For those long outings

[Foxtrot Sport]

For those select people on here who really enjoy those LONG hauls and ultra-long hauls, I have something for you.  

I fly IFR all the time in the way of medium or long hauls, and, just what do you do to keep from being kicked from the IFR plan?  If I walk away for a little bit, I always come back to a screen of "1. Open IFR plan".  

Is there a trick I should know about?  Lately I've been trapping it inbetween radio centers.  (Where you get the screen where the only option is to tune to the designated radio).

Are you long haulers doing anything different?  If I can't walk away for such a small amount of time, then it's pretty impossible to go more than a 5 hour flight.  

Thanks in advance.

-HF

[Craig.]

Generally I will keep my radio tuned correctly till I am at the cruising altitude, on the next hand off, confirm your going to change freq's when told to. But dont tune into the next one. You can then leave it without loosing your IFR plan when your closer to your destination, usually 100 miles out tune into the next centre that it gives you and continue as usual.

[beefhole]

Yup, Craig's method is tried and true, I use it all the time myself

[BFMF]

The best tricks? Stay at your computer and monitor the radios like a good pilot

Simple innit?

[Foxtrot Sport]

The best tricks? Stay at your computer and monitor the radios like a good pilot

Simple innit?

Of course, I was just kidding, I always do that *cough cough*.

[USMC_BEANS]

Sounds like you need to hire a copilot!

[Foxtrot Sport]

Sounds like you need to hire a copilot!

And a Navigator might not hurt either  ;)

[FridayChild]

Which reminds me that... hey, we're smarter than real life commercial airline P.I.C.s, we fly solo!  :D

[Foxtrot Sport]

Which reminds me that... hey, we're smarter than real life commercial airline P.I.C.s, we fly solo!  :D

True, but we're also not really doing ALL the stuff that goes into flying a real airliner.

[Hai Perso Coyone?]

Generally I will keep my radio tuned correctly till I am at the cruising altitude, on the next hand off, confirm your going to change freq's when told to. But dont tune into the next one. You can then leave it without loosing your IFR plan when your closer to your destination, usually 100 miles out tune into the next centre that it gives you and continue as usual.

I've never tried that...I usually sit there waiting for my next orders...or set up my sleeping bag next to my comp and turn speakers onto loud so that whenever ATC shouts something I scramble to my screen and follow instructions