Flight Plans are not just something that pilot do.
If you are flying long haul and have a ‘Flight Plan’ it will help you minimise the effects of ‘Jet Lag’ at your destination.
Adjusting Your Body Clock
The aim of your ‘Flight Plan’ is to get your body clock starting to adjust to your destination’s time before you arrive.
This involves thinking about things like sleep times and meals at least during the flight.
In my case I often start thinking about my Flight Plans several hours before I get on the plane.
An Example
A journey I have often travelled is Melbourne to London which typically takes off around midnight, with London being nine hours behind Melbourne time.
- 24 hours before my flight; rather than go to bed at a typical time of 10.00-10.30pm I will stay up well past midnight.
- The next morning I will stay in bed until very late morning.
- I will then have a very late breakfast and a light meal late afternoon.
- Before getting on the plane I will set my watch and phone for London time.
- When on the plane I will eat the meal served an hour or so after take off and again try to stay awake for another hour or two before trying to sleep until the plan lands at the stop over location.
- At the stopover the plan is to get a shower and as much exercise as possible walking.
- For the next sector I am trying to think as if I was in the London Time Zone, which might mean a short nap early in the flight, but certainly not a long sleep as I want to be awake for several hours before my mid afternoon arrival.
With this plan I normally get a reasonable nights sleep after my arrival in London, and am ready for activities the next day.
Finally
Although I am not saying this plan will avoid ‘Jet Lag’ I find it really help me.
