BoulderHyattHopper

Does anyone know how to play (and I play to WIN!) this game correctly???

Ocn Vw 1K

I won a few times (but have also lost) and now don't play because my ATC/aviation knowledge might not be fair against other competitors. But there is a challenge with factoring in the wind speed. It's helped if ch.9 is on, for I might learn our estimate for the first waypoint and certainly will know our route. But there's no stock answer from flight-to-flight. All dependent on speed, headwind, etc. variables. Good luck.

*HighFlyah*

But now, Airshow shows "distance flown" and "distance remaining" too....! Doesn't that make the game silly?

------------------
When once you have experienced being a 1K, you will forever fly the friendly skies with your eyes set on 100% mileage bonus and SWUs, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return, every year!

Frequent Freak

Not on the crappy 2-class 777s which don't have the maps.

aisleorwindow

Ok I'll bite. what is this game? Just curious

BoulderHyattHopper

Basically on flights from the "mainland" to Hawaii, the FA's are usually in a pretty fun mood, knowing most customers are on holiday. They play this game where you guess what would be the time (usually in mainland time) that you will be exactly half way across the ocean to the Hawaiian destination. Obviously you have to factor in windspeed, tail wind, blah, blah... All the technical stuff I don't know how to calculate!

They announce the winner right before landing and you get a bottle of bubbly.

Also if you are on your honeymoon, they will give a bottle as well (maybe only in F?)

As far as triple 7's ... the 3 class to Asia / Europe do have the maps.

We are on a 757 both ways, so maps not a factor.

UNITED959

I can't recall the last flight I've been on in which the Captain/FO did not announce the flying time to the destination. Take note of the time when this is announced and do the math.

BoulderHyattHopper

United959...I don't know if they tell you that before you turn in your guess on these Hawaii flights.

Does anyone know how to factor in the wind speed?

PremEx

Paging cesco.g, who if I recall, once posted the exact "formula" for taking into account head/tail winds, speed, distance, etc, etc.

(And who won within 23 seconds of actual time on the Party In Paradise Express flight.)

[This message has been edited by PremEx (edited 09-23-2002).]

ME1st

At some point fairly early in the flight the Captain will tell you information regarding the flight - some useful some useless. I won this twice last year thank you very much (blantant gloating)!!

I think I remember it as follows:

This includes:
Knots per hour for the 1st 1/2 of the flight
Knots per hour for the 2nd 1/2 of the flight
Head wind or tailwind speed
Wheels up time
Altitude flying

I believe this is correct. Anyone clarify or confirm?

rockdoc

I once posted the magic formula in this forum. I know it works as I have won the contest in each of my trips to the islands - the last time I had it down to the second! The crew was so impressed I got two bottles of champagne.

However, not wanting to give away the house too easily I will not divulge the secret here. You are going to need to warm up that search function folks.

PS - it helps to have a calculator

annabanana

[QUOTE]Originally posted by BoulderHyattHopper:

They announce the winner right before landing and you get a bottle of bubbly.

And on the 4 flights I have been on, there are usually between 5-10 winners!

UNITED959

Head wind affects the speed of the aircraft. Turbulence sometimes forces pilots to slow down a bit. Not to be insulting to any person's intelligence, but these variables (and others) can vary from the time of takeoff until the mystical half-way point is reached. Furthermore, with that in mind, the pilots themselves do not know precisely when they will reach the half-way point. That said, the passenger's guesses exactly that--guesses. Of course, there are tips and tricks one can make to arrive at a better idea, but there is no "sure thing" formula that will guarantee a winner. It can be 10 minutes between your house and the nearest grocery store, but if a freight train stops you for 5 minutes, the trip time is now 15 minutes.

Perhaps paying close attention to the weather over the Pacific the night before flying to see what the winds are doing will help you in making a more generous or conservative guess. The pilot's information will certainly help, and I second rockdoc's suggestion of using a calculator.

BoulderHyattHopper

I have to admit, tried the search function (not in archives, so I will try that next...)

Can I please BOW to all of you... Within 1 second??? I bet there are captains that cannot do that!

I knew I should have taken those aeronautical engineering courses at Purdue...

squeakr

We also got some info about weather from our pilot ....but I still lost...