Concorde1518 From United States of America, joined May 2001, 746 posts, RR: 0 Posted (11 years 11 months 2 weeks 6 days 19 hours ago) and read 929 times:
I was wondering what the pilots do during the cruise and between fuel checks. can they just talk amongst themselves? Also, can theyeat/drink, like when snacks and meals are served, and what do they eat, first class food or economy?
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Prebennorholm From Denmark, joined Mar 2000, 6019 posts, RR: 55 Reply 2, posted (11 years 11 months 2 weeks 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 850 times:
Sorry Aaron, for the rude answer above.
But if you get professionals to answer, then I think that they will tell you that at least during long distance flights there really isn't much to do during a substantial part of the cruise.
So they will spoil the time much the same way as their passengers, except two things:
They won't sleep.
And hopefully they won't be screeming "booze, more booze" at the FA's all the time.
That means lots of newspapers, books, magazines, maybe a discman. They will probably often be bringing manuals to study for their next simulator test.
Best regards, Preben Norholm
Always keep your number of landings equal to your number of take-offs, Preben Norholm
Jumbojettim From United States of America, joined Jan 2001, 193 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (11 years 11 months 2 weeks 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 812 times:
As mentioned earlier, pilots on longer flights do nothing. There is a lot of reading and talking. As far as the food, they get economy food unless there is extra first class meals. They do eat and drink while flying (autopilot).
Ambasaid From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (11 years 11 months 2 weeks 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 810 times:
Prebennorholm,
You would be surprised at how many airlines allow crews to sleep, even two man crews. Plus in a lot of cases they aren’t allowed to read any non-relevant material and most certainly not listen to discmans.
As the old saying goes, hours and hours of boredom interspersed with moments of shear terror.....
Air NZ From New Zealand, joined Jun 2001, 227 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (11 years 11 months 2 weeks 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 788 times:
They could scare their Passengers by walking down the aisle and getting the pilot to talk over the Intercom Cpatain ........ "How do you fly a plane again?"
Buff From Australia, joined Mar 2007, 0 posts, RR: 2 Reply 8, posted (11 years 11 months 2 weeks 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 759 times:
Boring is good!
Bring on more boredom. Problem-solving is for the simulator: no one wants to do it for real.
But seriously folks: The cruise portion of any flight is usually quite relaxed. But there are many things that must be done/monitored and it's difficult to say that "monitoring" something is akin to doing "nothing". ATC is a constant listening watch - it is a serious bruise to one's ego to miss a call. Trans Atlantic flights require constant updates of position and enroute weather (ETP's and destination). Navigation accuracy is vital when outside the areas of coverage of VOR/DME's.
While one might say those are menial tasks, try to think of the available time as gaps that will be more than filled when something goes wrong. If on the standard trans-Atlantic flight there is a "gap" of thirty minutes between reporting points, if a navigation accuracy degrade is suspected, the cockpit gets downright hot with activity. If God forbid an engine fails or pressurization is lost, the gaps may be insufficient to get things done smoothly and time has to be extended.
I don't know what the original poster had in mind when asking this question, but to me it is somewhat of a flame-baiting question: those that don't know anything about the subject will have the most colourful opinions; those of us in the thick of it will regard it as a "wind-up".
Buff From Australia, joined Mar 2007, 0 posts, RR: 2 Reply 9, posted (11 years 11 months 2 weeks 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 752 times:
I don't know what the original poster had in mind when asking this question, but to me it is somewhat of a flame-baiting question: those that don't know anything about the subject will have the most colourful opinions; those of us in the thick of it will regard it as a "wind-up".
I just re-read the thread and apologize for this statement. The original question is fair and equitable!
In addition to sucking back lots of tea or coffee, meals are usually provided, prepared separately for Capt/FO/FE, some airlines allow various reading materials (C-3 doesn't); cockpit visits are allowed under strict circumstances; flight attendants may decide to take a break "out of the public view" - they are human beings too, depending upon who you ask (uh oh...)...
DeltAirlines From United States of America, joined May 1999, 8772 posts, RR: 13 Reply 10, posted (11 years 11 months 2 weeks 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 709 times:
On a BA flight I was on the crew spent the time talking with flight deck guests and the flight attendants on the upper deck of the 747 (not to mention drinking coffee)
Ambasaid From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 11, posted (11 years 11 months 2 weeks 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 673 times:
DeltAirlines
Did you happen to notice if it was a single/augmented or double crew, what about check airmen, deadheaders or were the seats in the cockpit just left physically empty?
Csavel From United States of America, joined Jan 2001, 1332 posts, RR: 5 Reply 12, posted (11 years 11 months 2 weeks 5 days 20 hours ago) and read 660 times:
I remember back in the seventies reading a paperback book about airlines and air transport, (Wish I could remember the title or author) anyway the author quoted a first officer of a British long-haul airliner that found himself drifting off to sleep. He aroused himself and saw the captain and engineer fast asleep. The author noted, dryly, "black coffee was ordered all around."
I may be ugly. I may be an American. But don't call me an ugly American.
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