What to do while on autopilot?

[ppragman]

USA Today.

And if you think it's bad now, wait until the autopilot can actually fly the airplane, capture altitudes, fly your entire flight plan, yada yada.

I hate handflying in cruise, but I love hand flying on approach and departure.

 

[PGT]

Bring a pillow
Tune destination ATIS and turn volume up
Go sleep

 

[SFCC/UND]

Prank call people at 6500 feet. That always makes the time go by fast.

 

[Roger, Roger]

Look up nearby radio frequencies and use them listen to AWOS, banter with the rednecks/hicks/hillbillies on CTAF, click the PCL on and off, find your position with VOR cross radials, listen to HIWAS, monitor 121.5 to see if anyone's ELT goes off, etc.

 

[francis03]

bring a laptop and play FS2004 or FSX while in cruise and recreate the flight that you're flying....

On a 1 1/2 hour flight i just play with the buttons and knobs of the G1000 and say "what does this button do?"

I usually take pics of the outside...

 

[PGT]

Look up nearby radio frequencies and use them listen to AWOS, banter with the rednecks/hicks/hillbillies on CTAF, click the PCL on and off, find your position with VOR cross radials, listen to HIWAS, monitor 121.5 to see if anyone's ELT goes off, etc.

Yes! How can I forget.

Monitor local CTAF's and laugh. I had some good laughs doing this.
Oh and I usually monitor 121.5 during cruise; don't be alarmed when you hear ELTs going of within 5 minutes of top of the hour

 

[Jfk-Pilot]

almost all the suggestions here are pretty valid, but iono personally i go by the whole rule of, if you find yourself thinking that everything is fine and dandy, and have nothing to do, well thats usually when s--t hits the fan, and you become all disorganized and what not.

 

[Holocene]

Bring a pillow
Tune destination ATIS and turn volume up
Go sleep

Sir, that is dangerous.

 

[TGatch]

Bring a pillow
Tune destination ATIS and turn volume up
Go sleep

Sir, that is dangerous.

Yeah but it works! haha unless you put in the wrong frequency. Then you'll just go until fuel runs out :banghead:

 

[falconvalley]

I read the enroute charts and look for emergency diversion options. Try going through different scenarios in your head...lost comms, engine failure, total electrical failure, diverting at min fuel with unforecast low vis. It helps pass the time.

 

[yoman793]

maybe i'm still too new to this whole pilot thing but i always have alot of fun while flying. (even with george at the controls) I havent been bored at all since leaving the practice area during training. also, i try to always bring a camera with me and snap photos or videos along the way. despite bringing it with me most of the time, i often forget to use it as i'm usually trying to keep myself busy flying the plane.

aviate, navigate, communicate. then if you have time you can fiddle with your camera/ipod.

 

[Holocene]

maybe i'm still too new to this whole pilot thing but i always have alot of fun while flying. (even with george at the controls) I havent been bored at all since leaving the practice area during training. also, i try to always bring a camera with me and snap photos or videos along the way. despite bringing it with me most of the time, i often forget to use it as i'm usually trying to keep myself busy flying the plane.

aviate, navigate, communicate. then if you have time you can fiddle with your camera/ipod.

Agreed. Admittedly I've only got 100-something hours, but I have never in my life been bored while flying.

 

[TGatch]

Agreed. Admittedly I've only got 100-something hours, but I have never in my life been bored while flying.

Eh I have especially on the Long x-c for the commercial. But I still love it more than anything else.

 

[SFCC/UND]

Eh I have especially on the Long x-c for the commercial. But I still love it more than anything else.

When I was CFI in Tulsa, I used to help students do their long cross country for their commercial. Tulsa to Dalhart TX, god that flight was so boring, took 8 hours to do a round trip. Nothing but oil fields, cow land, and a lot of flat land. The only cool about that trip is there is a private airport Mesa Vista, it has a 6,000 ft runway and I think it has a ILS for goodness sake.

 

[PGT]

Sir, that is dangerous.

I would never attempt this, it was a joke.

 

[Holocene]

I would never attempt this, it was a joke.

I agree. You cannot count on ATIS being available 100% of the time. Use an alarm clock instead...

 

[TGatch]

I agree. You cannot count on ATIS being available 100% of the time. Use an alarm clock instead...

:laff:

 

[Ian_J]

Bring a pillow
Tune destination ATIS and turn volume up
Go sleep

Sir, that is dangerous.

I would never attempt this, it was a joke.

Ahh... PGT is just regurgitating "Freight Dawg-ese."

Nobody does this until they really, really have to.

 

[bdhill1979]

Monitor local CTAF's and laugh. I had some good laughs doing this.

I have had some of my best laughs ever just listening in.

I always play the mental game of looking at the ground and asking myself "Could I land there?". By doing that I just watch the countryside go by, to me that isn't half bad.

Oh and XM radio off the 496 is awesome.

 

[BajtheJino]

I'm kind of surprised to see a thread about what one should be doing while flying...That being said (and being comfortable with my own thoughts and therefor not needing an ipod) I monitor gauges, talk with the Capt., monitor gauges, work the radio, monitor gauges and do my job the way I'm supposed to. To me adding all the distractions that people do to the cockpit will ultimately one day bit you in the ass.