Longest flight

[Ozcub]

Originally Posted by DieselDoctor

Keith, you'll have to forgive us on the spelling. Here in the US most any word with the letter Q is always followed by the letter U. In fact when my girls were in elementary school, the letter puppets (learning tool) Q and U were best buddies and they always hung out together!

Happens all the time with that name Stan and yes most words in Australia with a Q have the following U , bit like my name you would be amazed at how many times it is I before E
Anyway all good
All reports are the test went very well they got a lot of data on how to make it as painless as possible sitting in a tube for 19 hours and 17 minutes
Must try and find out the fuel consumption , I know the old 747 per person used less fuel per Kilometre than a very small car
Oz

[Ozcub]

Another test for Qantas

Quote from the News service
Non-stop ultra-long haul flights are the future of aviation and Qantas is hoping to add another route to the list.
The world's longest research flight from London to Sydney will take off from Heathrow tomorrow morning. Along the 17,800-kilometre journey, researchers will test the impact of ultra-long haul flights on people in the cockpit and cabin.
If all goes to plan, they'll catch two sunrises on opposite sides of the world, with no stops and reduced time in the air.
"Not nervous, actually quite excited about it," Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said at the launch in London
"It's a very historic moment. It is last-frontier aviation. We believe there is a big demand for it."
The record-breaking voyage will take place 100 years almost to the day since the first flight from the UK to Australia touched down. That flight took off from London and arrived in Darwin 28 days later.
Times and technology have changed a fair bit since then, with tomorrow's flight expected to take just 19 hours and 30 minutes.
Captain Helen Trenerry will be in the cockpit guiding the Boeing 787-9 home.
"No pressure actually, for us it's just a normal line flight, it's just longer than all the other line flights," she said.
"So our focus and attention will just be on making sure we carry it out as per standard operating procedures, safely and efficiently."
Captain Trenerry has been flying for 35 years and believes these ultra-long routes will soon be the norm.
"Absolutely, definitely. Once the manufacturers both Airbus and Boeing make the airplane that can do it easily and the company decides to invest in that, I think in a few short years people will see this as normal."
Fifty passengers plus crew will be traveling, including six frequent flyers who will wear devices to monitor their health and sleep patterns while on board.
Sydney University's Charles Perkins Centre will undertake the research, which will look at how lighting, food and exercise on board can help combat jet lag.
As soon as the flight takes off from London they'll immediately switch to Sydney timing, so lunch will be served when it's lunchtime in Sydney and dinner will be served at dinner time in Sydney. The cabin will also be dimmed when it's night time in Sydney and brightened during daytime hours.
The menu has also been created to help the timezone transition with food high in spices and caffeine served to help passengers stay awake when they feel like sleeping, and creamy stodgy foods served to help them sleep when Sydney is sleeping.
While it's an extraordinary feat in aviation, there are still hurdles before the London to Sydney non-stop route becomes a fixture including safety regulations restricting how long pilots can fly.
The pilots on the test flight will be fitted with Go-Pro cameras to record their movements which will be analysed for alertness and fatigue.
"We just need to get through with our regulators, get through with our unions and pilots. And to make sure we get the best price from Airbus and Boeing for the aircraft," Mr Joyce said.
He still needs to make the business case work too.
A decision will be made on whether it's financially viable by the end of the year.
"If the business case works you can see flights taking place from 2023 onwards," he said.
But anyone looking at the super-long haul flights will be paying a premium, with ticket prices expected to be around 20 to 30 per cent more expensive.

[Cub Cadet 123]

Qantas was even mentioned in a very popular movie, "Rainman" in which they mentioned the impeccable record that they have.

19+ hours is a long time to stay focused. I wonder how many pilots have to trade out to stay fresh and focused on their navigation of the plane.

Cub Cadet 123

[Ozcub]

We just saw it coming into Sydney , they fly near our place
The first flight London to Sydney took 28 days now 19.5 hours how good is that
Qantas has done it again
Forgot to mention it was 1 minute late , I say get a refund
Oz

[cooperino]

Originally Posted by Ozcubowner

We just saw it coming into Sydney , they fly near our place
The first flight London to Sydney took 28 days now 19.5 hours how good is that
Qantas has done it again
Forgot to mention it was 1 minute late , I say get a refund
Oz

Hey OZ, I am in aviation myself.. If your into aviation heres a link that you might enjoy https://www.aviationpros.com/

Lots of insider news about all airlines, aircraft, etc. Search Qantas and see all the recent news including the baggage handler in Sydney that was arrested for smuggling cocaine!

[Ozcub]

Originally Posted by cooperino

Hey OZ, I am in aviation myself.. If your into aviation heres a link that you might enjoy https://www.aviationpros.com/

Lots of insider news about all airlines, aircraft, etc. Search Qantas and see all the recent news including the baggage handler in Sydney that was arrested for smuggling cocaine!

Hey Coop if you are a baggage handler or ground crew it seems de-riguer to be involved in smuggling
Will check out that site
Oz

[cooperino]

Originally Posted by Ozcubowner

Hey Coop if you are a baggage handler or ground crew it seems de-riguer to be involved in smuggling
Will check out that site
Oz

Lol.. lots have tried it for sure. Most got caught. And now it's nearly impossible to do anything like that. I'm SIDA badged at multiple airports. Security sure has changed a lot!

[Ozcub]

Originally Posted by cooperino

Lol.. lots have tried it for sure. Most got caught. And now it's nearly impossible to do anything like that. I'm SIDA badged at multiple airports. Security sure has changed a lot!

SIDA ??? is that Customs
Oz

[cooperino]

Originally Posted by Ozcubowner

SIDA ??? is that Customs
Oz

No. I need access to airport ramps for equipment related things. Checking on a piece of equipment we delivered, training people on using equipment, repossession of equipment "not too often but it happens"

A SIDA badge allows me to be on the ramp and other sterile areas of the airport beyond TSA, Customs, and port authority police.

[ol'George]

Those flying machines will never catch on.
If man was posta fly, he would have wings!

Last commercial passenger flight I was on was in '53, I was little and we went from Detroit to Pittsburgh.
( Thinking it was a DC3)
-----Not to say I haven't flown in vintage aircraft since.
Most pleasurable flights were in hot air balloons over Mi. and Albuquerque 30 years ago.

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