London to Sydney flight breaks world record

[brooklynite]

Source: CNN

Until someone invents a device to teleport humans from one side of the Earth to the other, this is the next best thing.

An experimental research flight operated by Australian airline Qantas touched down in Sydney on Friday, after flying nonstop from London -- a journey that pushes the frontier of modern aircraft capabilities -- smashing two aviation records and witnessing a rare double sunrise along the way.

Flight QF7879 became the world's longest passenger flight by a commercial airline both for distance, at 17,800 kilometers (about 11,060 miles), and for duration in the air, at 19 hours and 19 minutes.

The achievement could help usher in a new generation of so-called ultra long haul flights that will directly connect far-flung Sydney with destinations across Europe and the United States.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/qantas-test-flight-london-sydney-nonstop/index.html

[VMA131Marine]

1. The longest possible flight

Between two points on Earth using a Great Circle route is 12,450 miles. But that’s theoretical because there has to be an airport at each end. This may be the longest flight that is possible in practice.

[Sgent]

25. Although the distance doesn't change

wind direction / speed / location can have a massive effect as well. Going eastward is usually much easier / faster than going westward.

[NurseJackie]

2. That doesn't leave much time for "circling" the destination airport in the event of bad weather...

That doesn't leave much time for "circling" the destination airport in the event of bad weather or some other event on the ground that would prohibit landing right away. (That's something that's happened to me a couple of times when flying into/through DFW.)

Also, would there be enough fuel remaining if they needed to be diverted to an alternate airport? (Something that happened not long ago to my husband when he was flying in to Charlotte... the flight was diverted to Raleigh.)

I think the only reasonable and humane way to keep passengers confined in a small tube for such a long time would be if the ENTIRE flight is business class.

[PhoenixDem]

4. They only flew with 27% of the seats occupied

It was a research flight to later see if people would pay 4 times as much to fly non-stop.

They only had 50 people on board including 3 shifts of crew and all passengers wore monitoring devices to see how their bodies function.

[lagomorph777]

7. Sure I'll pay 4x as much and wear a rectal thermometer for 19 hours.

Not!

[PhoenixDem]

9. Passengers on this flight paid nothing n/t

[sdfernando]

14. On a totally unrelated note

and a joke that many might find "distasteful"....So be warned and scroll down at your own peril.
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Question: How do you tell the difference between an oral thermometer and a rectal thermometer?
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Answer:
The taste!

[lagomorph777]

17. ewwwww!

[NurseJackie]

8. I was previously aware of everything except for the price-point. That's amazing!

see if people would pay 4 times as much to fly non-stop.

Sure! Sign me up!

[Phoenix61]

3. 16.5 in premium economy was mind numbing

but I don’t think an extra 3 would be that much worse.

[ArizonaLib]

18. Flew to New Zealand from LA this summer

I would rather have a 20 hour enema. The service was excellent, the staff was outstanding (New Zealand Air) but the distance in a chair was crazy.

[jpak]

6. Meh - I once took a flight on the first day in summer that landed on the first day of winter

New Zealand to LA.

So there....

[SergeStorms]

16. Wow! Long fight, huh?

You see, you'd have to explain something like that to Donald Trump, and he still wouldn't understand it!

[canetoad]

10. I'm not so sure

We need to be more closely connected to the rest of this crazy world.

[DavidDvorkin]

11. Possibly a new record for sore bums, too.

[IronLionZion]

12. Long haul flights are torture

if you like pain in your butt and back, swelling all over, poor circulation, and getting to really hate the other passengers around you.

The only people who enjoy such things are the ones who can afford business or first class with the super luxurious comfort. For the rest of us, it's worth telling far flung relatives and friends a hard no on visiting them.

[Locrian]

13. yep - US to China - sucks

>>The only people who enjoy such things are the ones who can afford business or first class with the super luxurious

Absolutely. Nothing fun or glamorous about any of it.

