SurClaro Flight Simulator Resources

Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 3:00 pm Post subject: Long flight

I am wondering, when i take a flight of approximately 6u what do you do about the ATC reports???? I suppose you guys dont stay 6u staring at your screen because they often call you for freq. change.

Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 3:17 pm Post subject:

This is a valid problem you bring up. Yes, I have just sat there for 6 or 7 hours looking at the screen when I go on a long flight, lets say from the UK to the U.S. (florida), I only do those flights about once a year. I wish FS had a way that you could auto respond, so you could take off and then cut the grass or do something else for 8 hours. Does anyone know if FS has that option to auto respond?

Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 3:55 pm Post subject:

Autoresponder? No! Can I please ask you two guys what is a point of doing a long haul flight if you are gonna stick it onto an autopilot, and come back for landing? Why not simply then take a short shuttle flight. Same effect, isn't it?

I do long hauls all the time, usually over the weekends when I am not flying for real. Yes, I am a real pilot who flies in flight sim. Don't ask me why do I fly a sim when I can do the real thing, because I don't know the answer to it.

Flying long haul is art! It's not just taking a 747-400 filling it to it's Max weight and fly a GPS route. That's not how it's done. First of all, you have the NAT Tracks which periodically change over time, because of season change, and the winds over the pond as well. Then you need to take a look at the SIGMET chart (google for it if you don't know what it is) and see the CB forecasts and Front movement predictions. Take a weather briefing programme (simulating dispatch in RL) and see what will be the winds aloft at the altitude you are flying. Then do the fuel calculations, because on a long flight the 747 can not take full fuel load with full passenger/cargo load. You will need to make a compromise. Take only as little fuel as you need, and fill the rest with passengers. Some pax may be dissapointed when they are told the airplane can't take any more loading.

Then you pray that you didn't mess up with the fuel calculations, because the options of a glide-in landing are very thin, because there are almost no enroute alternates that would give you a chance to divert from the original track once the fuel is gone. You will need to do fuel calculations and if there is a mismatch, saying that you are burning more then twice the fuel you are supposed to (due to a leak) immediately start diverting, don't wait for the fuel to drain, because you will have to swim to the shore in that case.

All that stuff has already filled in about 4 hours out of an 8 hour flight, so what could you do for the rest four? Book! Read a book, do your homework (if you're still in school) or something. Don't waste the time.

Only yesterday, I've finished a flight with a 747-400, from Los Angeles to Auckland (the one in New Zeland) and it took me 12 hours and 41 minutes. I read a whole book in the meantime (wasn't too long), had a pressurisation system failure, and finished up some paperwork for the next day (for RL stuff).

I hope I have been helpful...to some extent. Rolling Eyes

Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 5:12 pm Post subject:

nice essay Max... which book was it Smile

do You use FSP? (the failiure makes me ask)

and i think You just enlightened me.

Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 6:03 pm Post subject:

The book was "The Seasick Whale" by Ephraim Kishon (strangely, I was gettin' seasick as well....)

The failure was due to an unknown problem with the PMDG 747, and it's pressurisation system. I had to control the outflow valves manually for the last 6 hours of flight. Which wasn't so bad, after a 10 minute setup, it got stabilized at 5800 feet (that's cabin altitude, based on experience, that would give a differential pressure of around 8.4 PSI).

Join BAv and start flyin' Long Haul! Nothing but fun!

Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 9:40 pm Post subject:

Well max, , Im a pilot in real life too, and I know what your talking about. But the BIG difference is, that this is a simulator, And in real life these flights are not as easy as putting in the CD and then clicking a few buttons, also, the flights dont go as smooth as in FS. For example, when I do a IFR flight in real life, Iv got all types of paper work, pens, charts, notes, and checklists in the cockpit, and iv got about 100 things to do within a few minutes, and on FS, all I have is a piece of paper for simple notes, and a cup of coffee next to me,Thats why I like to get on FS and just relax while at the same time thinking Im in control of a huge 747-400. What Im trying to say is that I take Flight simulator with a grain of salt, unlike a true real life flight that has so much more to offer. So thats why I was asking about Auto respond, Because its just a flight simulator. Anyone who is a real pilot here knows that true real life flying involves much much more.

Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 6:22 am Post subject:

Oh, didn't know you are a real pilot. Shocked

What type of aircraft do you fly?

Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 8:20 am Post subject:

Im a commercial pilot, and at the time I fly the cessna 172 and the cessna RG, I also hold a I/R rating, Shortly Im going to move back to my home state of florida Smile

where I will train for my CFI licence, and multi engine licence. May I ask what type of aircraft ratings you hold.

Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 11:39 am Post subject:

Here you go

ATPL
B727-200 Type
ATR 42/72 Type
FI & IFI

P.S. Is that the 172RG or the 182/5RG ?

Max

Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 2:47 pm Post subject: Long Flights

Now, to get back to the original question. I wait until ATC advises frequency change sometime after reaching cruising altitude. Acknowledge the frequency change but don’t do it. Walk away and do whatever you need to do. Flight Sim will continue operating your planned route. I usually return anywhere between 35 or 45 minutes before scheduled arrival and then make the frequency change. Complete your flight as usual.

Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 3:05 pm Post subject:

Another option is to cancel IFR after you're at cruising altitude. FS2004 ATC doesn't care, they'll let you cancel. Then just refile your flightplan when you get a hundred miles or so from your destination.

If you walk away and ignore them, they'll cancel your IFR flightplan for you - same thing, just refile it when you're ready to take back control.

Not very elegant, but it works with MS ATC. I'm sure if you're using another package like FSPassengers you'd hear about it from the controllers.

What would be really cool - after repeated non-contact, ATC scrambles a couple of fighters from the local base to see what's going on. Smile

Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 12:52 am Post subject: thx

Ok thx guys !!!!