Inflight Entertainment

[FlyWalt]

Hi guys,

Long time, no post. Hope all is well.

I have a 4 hour leg tomorrow from KTKX to KSSI picking up our bird from the engine shop. I’d like to know what you do for inflight entertainment on your iPad. 
 

Thanks in advance,

Walt

[Hank]

I watch the world go by outside the window, and keep things from getting too big.  i also  check engine instruments and fuel gages periodically, and keep myself on track with the old GPS thing.

I'm convinced that ATC has a camera in my cockpit, because whenever I do something interesting like take a swig of coffee or try to eat, they always call me for frequency change or reroute or something that requires both one hand to do something and a verbal response.

These generally keep me from getting bored and / or sleepy . . . . I've slept in planes, trains, automobiles, boats and ships, and have been drowsy while driving, but have never gotten sleepy in the left front seat of an airplane.

P.S.--while riding in the giant aluminum tube, I have several books on my tablet and read, snack and sleep as opportunities present themselves.

[larryb]

Flying up front or riding in the back on an airliner? While flying up front, especially after a visit to the engine shop, I think my entertainment screen would be the engine monitor. For flying in back I download shows and movies on Netflix, prime, etc using their app.

[FlyWalt]

A big pa try of my entertainment WILL BE the new EDM 830. But I will have that mastered in the first hour.

[mooniac15u]

When I'm flying my two favorite entertainment activities are seeing and avoiding.  Especially when I'm VFR.

[Greg Ellis]

If in my own airplane, I usually entertain myself much like @Hank.  I monitor the airplane, watch the world go by outside.  Continuously plan on where I would go if I had an engine failure, etc...  I don't listen to music, I don't read the newspaper (some may know what that is...)

And, much like @Hank I am convinced that somehow ATC knows what is happening in my cockpit.  It is amazing how they clear you to a certain altitude and wait until you bring the MP brack, bring the RPM back to cruise and then and not until you have set up for cruise, will clear you to climb to your next or final altitude.  I think it happens all the time.

[201er]

29 minutes ago, mooniac15u said:

When I'm flying my two favorite entertainment activities are seeing and avoiding.  Especially when I'm VFR.

Dang that VFR flying... Good reason for going IFR

1 hour ago, Hank said:

I watch the world go by outside the window, and keep things from getting too big.  i also  check engine instruments and fuel gages periodically, and keep myself on track with the old GPS thing.

Mostly this. A lot of time thinking if I'm going to have enough fuel to make it to the destination non-stop (especially with varying headwinds). If I get really bored, I start giving pireps to flight service.

Look at your position on the ipad. At 150KTAS, nothing boring about that. If nothing is happening, zoom in more.

Perform 91.171 VOR cross check.

Sometimes I have races with traffic unbeknownst to them. It took me like half an hour to catch up to and pass an M20C I encountered on ADSB over Tennessee while enroute from TX to NJ.

Lately, there has been so much thunderstorm activity and complications that I didn't have a chance to get bored on 6-10 hour flights.

Come to my Mooney Summit round table for more tips on Flying Cross Country Comfortably in Mooneys.

[RobertGary1]

I certainly don’t download Netflix and Bluetooth it to my Bose a20. 

[Schllc]

I usually just engage the autopilot and the phone alarm and go to sleep. 

[mooniac15u]

25 minutes ago, 201er said:

Dang that VFR flying... Good reason for going IFR

Perhaps you're familiar with 91.113

"When weather conditions permit, regardless of whether an operation is conducted under instrument flight rules or visual flight rules, vigilance shall be maintained by each person operating an aircraft so as to see and avoid other aircraft."

[N201MKTurbo]

I download audio books. I listen to them through the entertainment input on my audio panel. It mutes the entertainment when ATC talks. It doesn't seem to distract me from looking for traffic or monitoring the instruments.

If only I could get the audio panel to pause and restart the story.

[201er]

16 minutes ago, mooniac15u said:

Perhaps you're familiar with 91.113

"When weather conditions permit, regardless of whether an operation is conducted under instrument flight rules or visual flight rules, vigilance shall be maintained by each person operating an aircraft so as to see and avoid other aircraft."

Yeah yeah. Last time I was IFR 500ft above a solid overcast the only VFR traffic ATC reported was supposedly 500ft below. Passed close based on ADSB but never saw him. I guess 91.113b doesn't apply for VFR into IMC?

Most IFR days are such that there just isn't as much traffic above the layer and that altitude. It greatly reduces the workload. Doesn't mean you don't have to see and avoid. Just means you aren't vigorously swiveling your head to look for erratic training flights from various directions and lots of landing traffic.

[RobertGary1]

29 minutes ago, mooniac15u said:

Perhaps you're familiar with 91.113

"When weather conditions permit, regardless of whether an operation is conducted under instrument flight rules or visual flight rules, vigilance shall be maintained by each person operating an aircraft so as to see and avoid other aircraft."

True although it helps that ads-b is required at our cruise altitudes. 

[jwilcoxon78]

Downloaded Podcasts are my go to.

[WaynePierce]

I've got a Serious/XM radio that I've yet to install for that. I'm not really interested in the monthly cost of S/XM weather but I definitely enjoy music on my long XC's.

[kortopates]

I really enjoy XM radio in cruise.

What traffic? Traffic sightings are very rare in the upper teens flying well above the NA traffic.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bradp]

I try to drown out the incessant Elsa, Anna and Moana videos playing on continuous loop. 

[Bolter]

3 hours ago, FlyWalt said:

I have a 4 hour leg tomorrow from KTKX to KSSI picking up our bird from the engine shop. I’d like to know what you do for inflight entertainment on your iPad. 

                                                                                                                   ^^^^^^^^^^^

If you are picking it up at the engine shop, I think that 4 hours would not be enough time to get past constant searching for landing spots and eagle-eyeing the CHT's.  Not to mention that you need to be low at and at high power for the break-in. 

[Amelia]

Yes. With fresh engine work, especially, I am very interested in that 830. And where alternatives might be. And what’s on the other side of that clouds. Not only does ATC somehow know when I uncap the water bottle, they know when I’m distracted by a familiar bit of music, and invariably interrupt my reverie to my annoyance.$. Po ole lady, she ain’t got room in her head but for one thought. She needs to choose wisely.

[Will.iam]

1 hour ago, Schllc said:

I usually just engage the autopilot and the phone alarm and go to sleep. 

Or tune the atis of your arrival airport so that when the  Squelch breaks it wakes you up in time to land.  

[Yetti]

having ADSB in on the Skyview big screen is quite entertaining.   I watched helicopters working a fire yesterday.  I think I learned a thing or two about the skyview yesterday.

[Pinecone]

If picking up after major work, I would not be doing a 4 hour XC right off the bat.

Wondering if the engine is going to come apart would keep my attention.

[philip_g]

8 hours ago, mooniac15u said:

Perhaps you're familiar with 91.113

"When weather conditions permit, regardless of whether an operation is conducted under instrument flight rules or visual flight rules, vigilance shall be maintained by each person operating an aircraft so as to see and avoid other aircraft."

Perhaps you should try flying fl180 and above.

[McMooney]

go as high as possible, turn on the ap then alternate between instruments and netflix.

rare for me to have to avoid anyone at 8k+

 

[FlyWalt]

Great trip.

Between dodging boomers at both ends of the leg, learning the 830, and experiencing the new engine I stayed plenty busy. Thanks for all the feedback.

Jewel Aviation in Kennett, Mo builds a great engine.

Also, I have an EDM 700 with all probes for sale if anyone is interested.

Thanks,

Walt