Jared_Maurtua wrote on May 20^th, 2012 at 3:02am:
It allows you to leave your flightin progress (like if you need to go to bed), and when you come back, the Flight Simulator is paused (often 10-20nm before the TOD) and allowing you to prepare and continue the rest of your flight. Captain Sim don't have this feature on any of their aircraft for FSX (I don't know about their FS9 aircraft as I never bought any), but many have asked for it.

Hope that helps explain it.

Mark

CoolP:

Your points, of course, are well-taken... ...

In my experience, even though I press the attendant button (of the most sophisticated voice-activated multi-crew experience expansion packs available these days), no dinner materializes from the galley (although voice-confirmed promises are made).

In fact, your 3rd possibility overrides... ...

More seriously, I did look for a PTD utility once when I forgot to pause my (LNAV+VNAV) active long-haul flight (on my arm-chair, mind you). When I returned a couple of hours later, the (gear-less) aircraft was found stuck to the ground in the vicinity of the DEST airport. I can only imagine the last few minutes(?) of the flight while the plane gallantly must have tried to follow the FMC instructions to reach its intended STAR and ILS RWY!

BTW, some like-minded virtual flyer had created an utility (aptly called "iwillbeback.zip") on avsim:

http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?DLID=24428&Name=&FileName=&Author=&CatID=ro...

However, this being dated back to 2002 (and for FS2002), I've not tried it....

windycityflyer, pressing the flight attendant button in the real aircraft produced the same results.  

Often times, my wife brings me a "crew meal" consisting of healthy stuff like fruit or the like. One time I even got a dish of ice cream!  

My PWB (pause whenever button) always works with all aircraft and situations, even Captain Sim planes!  



In the past one of the real flights I flew was New York to Cairo or Tel Aviv which is a long flight in any plane.

One evening, just a short while ago, I fired-up FSX, and loaded the flight plan in the FMS and took off for Cairo. At TOC in made sure all the systems were looking good. I left the computer running and the plane on autopilot and went to bed. Next morning I checked the progress. All was OK! I had breakfast, and sat down just about TOD and finished the long exhausting flight!  

Lou

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Thanks for sharing this incidence/experience, Lou.

Surely, gives us wannabes the proper perspective... (in spite of all the realism we can muster).......

[CoolP: Will give the FSX Gauge a try one of these days...Thanks.]