That IS a looooong way!

[ozzy72]

A Boeing 777 completed a record-breaking flight when it touched down at Heathrow yesterday.
The 12,586-mile journey from Hong Kong - the longest non-stop flight by a commercial jet - had crossed the Pacific, North America and the Atlantic.
Piloted by American captain Suzanna Darcy-Hennemann, the 777-200LR Worldliner carried 35 passengers on the 23-hour journey and was monitored by Guinness World Records representatives as it landed.
The previous record had been held since 1989, when a Boeing jet flew 10,500 miles from London to Sydney.

Okay so who is flying this in real-time this weekend?

[Hagar]

You're a tad late with this Mark. Craig already mentioned it in the Real Aviation forum. Must pay more attention.

I'll say here what I said in the other thread.  I realise it was a publicity stunt done to beat the record but I'm just glad I wasn't on it. I love flying but 23 hours cooped up on an airliner would drive me potty.

[ozzy72]

Sorry I'm only just working my way down the forum this morning and I hadn't got that far....

[Hagar]

Please don't apologise. It's nothing to do with me.

[Craig.]

Sorry I'm only just working my way down the forum this morning and I hadn't got that far....

Its such an awesome feat that it deserves posting twice:)
Still no-one can do sydney Heathrow nonstop fully loaded.

[Hagar]

Its such an awesome feat that it deserves posting twice:)
Still no-one can do sydney Heathrow nonstop fully loaded.

It might be an awsome feat but does it have any practical use? To be honest I would prefer to break my journey at least once during one of these long trips to relieve the montony & also stretch my legs.

I always fancied one of those round trips that BA used to do where you travelled to New York on Concorde & returned by sea on the Queen Mary (or was it the QE2?) or vice versa. Two completely different types of luxury travel. I recently met someone who'd done that & he said it was a wonderful experience. He still has the silver gift every passenger on Concorde received in those days which must be worth quite a bit now. Sadly I never got that flight on Concorde & this is no longer possible.

[Craig.]

non-stop sydney heathrow has huge benifits for airlines. Firstly you dont have to pay the landing fee's in singapore and hong kong which are quite heafty for the large aircraft like the A340/747. Secondly you can carry your crew on one aircraft and not have to pay for them to be based in Hong Kong or Singapore saving on living fees or hotel costs. You also cut down on the staff you need to hire. Planes seem to go wrong on the ground (not true i know but thats how it seems) if you stop at the above airports and something goes wrong, you have to have the facilities in place to fix it, if you cant you have to pay for your passengers to be hotel'd and a new part flown out or even a new aircraft. On direct flights you only need the bases in your two locations. saving more money. This is the way airlines look at it. I agree there is little benificial points for passengers except your going directly to your destination. But I also must admit I would prefer a stop inbetween. Having done almost 13 hours on an MD11 I was ready to get off and never step back on the thing again.

[Fly2e]

Some great photos of the event!

http://www.boeing.com/commercial/777fam ... hotos.html

[Triple_7]

Its deffinatly a record...but who really wants to sit on a plane for 23 hours strait...The longest ive been on one was a 757 for 6 hours...I was ready to get off within half that :-/  Bad enough I will be on a 747 for 12 hours next summer.

But still going to be interesting when they start airline service...i just wander what kind of routes they will really end up on.

I was looking through those photos and came across something i find a little strange...All Nippon 300er...take a look at the engine...whats with the zig zags

http://www.boeing.com/commercial/777fam ... ngine.html

[flyboy 28]

Probably for greater thrust, or cooling.

[Felix/FFDS]

I was looking through those photos and came across something i find a little strange...All Nippon 300er...take a look at the engine...whats with the zig zags

http://www.boeing.com/commercial/777fam ... ngine.html

Noise abatement.

[C]

Noise abatement.

Indeed...

[flyboy 28]

Noise abatement.

Or that.

[Rifleman]

So as a point of reality here, the 23 hrs is quite a step up from the Heathrow/Montreal, I did as a lad with my parents...........10 1/2 hrs !... Bristol Britannia  8)

[Hagar]

[quote]So as a point of reality here, the 23 hrs is quite a step up from the Heathrow/Montreal, I did as a lad with my parents...........10 1/2 hrs !... Bristol Britannia