stay awake aswell. We used oxgen aswell as the Machines werent pressuried. Eating when on oxy is not nice.

The most fun Flying, Ive ever done was drop sterile insects out of King Airs in southern Mexican Mountains 1000agl on 10,000ft mountain ranges. Now thats a blast. Got movies of it aswell.

Regards
Sheep

p.s. Dozzack a good indicator will be, if you get bored flying a C206 in the bush on long legs. If you do, then 13 hrs in a 744 , maybe the same for you.

[BN2A]

But doesn't long haul mean stops down route?
It's nice to see the world from ground level too.

If you always do short haul, you'll want to do long haul. If you've done both, then you can choose which you prefer. There'll ALWAYS be volunteers for that Caribean run...

[Dangerous_Dave]

Down route is lots of fun, but also depends on the destination. A lot of beers in foreign bars and sitting on beaches takes a long time to get tired of.

It's worth doing Long Haul if the stopovers are a long, and everything isn't bullets.