How Do You Keep From Falling 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.