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There’s an old saying about flying that goes something like this, “Flying is hours of boredom bookended by minutes of terror”, which highlights the fact that your departure and arrival are both critical phases of flight while cruise on the other hand is, well, your moment of zen.
Departure and arrival are both critical phases of flight while cruise on the other hand is your moment of zen.
Now, obviously, like with all proverbs, there is a grain of truth behind it: cruise, certainly from a workload standpoint, is the calm before the storm (STAR?). This is especially true after a high workload takeoff in IMC or just really busy airspace, where as soon as you defy gravity, you’re pushing and pulling lots of colored levels, mashing a myriad array of different sized buttons, while all simultaneously bantering with ATC throughout the process.
Cruise, not so much—you’re being handed off from one sector to the next, plugging in a new altimeter along the way (hopefully). Maybe you’ve also remembered to monitor guard just in case someone needs assistance, or you simply enjoy the sound of cats meowing. Either way, it’s pretty boring up there.
In fact, I’ll wager that if you fly exclusively single-engine pistons like I do, your POH’s cruise checklist probably has three, maybe four bullet items, max. The majority of which you’ve probably completed by the time you reach altitude anyway.
However, there seems to be a few missing bullet items on every cruise checklist I’ve come across. If I were writing the POH today, especially for single-engine pistons, the list would have these two additional line-items on them (probably in bold):
- Continuously monitor engine gauges like a hawk
- Continuously evaluate potential emergency landing sites in case the oven quits
Well, maybe not exactly written that way. But you get the idea.
Ironically, these two line-items are probably the most important things you can do while in cruise outside of complying with ATC instructions and checking on your PAX, yet I can’t say I was ever formerly taught how to do them.
To be fair, monitoring your engine gauges is sort of a systems-level skill which is part of every primary curriculum. But most of the focus is on takeoff; hopefully, you’ve been taught to stare at the gauges when you line up on the runway in case you must abort because one of them doesn’t look right (oh, and hopefully you have some semblance of an abort point too). Yet just because your engine is acting normally on takeoff doesn’t guarantee it will in flight, right? Seems obvious, yet we all take it for granted.
Just because your engine is acting normally on takeoff doesn’t guarantee it will in flight, right?
In terms of off-field landings, I know we all practice them in some form or fashion throughout our training, but how much is taught on how to pick a good landing spot in the first place? This can be a life-or-death decision you might have to make if the improbable happens. And when are you going to make this decision most likely? Hopefully, cruise.
What’s fascinating to me is that the above items are interrelated too—if you notice your oil temperature rising and/or your oil pressure dropping, and you’ve been constantly scouring the ground for off-field landing sites, you’re way ahead of the game compared to the pilot who must scramble to find that field again.
And I’m also pretty sure if you stare at your engine gauges long enough, you’ll make TBO—even past it. Ok, maybe it doesn’t exactly work that way, but I do know if you mind your engine temps during climbs and descents and learn how to use that red knob effectively in cruise, your engine will definitely be happier.
What’s certainly more concerting is this undercurrent of once-you-make-your-cruise-altitude-your-done mentality online—many of the social media flights I’ve seen has the pilot talking to the camera explaining in gory details of what he or she is going to do to prepare for arrival. My only question is where is he or she going to land—right now?
When I think about it some more, in addition to the POH, I’d also like to modify that famous aeronautical proverb above too: “Flying is hours of concern bookended by minutes of anxiety.” Your nautical miles may vary.
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You are right on about the engine gauges. Both in the USAF as a back seater on 60’s era aircraft and zs a flight mechanic on WWII aircraft (b17, b25, t6,etc.) My main purpose on board was to keep an eye o. The panel gauges
You are right on about the engine gauges. Both in the USAF as a back seater on 60’s era aircraft and as a flight mechanic on WWII aircraft (b17, b25, t6,etc.) My main purpose on board was to keep an eye on the panel and theother on any traffic. Loved it!
I have a ‘climb/cruise’ check list that starts at the beginning of my takeoff roll and continues into cruise. It actually has 11 items. Of course, I’m a little OCD but more just want to remind myself of what I need to do. It is part of my constantly evolving check list system that stays on my knee board. It’s 3 pages total……
CLIMB/CRUISE
1: (good engine call-out): 1)FUEL PRESSURE; 2)RPM; 3)OIL PRESSURE; 4)OIL TEMP; 5)VOLTS
2: Flaps: retracted
3: Best Rate: 105-100; Best Angle: 85-90
4: Boost pump: off at cruise
5: Traffic; Altitude; Towers; Class B airspace
6: CHT/EGT/fuel pressure/Oil temp: monitor
7: Mixture/EGT: adjust for altitude and temps
8: Radios: Com: frequencies set; TPX: 1200 or as called
9: GPS: on course
10: Lights: Recognition: on/off; nav: on; strobes: on
11: Oxygen: flowing (when I am using the O2 system
That has been my standard “cruise” checklist for years. I have added and subtracted things to meet the current situations. The O2 was a recent addition as I have installed an O2 system for flying Mountains, which are immediately to my West! I like having a reminder system. I know most things by memory but still good to have the list. Ask me how many times I have noticed the fuel pump is still on…. When I have a passenger, I let them call-and-respond the lists, so it makes them feel like part of the crew!
I have Beechcraft Sierra i bought in 2022.
I flew to oshkosh in 2024 VFR with pilot Friend fir the first time . I was on the alert constantly for a landing spot just incase of engine failure . During my training i was told to always look for a landing spot . I wish more pilots know exactly where they are in flight. Its important to know what’s behind and what’s ahead .
A lot of newer pilots focus on their videos.
As a matter of fact i have never done a video or listenTo music . I feel its important to listen to the sound of the engine in flight . I recently got a Clark noise cancelling headset fir the first time – and it is great , but i felt i need to hear the actual sound of the engine in flight . I did not use the noise cancelling feature .
Do you have an engine monitor? Any noise you hear would most likely be detected first (or even before you hear anything) by your EMS.
My instructor always taught that “if you’re not always doing something, you’re doing something wrong”. For cruse, that means frequent panel scan, traffic scan, Wx scan, nearly continuous positional/landing site awareness, and pre-arrival briefing/prep.
Great instructor!
Luckily the only in flight failures I have had were either close to the airport, or non essential.
The alternator dying, well, that was an issue. Especially flying a retractable. Close to home, and I returned.
The cable supplying the tachometer, that snapped on me outbound to Colorado. No tachometer. Yes, it scared me. But all of the other instruments read normally. So I pressed on.
It pays to monitor ones Guage. Some are put the aircraft down now, others can be fixed later.
Cruise normally falls into two categories for me: with or without flight following. I add two items to both: monitoring my adsb-in screen and continuous ‘figure 8 scan’ of internal and external to include looking for traffic outside and eyeballing my PFD and MFD info.
When on a flight following course, ensuring I have my log sheet ready to write down any ATC instructions or center handoffs.
What’s important is remembering there is nothing passive about cruise flying. Yes, the busy stuff for takeoff to cruise and cruise to landing gets a lot of attention, but the part in the middle is just as important.
I’m enjoying the cruise, not staring at gauges. I’m not paranoid. If I get a warning, or I notice something abnormal, I’ll deal with it. I’ve got engine monitors and a co pilot and I’ll let them worry.
If you want to learn how to do power off landings and evaluate off field landing sites, learn to fly gliders. It is also a lot of fun and will boost your confidence.