What to do on an 8 hour plane trip?

I read mostly. Switch back and forth between listening to music and reading. You must have interesting papers to read.

 

MOVIES! Depending on the plane, you may have access to a power port for laptops. You can [or could] also rent DVD players and DVDs at most major airports.

I can't sleep on planes either.

 

You going to Florida? My friend was always going to some weird town in Florida for conferences.

 

Yes you're right there! The flight is part of the journey!


Do they not have video games in the screen in front of you?

 

Read. Good books are always nice to have in long hours in planes and trains. You can drink your last 2h so you arrive happy to the destination

 

Join the mile high club?

 

Try flying the airplane, it's a blast.

 

One two, amazing story to tell your friends.

 

Ask yourself, what would you do if you were stuck on that plane for the rest of your life?

 

At the same time.

 

Start writing your autobiography

 

1. Play with the buttons
2. Play with the TV
3. Watch the sky
..

 

Ohh man I can find a way to waste 16 hours at work. Where do I begin.. watch your favorite TV shows, listen to music, read a book, scan the airwaves for any broadcasts (my ham radio is super small and lightweight - Yaesu VX-2R) you can listen to the pilot transmissions (being the first to know you all going to die could come in handy when you rushing towards the parachute you stored in your bags), eat and drink (you'd be surprised how fast time flies when you on alcohol and having fun), then try to get online - you can bounce a signal off an amateur EchoLink server and get online for freeee, post on PF!

Well if all else fails I suppose you can try human contact :uhh:

Then there is sleeping. You can pack some melatonin pills and Phenibut and if you time them right you would be knocked out for 8 hours easily.

 

Bring healthy snacks, a good book , a trip journal, and your ipod . Read for a hour, get up and stretch, have a snack, listen to a few songs, start making notes in the journal.....repeat until landing.

 

Check.

 

That's why I have my Kindle! The battery life is really long.

My laptop battery seems to be having problems though...only holds a charge for 2 hours now...I need to check if it's still under warranty to get it replaced, but that won't be in time for the trip...hopefully the flight will have a plug...I was really annoyed when I headed to Mozambique and discovered once on the plane that only "selected" seats had outlets for laptops...the "selected" ones being first and business class. :grumpy:

I can't sleep on planes either, so I'm planning on tossing on my bathing suit, slathering on the sunblock, and napping for a few hours by the pool before we do anything else.

 

So.. much.. information.. to process..


*passes out*

 

Earn a new skill... grandma

 

Reading is good, but can get tedious if the story gets slow. One thing I often did was dig my Franklin Day-Planner out of the carry-on, and look at my future calendar and make notes regarding preparations for future trips and meetings. Dig up tasks that I had not completed (or not completed to my own satisfaction) and carry them forward. I used my planner for personal stuff, as well, so I'd make reminders to get in touch with people I hadn't talked to in a while, or pick up something for my wife when I was roaming around my destination city. It's surprising how much stuff you can get done when you have planned properly and have mapped out your intent and future actions.

Also, if you don't use a planner, but can make a journal of the trip, jot down the things that were nice, things that were inconvenient, things that you wished you had brought along, etc. That might make your next trip (of even your return trip) a bit less stressful. If you ever have your ears pop when cabin pressure changes, it might be nice to have some chewing gum handy for initial ascent and for landing. If that handsome guy next to you strikes up a conversation and he has a bit of halitosis, it would be really nice to have a package of strong mints in your purse, so you can offer him one. I once had a boss who always said, when someone offers you a mint, TAKE IT. We were in sales and flew a lot.

 

They won't let you take knitting needles on a commercial flight, unless they are in checked luggage. At least that was my aunt's experience on her winter jaunts to Myrtle Beach.

 

That's what I like about my Kindle. (Or any e-book reader.) I can load it up with LOTS of books. If I don't like the one I started with, I can go read another without lugging around a pile of books.

They've relaxed those rules again. You can take your knitting needles onto a flight now. I guess someone finally figured out that knitting needles really aren't all that sharp.