How do pilots use the watch

[NenoS]

Just found this article.
aviationsquad.com/how-do-pilots-use-a-watch/
Comments appreciated

[soapy]

comments

1, very interesting thanks for posting

2, you live in the home of pivo?

[NenoS]

comments

1, very interesting thanks for posting

2, you live in the home of pivo?

Add 2, yes I do

[GrandS]

They don't all have huge IWC watches that they constantly stare at??? Someone tell IWC!

[workahol]

I fly light aircraft, sometimes as part of my job, so I suppose I might be semi qualified to comment.

Aside from telling time in the normal fashion, I'll use a chronograph to time the duration of the flight, if I happen to be wearing a chrono that day. I also routinely use my wristwatch to time intervals between switching fuel tanks. In many aircraft, you must periodically change which tank is feeding the engine, in order to keep the aircraft laterally balanced and to avoid having things go quiet unexpectedly if you run a tank dry. Different pilots have different methods, but for me the easiest way is to simply remember: minute hand on left side, use left tank / minute hand on right side, use right tank. (plus some exceptions for selecting the initial tank for takeoff, which I won't bother with here) That gives you a tank switch every half-hour, which is a good interval for most aircraft.

I was once flying with another pilot who, after noticing me looking at my watch every five or ten minutes, asked "What, have you got a date?" But after I explained how I use the minute hand, he admitted it was a good memory aid!

By the way, while I'm on the subject... since I work in the aviation industry and I interact with many pilots, both professional and otherwise, I tend to notice what they've got on their wrists. I can report that the most common "nice" watches I see pilots wearing are, in order of frequency: Sub Date, GMT Master, and occasionally a Speedmaster or Navitmer. Plus a lot of quartz things and G-Shocks.

[FellBasher]

Have to echo much of the above.

As a novice pilot (PPL(A)) my watch is used for total flight time and for knowing when to switch between fuel tanks. It's also important (for me at least) to have a clear, uncluttered dial with minute markers as this, along with your known speed, helps in navigation. Can't think of anything worse on the wrist than the example in the link. Not even sure if it's write up is genuine? My old instructor used a Sub date but most of the other GA pilots I've seen use a basic Quartz.

[sweets]

I just hate articles where the writer uses the word chronometer when they mean chronograph.
If it is an article about watches, GET IT RIGHT.
D

[Dave+63]

I fly light aircraft, sometimes as part of my job, so I suppose I might be semi qualified to comment.

Aside from telling time in the normal fashion, I'll use a chronograph to time the duration of the flight, if I happen to be wearing a chrono that day. I also routinely use my wristwatch to time intervals between switching fuel tanks. In many aircraft, you must periodically change which tank is feeding the engine, in order to keep the aircraft laterally balanced and to avoid having things go quiet unexpectedly if you run a tank dry. Different pilots have different methods, but for me the easiest way is to simply remember: minute hand on left side, use left tank / minute hand on right side, use right tank. (plus some exceptions for selecting the initial tank for takeoff, which I won't bother with here) That gives you a tank switch every half-hour, which is a good interval for most aircraft.

I'm reminded of a thread sometime ago discussing why Rolex made the original Pepsi bezel for the GMT. Perhaps we have found the reason here?

[bigbaddes]

a bit like divers and their watches then ...

[cnjm1]

I am a professional pilot and everything is off GPS time from the nav kit.

[P9CLY]

Very simple answer,they might wear one,but don't use the functions.
Totally impractical to use,and when I was flying I used an electronic whizz wheel for all my calculations.

Just sales crap from the watchmakers.

[sean]

Very simple answer,they might wear one,but don't use the functions.
Totally impractical to use,and when I was flying I used an electronic whizz wheel for all my calculations.

Huh?

I fly light aircraft, sometimes as part of my job... I'll use a chronograph to time the duration of the flight... I also routinely use my wristwatch to time intervals between switching fuel tanks.

