Long huals

[RapidFire]

I guess that works, except wouldn't that be the same as just moving the airplane on the map?

[Nav]

RapidFire, you'll find that in real life, whatever the length of the flight, there's always something to log or something to check. The time passes pretty quickly, often you're rushing to keep up with the paperwork, or just constantly making sure that nothing is going wrong.

That isn't a bad principle with FS too - set yourself a challenge, something that MIGHT not work out, so you're always checking things, and biting your nails a bit.

For example, my current flight is trying to fly my new Boeing 787 non-stop from Heathrow to Sydney. You wouldn't be allowed even to try that in real life - the aeroplane's still-air max. range is 8,500 nms, the distance is over 9,000 nms. But I reckon that, given ordinary luck with the 'real weather' westerly winds, I'll make it.

As I saved the flight for tonight, my log shows that distance remaining to Sydney is 6,428 miles (70% of the total distance) and I still have 67.8% of the fuel remaining. Consumption should improve as the fuel weight decreases, and the winds look increasingly helpful - I reckon I'll make it. But I'm sure you can imagine that it's more interesting, as a hobby, because I might NOT get there, and have to divert to Perth or Darwin instead?

Quite pleased with this shot - American Airlines 787 climbing out of Heathrow. Hope it gives you the idea........

[krylite]

I would imagine there are lots of things going on. You could eat meals on flights right on the desk. See that article about the pilot detailing his whole flight to Rome from Atlanta. With FSCrew on some addon planes you also get alerts and messages from the stewardessess.
Also can check the waypoints and see which VORs and NDBs the FMC tracks along it's course. But yeah, sometimes i just hit the speedup 4x to 8x speed over longhauls especially overseas where you can check North Atlantic Tracks and Pacific tracks' waypoints as well. (Someone said he entered coordinate waypoints by entering them as vor stations in the middle of the ocean.)

[beefhole]

I guess that works, except wouldn't that be the same as just moving the airplane on the map?

Moving the airplane on the map can have very negative consequences-in my experience, messing around with the map view can cancel your flight plan.  Also, it messes with how much fuel has been used and what your flight time is.

[RapidFire]

hmm, well I guess I have more to do then. I have yet to create my own flight plans and execute them because usually I'll just fly 1 or 2 traffic patterns and be done. Also, I didn't think of saving, I was planning on just sitting through the whole damn thing, but I guess saving would help that.

Thanks for the help

[Gunny04]

What I do on absolute long hauls, Like say My recent flight Vancuever to Australia in a Concorde, Take off from VC, Land in Hawii, get gas, Head to Saipan International, Land, Fuel up, (this is where I am currently) and push your luck to sydney... (did I spell that right) I always fly with a back up plan in case fuel go's out... Hope this helps, Also, I always fly in real time, ocasionally turning the AP off and taking it manuel at mach 2.04! Cheers, Gunny04

[RapidFire]

How do you fuel up and stuff at another airport? I must be missing a lot to this game because so far I fly and land and end it. Where can I find out how to do all that cool stuff like refueling and whatnot?

[beefhole]

You can find out here

There are two ways to refuel-if you're flying a small GA aircraft, many airports have a bright yellow square that you can taxi into.  Once you do, voila, instantly full tanks.

When you're in a jet (or, if you're lazy, a small prop ) You can use the refuel menu, reached by hitting alt+a+f.  Here you can adjust the individual tank levels.

[jknight8907]

I guess that works, except wouldn't that be the same as just moving the airplane on the map?

Not really. By still flying the whole route, you get to see the scenery, your weight goes down accordingly (important in stuff like 747s that have a max landing weight that's lower than your max takeoff weight), and you still have the opportunity for screenshots if you keep the sim up all the time.


Another thing I do is just let the ATC hold itself like I described, minimize the sim and browse the internet or watch TV while the plane flys itself along at normal speed.

[n_richardson05]

i just do short hops and avoid really long flights and get board the bulk of my flying is done on my never ending flight around the world and i ushaly just go to the next closest air port thats capable of handaling my plane but if long hauls are un avoidable like crossing the atlantic or the pacific i just use the time scaler like 8 or so depending on the destince there really is no use going for more than 500 miles at a time when there are great airports between you and where you are going

[beefhole]

there really is no use going for more than 500 miles at a time when there are great airports between you and where you are going

Unfortunately(and fortunately), the same philosophy doesn't hold true to your average passenger, aircarrier, or pilot.  When's the last time you heard "I would like to go from Philly to San Francisco" and got the reply "nahh, O'hare is right between them.  Why go all the way to San Francisco? Chicago is fun."

Well, some of sim pilots like holding true to real-life routes, as opposed to constant short-hopping.  It's perfectly understandable if you only like short hops-that makes you far, far more normal than we are.

[n_richardson05]

i got a little off subject but still i think its the best way to fly an keep things fun in fs2004

[beefhole]

For some of us (like me), a 12 hour long-haul is fun.  I know, weird.

[Nav]

I tend to use accelerated time quite a lot, especially over oceans; one bit of sea looks very much like another

[n_richardson05]

i use the 737 for trips under 800 miles or so and aney thing over i use the 777 or 747 but its not very often where i have a flite where i need a jet with long distance capabilites like the 747 i still use them over 500 miles because over 2 houres (1000 miles or more)  is to long and its fun to use the bigger planes for "long" trips and pretend like you really need them

but in real life just check out the specks that come with the game and make a guess from there and it also might depend on how maney people take that route