Too Much Flying???

gitmo234

gitmo234

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gitmo234
How much is too much?

So I fly a '56 Cessna without an autopilot. Thursday I flew just over 8 hours to Jekyll Island, yesterday I flew close to 6 coming home. Longest leg on both of these (and the final leg) was 3.5 hours

It wasnt that bad after 8 hours, today is different. I'm exhausted to the point where my mood is effected and caffeine isnt helping.

Have you ever experienced this? Is so, how much is too much for you?
 
gitmo234 said:
How much is too much?

So I fly a '56 Cessna without an autopilot. Thursday I flew just over 8 hours to Jekyll Island, yesterday I flew close to 6 coming home. Longest leg on both of these (and the final leg) was 3.5 hours

It wasnt that bad after 8 hours, today is different. I'm exhausted to the point where my mood is effected and caffeine isnt helping.

Have you ever experienced this? Is so, how much is too much for you?
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My "too much" isn't time related, it is too much turbulence/heat/storm related.
 
Generally 5.0 is good for me if it's a x-country. I'm in no rush and don't have to be anywhere.

Flew 10.5 in OEF a few years back. Exceeded my max allowed by 4.5 hrs. I was pretty exhausted when we finally shutdown.
 
danhagan said:
My "too much" isn't time related, it is too much turbulence/heat/storm related.
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That might be some of it. The way home was quick but even up top above the clouds it was constant adjusting and occasional light bumps.

They longer trip down there was hotter and longer, but once we got above 4k feet or so it smoothed out.
 
I know a NetJets guy that has done 1,000/year for the last 25 years. He looks like it, too.

I've done over 100 hours this month. You can bet that I'm tired. The most time I have logged in one day was 13.5 hours. I was extremely tired.

Flying extended periods is exhausting. Flying an older bird like that with no assistance is even more so.
 
What altitude were you flying? I routinely fly 2-3 hour XC missions anywhere from 6000'-10000' and would find myself a bit tired and irritable for the rest of the day...just like you, a double latte would not help. I was not so much fatigued but just a bit off.

I got a portable O2 system so I could go higher and faster up in the teens...well, even at 8000' after using the O2 I would feel great getting out of the plane. Now any flights over 2 hours and over 6000' I will pump a bit of O2 cuz I now have it available...just feel that much better when I land.

Time in the plane is not the issue for me...did 22 hours in 2.5 days at 3500-5500' and was great. Altitude is what makes me not feel great. Sucking O2 I feel 100%.
 
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Longest leg I've ever done in an airplane was 6.5 hours in an '86 Cessna 182. Weather was decent, but it was hot, bumpy, and I didn't have an autopilot. I was young and invincible in those days - I think my tolerance for that kind of BS went way down as I got older.
 
For me it depends a lot on the airplane. I can fly the Baron 10-12 hrs in a day and not be worn out.....unless maybe it is CAVU/hot and sunny the whole day, then that saps you s bit with the big windows.

On their hand hand, 4-5 hours in the Waco really does wear you down.
 
Yep. Things like vibration, noise and workload can add to the real hours involved creating a much more fatiguing flight.
 
When I was young(er) and stupid(er) I once flew a Grumman Cheetah from Minneapolis MN (KFCM) to Vancouver WA (KVUO) in one day -- 14.6 tach hours, with stops at Jamestown ND, Glasgow MT, Kalispell MT and Pasco WA. No autopilot.

With the headwind that made for about a 90-knot average groundspeed.

Not recommended. :no:
 
I once flew a 90-minute round-trip to an airshow immediately followed by a quick 4-hour round-trip mission to BFE over no-man's land. The return trip was at night with not much of a horizon so it was a great sim-IMC experience (with nice moon, though, so not unsafe for the naysayers out there). All hand-flown, no A/P. Afterwards, I felt a little mentally drained, however not exactly exhausted. I am sure I felt that way partly because I was all alone in the cockpit with nobody to talk to (except for the occasional Center or Approach handoff on FF).

Everybody has their limit, find yours and make sure you don't exceed it. Fatigue is a killer.
 
I've done 7 to 8 in a day with autopilot and I was not exhausted but I was sure sick of having my butt in the seat. Having flown with and without autopilot, I'll say an ap is now on my list of musts for long XCs and IFR.
 
Similar to Mcfly I flew a 10.5 in OEF in a 64D. I had to practically roll out of the cockpit. 5 hours is probably when I start to get cranky in the 64D and in my Arrow I haven't hit that limit yet with a couple 8 hour days...
 
Shawn said:
What altitude were you flying? I routinely fly 2-3 hour XC missions anywhere from 6000'-10000' and would find myself a bit tired and irritable for the rest of the day...just like you, a double latte would not help. I was not so much fatigued but just a bit off.

I got a portable O2 system so I could go higher and faster up in the teens...well, even at 8000' after using the O2 I would feel great getting out of the plane. Now any flights over 2 hours and over 6000' I will pump a bit of O2 cuz I now have it available...just feel that much better when I land.

Time in the plane is not the issue for me...did 22 hours in 2.5 days at 3500-5500' and was great. Altitude is what makes me not feel great. Sucking O2 I feel 100%.
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I was at 7500 on the longest and last leg. Irritable and "just off" is a better way to describe it. After landing I cleaned out the airplane, wife drove home, we ate quick and crappy dinner, I had a beer and went to bed.