[csziggy]

20. For my trip to the UK I took a cruise ship

Actually two ships - one there and one back. It's cheaper than flying first class and much more relaxing.

My husband and I left Fort Lauderdale July 21 on the Queen Elizabeth, stopped in New York City, Halifx Nova Scotia, St. John Newfoundland, Isafjordur Iceland, Rekjavit Iceland (puffins!) and we got off early at Port Glasgow (the ship went on to Dublin and Southampton). Fifteen days on the cruise, great food, nice excursions, and a wonderful cabin.

On the way back we took a repositioning cruise from Southampton which had nine days at sea (rough weather, but otherwise very relaxing) and stopped at St Maarten, St Thomas, Puerto Rico, and Haiti before returning to Fort Lauderdale. Another fifteen days, but we needed the relaxation after our nearly three months in the UK.

I'd priced a first class flight over and the Queen Elizabeth was 75%. The repositioning cruise was half of what the Queen Elizabeth cost.

I'd do it again since I no longer enjoy flying, but I'd want a theme cruise with things I am interested in rather than a destination cruise with the standard entertainment stuff. In a few years, I will be looking for a cruise that features bird watching, or maybe one that features cultural stops.

[SergeStorms]

15. Sorry.

You're not cooping me up in a cylindrical tube in the air for 20 hours. You're just not!

[Talitha]

19. Count me out, I love the feeling when you take off and land.

As well as exploring the airports if there's enough time, and meeting my new travel companions at each point. BTW, on a 'regular' flight from London to Sydney how many stops are there?

[NickB79]

21. Humanity is approaching civilizational collapse due to burning fossil fuels for things like aircraft

It's ironic that this flight flew near Venice, a city just flooded by rising seas, and landed in Australia, a continent currently baking and burning from climate change.

And we're supposed to hail this latest expansion of the global airline business as a good thing.

[brooklynite]

27. So your answer is stay at home?

People travel. If they DO travel, a direct flight is more energy efficient that two connecting flights.

[NickB79]

29. Yes it is

What's more important, a functional biosphere and averting a mass extinction, or taking an annual vacation to a tropical island?

Most airline travel has to end, along with a lot of other things we take for granted these days. The fact that most people still don't realize what we're up against, and how close to the edge we are, is terrifying.

[tclambert]

22. I'd rather take the train.

[jcmaine72]

23. I remember when Boeing first announced the 787 Dreamliner years ago.

They specifically cited super long, intercontinental flights as being one of the capabilities of the new airliner. It's a cool capability, but you have to wonder how many people will want to endure such long flights. I can barely make it through a three hour flight without feeling dazed and stiff as a board.

[YOHABLO]

24. Use to be I always wanted a window seat. Now it's all about the restroom proximity.

I have to use the restroom at least twice an hour, so 19.5 hrs times 2 would be aprox 39 trips to the restroom. Man problems you know.

[Maxheader]

26. 787-9

A bit of good publicity for boeing ....
Worked in propulsion..06' time frame..787..everett wa..

[CabalPowered]

28. Nothing like arriving with a DVT

And a dash of vascular distension to start your vacation.. I've pulled dozens of west coast - asia flights in the 14 hour range.. 19 hours.. no thank you, not even in 1st class. The risks start going up exponentially after 12 hours for the average adult. Compression socks and foot exercises are absolutely essential.

[LudwigPastorius]

30. The amount of radiation you would receive on a 19-hour flight would be...

equivalent to about 3 chest x-rays.

Then you would have to consider the return trip.

[brooklynite]

31. The key is to turn around every 20 minutes so you toast evenly...

[LudwigPastorius]

32. Those little airplane sleep masks would be mandatory.

There's no way you could nod off with the bright glow coming off of your seat mates.

[Polybius]

33. You can get radiation from flying in an airplane?

First I heard of that.

[LudwigPastorius]

34. It's usually a small dose, but not statistically insignificant when estimating...

cancer risk.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/air-travel-exposes-you-to-radiation-how-much-health-risk-comes-with-it/