Originally Posted by ShyGuy

JungleBus, come on, that's not what I meant. It's the construction of the article itself. On one hand you are talking about the AP doing a better job than you can, and how it's an artistic license etc. But you have to realize even certain Private pilots think we are nothing but prima donnas who just sit there like monkeys. Your comment just reinforces that idea for them. Then you turn around and say you have to keep yourself entertained in flight by doing something, and not reading the FOM. Well maybe you can't be honest because your name is attached to the article. But lets be honest. At some point on a 4-day trip, with long flights (3+ hrs), who doesn't: take out a book, or the newspaper, or an IPad, or a laptop, or something designed to pass time on long flights? I think you'd be lying to yourself if you said this doesn't happen. I'd venture to say this happens a majority of the time in some way/shape/form. I guess an Atlas passes time, so maybe you do pass on those things but at some point on a 3+ hr flight, some "non-flight" material is going to come out. The NWA SAN-MSP flight reference could have done without. I still think this article would have done better with a true 'day in the life' where you describe a typical day, duties, etc. After all, most private pilots don't know those minute details and would find it interesting (and not boring as you imagined, I know when I was a PPL I loved reading pilot trip reports/day in the life stuff). Minus the AP comments and "lack" of reading material comments, this article would suffice too.