My eyes are itchy today, I think from being back here with the stuff that gets my allergies going and I often confuse that for being tired. My wife is fine but then again she spent most of the ride sleeping, reading books or playing games on her ipad.
 
ettsn said:
Just a gentle reminder to consider IMSAFE when you're flying. Studies have shown driving tired (http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/30/us-drunken-drivers-idUSBRE84T14W20120530) is remarkably close to driving drunk, and we all adhere to the 8-hour bottle-to-throttle rule, right?
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Amen to that!

Recently I flew 16 hours total in one day ... on a 737, 767, 320 and ATR72 etc. Thank god I didn't have to act as PIC! :) My butt sure was sore for at least a day after. Transatlantic flights are hard on me.
 
It's easy to get dehydrated too, which makes you more tired (see e.g., this). I carry a bottle on any flights over an hour. A quick drink about 15-20 mins out from the destination can perk me up for the approach.
 
Pilawt said:
When I was young(er) and stupid(er) I once flew a Grumman Cheetah from Minneapolis MN (KFCM) to Vancouver WA (KVUO) in one day -- 14.6 tach hours, with stops at Jamestown ND, Glasgow MT, Kalispell MT and Pasco WA. No autopilot.

With the headwind that made for about a 90-knot average groundspeed.

Not recommended. :no:
Click to expand...

I did the same thing going the opposite direction, from Idaho Falls, Idaho to KFCM. 1979 Piper Archer II, no autopilot, bumpy headwinds the whole way. Took me a full day. Loved it then (I was 35). Now, at 51, not so much.
 
I took the RV from Atlanta to Dallas and back after work a few weeks ago. It was about 7 hours with a 15 minute turnaround. That was plenty. I've done Atlanta - Minnapolis in the summer before complete with thunderstorms all around for much of the route. That was the most exhausting trip to date.
 
I had flew non autopilot caravans 1000hrs a year, often hot fueled and prop turning nearly 8hrs non stop, I loved it.

Now days I do less than 20% of that, I'm good ether way. I get more annoyed when I don't fly.
 
For long distance trips, I'm talking Alaska and back. Two 3 to 3.5 hr legs per day is enough. We are not in a rush on those trips. Enjoy a nice dinner and evening and not rushed to get started at first light in the morning.

As for fatigue, what altitude where you at? Higher altitudes will dehydrate you faster, and even at 10K MSL, stay there long enough and you'll feel tired.
 
Our longest flight in one day was 7.5 hours in a C172 with G1000. We flew a very intersting route (Fullerton, crossing LAX via Mini-route :D, gas stop at half Moon Bay, flying over the Golden Gate Bridge :D and back to Palm Springs via the inland route) and used the autopilot, so no big deal.
Our first Xcountry after we got our PPLs was from Florida (St Augustine) to New York City and back to Florida was nearly 16 hours in 2.5 days including a lunch break at First Flight Airport... :D That was with a C172. Generally we don't mind long legs while flying...
When we flew our lady from Florida to Detroit with no autopilot, we flew 5.5 hours on day one and two each. I guess that we are two pilots helps a lot and we share the workload in the cockpit - even though Oliver complains I give him flight lessons... :lol:

While we generally don't mind long legs, I think, getting ready and alert for the landing is the hardest thing after long flight...
 
Depends a lot on the type of flying but generally speaking anything over about 10 hrs actual flight time is a long day. ----IMO
 
14 hour days flying 8 hours and loading/unloading 1,000 pounds at a time is both physically and mentally exhausting. I really wish the single-pilot duty day was only 12 hours.
 
I treat flying like I treat road trips: it's about the fun, not the endurance. I don't want to be cooped up for more than 5 hours, and even that is pushing it. For longer than 3 hours I keep a supply of beef jerky and Gatorade on hand.
 
Did several eight hour days,flight time,in a row,was too much.
 
The one and only time I felt I had a bit too much flying was a flight from lower Florida to mid Michigan in the Apache, solid IMC and moderate chop all the way and no autopilot. I was really really thankful to get out of that seat. My eyes hurt, there was a giant steel C-clamp across my temples, and my legs/butt just plain ached. Don't think I am ever doing that again. Maybe being in my late 60's at the time had an effect also. Yes Virginia, you can get too much of a good thing.
 
When I first bought my Cirrus I flew that thing every day it seemed. Longest day was 12 hours of flight.. 380 the first year of ownership.

It does get exhausting. But it's so damn fun.. We flew last night till 930 at night or so - then hung out at the hangar till 11.. by the time you get in bed it's midnight or so - and up already thinking about when I fly next..

I think we're addicted....
 
gitmo234 said:
How much is too much?

So I fly a '56 Cessna without an autopilot. Thursday I flew just over 8 hours to Jekyll Island, yesterday I flew close to 6 coming home. Longest leg on both of these (and the final leg) was 3.5 hours

It wasnt that bad after 8 hours, today is different. I'm exhausted to the point where my mood is effected and caffeine isnt helping.

Have you ever experienced this? Is so, how much is too much for you?
Click to expand...

IMHO, at this point it would be time to ground yourself.

I have never spent more than five hours in the saddle in the same day. After five hours of flying, I'm pretty much ready to get some rest. I too hand fly.

My $0.02,
 
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