How Do You Keep From Falling Asleep?

[KeroseneSnorter]

One humongous cup of coffee!!! I'm not talking about your wussy little driving mugs....the thing I used to tote in the freight days was only a few steps smaller than a pony keg!!

mmmmmmmmm Java..........

Even now, long past the freight puppy days, I still enjoy a cup of coffee strong enough to strip paint. Prior to freight, I really didn't care for a cup of joe too much.

The best containers are those high end stainless steel thermosessesse...s..es..(however those things are spelled). A good one can keep some joe hot for 24 hours or better.

The high end containers serve two purposes....One to hold your coffee....the second is an instant pick you up if the coffee isn't working from the inside, it stays hot enough to dump in your crotch....which results in a instant eye opening experience that will allow a nice awake and precise ILS at four in the morning.

NOTE: Some sexual side effects of the scalding may result for the next few days!!!

 

[wings421]

Chewing sunflower seeds is the best thing that I have found. Can't fall asleep doing that.

I've heard rumors of people that fill their aux tanks with just enough fuel so that when they run out of gas, they are about 50 miles from their destination, just in case they fall asleep. I guess that they think that dead engines are good alarm clocks. Again, just a story I've heard.

I'd opt for the sunflower seeds myself.

 

[JediNein]

Just flew with a freight pilot . . .

How did I know he was freight? He gave me the leg, was falling asleep. He dozed off. Thirty minutes later we're descending into clouds and start picking up some light turbulence. Then, two sharp bumps, he's wide awake, 'Let me have it!" And he's in his element, flying beautifully, airplane and contents tossed every which way, through the clouds, on the approach, and we break out. No more clouds. It's my airplane again and he sleeps through the landing.

I tend to borrow someone's GPS gadget and write a book on it in cruise. If one is not available, I'll fix a laptop computer problem. In desperate times, I have a large cache of flightinfo on my HDD, so I'll type out a response to post on return. Then there's always trashy romance novels. . .

Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein

 

[BubbRubb]

Maxim, Stuff, or FHM very stimulating. Take turns napping.

 

[User546]

Did everyone fall to sleep??

 

[Wankel7]

When you are reallly tired ask for a big 'ol block altitude Makes it a little easier.

Yeah, I listen to the good 'ol XM to keep me up. That comedy chan. rocks!

Sometimes I go in the back and run around. That helps sometimes.

Wankel

 

[coonass one]

How do I keep from falling asleep?

I don't, my co-pilot that sleeps all the time does!

BTW, the brokezillia can be flown single pilot just fine!!

 

[Clyde]

After several years of flying freight, your body becomes immune to sleep under the right conditions.

 

[BornAgainPagan]

fart wars with your crew and the would you rather game

Why would you have to try and stay awake if there is another pilot? Come to think of it, I do remember alternating zzz's with another pilot only to wake up and find him dozing too!

In my single pilot days, I chewed big red gum mixed with whole coffee beans. You get the caffiene with out having to drink so much thus you don't have to pee every hour. The gum keeps the coffee bean fragments in your mouth longer. If the steady dose of caffiene doesn't keep you awake, the taste will!

 

[Creamer]

First of all I program a holding pattern in the FMS over my destination so when I run out of gas at least there is an emergency field right under me.

I also drink lots of water so I have to pee so bad I couldn't possibly fall asleep.

 

[I'm42]

I wake up no more than a couple of hours before my flight. I take a multi-vitamin just before I leave for the airport. When I have a longer layover, I'll take a 30 minute nap if I had a hard time sleeping the day before. After finishing in the morning, I work out at the gym. I try to stay up for a couple of hours after that.

This has REALLY helped me out when there have been long weather delays in the morning that end in a windy, turbulent, down to minimums approach.

Of course, this really sucks for the social life -- the foil on the windows of my bedroom doesn't help with that either.

 

[fokkers&beer]

PORN, and lots of it.

 

[JediNein]

For sleeping:
Warm Window is $20 a yard and keeps the wives happier than just foil. It also keeps in/out the heat and cold as appropriate.

An air filter running on 'low' drowns out the sirens, traffic, screams, and normal gunfire that is part of living in the big city's low rent district.

A pair of wire clippers to disable the door-bell, sharpie and paper for the 'death to all that knock here' sign, and a set of foam ear-plugs further improve conditions.

Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein

 

[UGAflyer]

funny story

story is funnier if you know the guy, old guy at the airport that used to fly freight in either a 310 of navajo, we're not sure...the story starts, "and when i woke up," so you know it's a good story..."and when i woke up, i looked down between the nacelle and the nose and i saw the moon. i rolled the airplane and sh!t starts fallin up from the floor. i realized what i had done and rolled it back over.."
(question asked) well how'd that happen....old pilot: "well i was in the babuda(as he called it) triangle...or maybe it was alabama??"
what a guy...

 

[Nolife]

Sleepy time

It was the last leg of my normal run and the sun was coming up. Nothing I did to stay awake was working that morning so I opened the window of my C210 and stuck my head out to get a blast of air. Spring time at 6000 feet over lake Okeechobee. It was great until a dragon fly hit my forehead at 160 knots. That woke me up and left a nice mark.

 

[goatrope]

I smoke crack.

 

[kevdog]

I smoke crack.

I hope that's good crack!

 

[FearlessFreep]

Some of these stories remind me of some things I would do while flying a long late night route.

Snacks

Talk to the dispatcher on company frequency when flying past the base

Listening to AM Radio on the ADF - See what is the most distant station you can receive.

Staying hydrated - with the accompanying need to un-hydrate. Nothing like a burning urge to help you stay awake.

When all else fails - Scallions (Green Onions) & Altoids: That will keep you awake - at least for a little bit.

 

[Jurassic Jet]

Chewing sunflower seeds is the best thing that I have found. Can't fall asleep doing that.

This always works for me!

 

[Fins Up]

Another vote here for sunflower seeds. Very important: Either spit out the shells or chew them up really good. You'll pay later otherwise.