As a novice pilot (PPL(A)) my watch is used for total flight time and for knowing when to switch between fuel tanks. It's also important (for me at least) to have a clear, uncluttered dial with minute markers as this, along with your known speed, helps in navigation.

[relaxer7]

I fly light aircraft, sometimes as part of my job, so I suppose I might be semi qualified to comment.

Aside from telling time in the normal fashion, I'll use a chronograph to time the duration of the flight, if I happen to be wearing a chrono that day. I also routinely use my wristwatch to time intervals between switching fuel tanks. In many aircraft, you must periodically change which tank is feeding the engine, in order to keep the aircraft laterally balanced and to avoid having things go quiet unexpectedly if you run a tank dry. Different pilots have different methods, but for me the easiest way is to simply remember: minute hand on left side, use left tank / minute hand on right side, use right tank. (plus some exceptions for selecting the initial tank for takeoff, which I won't bother with here) That gives you a tank switch every half-hour, which is a good interval for most aircraft.

I was once flying with another pilot who, after noticing me looking at my watch every five or ten minutes, asked "What, have you got a date?" But after I explained how I use the minute hand, he admitted it was a good memory aid!

By the way, while I'm on the subject... since I work in the aviation industry and I interact with many pilots, both professional and otherwise, I tend to notice what they've got on their wrists. I can report that the most common "nice" watches I see pilots wearing are, in order of frequency: Sub Date, GMT Master, and occasionally a Speedmaster or Navitmer. Plus a lot of quartz things and G-Shocks.

What! No Brietlings

- - - Updated - - -

I fly light aircraft, sometimes as part of my job, so I suppose I might be semi qualified to comment.

Aside from telling time in the normal fashion, I'll use a chronograph to time the duration of the flight, if I happen to be wearing a chrono that day. I also routinely use my wristwatch to time intervals between switching fuel tanks. In many aircraft, you must periodically change which tank is feeding the engine, in order to keep the aircraft laterally balanced and to avoid having things go quiet unexpectedly if you run a tank dry. Different pilots have different methods, but for me the easiest way is to simply remember: minute hand on left side, use left tank / minute hand on right side, use right tank. (plus some exceptions for selecting the initial tank for takeoff, which I won't bother with here) That gives you a tank switch every half-hour, which is a good interval for most aircraft.

I was once flying with another pilot who, after noticing me looking at my watch every five or ten minutes, asked "What, have you got a date?" But after I explained how I use the minute hand, he admitted it was a good memory aid!

By the way, while I'm on the subject... since I work in the aviation industry and I interact with many pilots, both professional and otherwise, I tend to notice what they've got on their wrists. I can report that the most common "nice" watches I see pilots wearing are, in order of frequency: Sub Date, GMT Master, and occasionally a Speedmaster or Navitmer. Plus a lot of quartz things and G-Shocks.

What! No Brietlings

[P9CLY]

Huh?

Pilot watches

Hi

An electronic "Whizz wheel" is the term used for a device which computes Pilots calculations,otherwise known as an E6B.

hope this helps huh?.

ps prior to the electronic whizz wheel it was a slide rule device,which is where the term whizz wheel came from,and still used in the exams I believe.

[workahol]

I can report that the most common "nice" watches I see pilots wearing are, in order of frequency: Sub Date, GMT Master, and occasionally a Speedmaster or Navitmer.

What! No Brietlings :

Breitling Navitimers, indeed, but don't believe I've yet encountered a "Brietling".

[Chris_in_the_UK]

Just because a manufacturer markets a watch as a 'pilots watch' does not make it one nor does it necessarily have the correct requirements for pilots.

[Dave+63]

Just because a manufacturer markets a watch as a 'pilots watch' does not make it one.

Unless they've given or sold one to a pilot!

[paskinner]

Unless they've given or sold one to a pilot!

So, if a Doctor buys a watch is that a 'Doctors' watch? Actually, the original Rolex Prince was known as a Doctors watch because the second hand could be easily used for timing the pulse.
I think that all these terms are now just forms of marketing. My Sea Dweller never goes near the sea....it would get all wet and salty. We don't want that.