Your Longest Flight???

Brisbane – Taipei – Singapore – London Heathrow- Newcastle
Longest flight in the world!! It took over a day as the plane went tech in mid air!! Qantas Airways 747 and BA 757
Shortest: Newcastle – Stansted EZY 733:eek: 😮

24h+ (airport waiting times discounted): Brussels – Frankfurt – Singapore – Auckland (3 different planes : LH RJ-85 – LH 744 – Air NZ 763)

And the way back, I think a little longer: Auckland – Sidney – Bangkhok – Frankfurt – Brussels (Thai 743 – LH 744 – LH 733)

Originally posted by Tim Green
A side question: Can anyone confirm that the A340 achieves it’s fuel economy by flying considerably slower than a 747 or 777? A friend commented recently that she hated getting behind an A340 on the trans-Pac as they had to fly higher or lower than the optimum altitude to overtake them.

I can confirm that 747’s and 777’s achieve their inefficiency by flying significantly faster than the A340!!! 😉

Seriously though different types are designed for doing different things. The A340 is slower than the 747-400 but only by the same margin that the 767 is slower than the A340! If you were flying an Air Force VC10 you would probably make the same comments about the 744 in front of you holding you up. It’s all relative.

longest flight

i cant tell my longest (It could have been NCL to Lanzarote) but i can tell you my shortest.

3 hours 48 (i think) Speedbird 1 – London heathrow – New York John. F. Kennedy.

British Airways concorde – captained by Les Brodie not sure about the F.O or F.E.

58000 ft – 1250 mph (G-BOAF)

JFK-NRT, JL, 14 hours.

Longest non-stop was probably LHR-SIN (B 744)

Longest alltogether, was LGW-LUN via HRE where we weren’t allowed to disembark. About 16 hours gate to gate (B 742)

I’m flying MEL-DXB in July which will be the longest non-stop. (A 345)

Longest: 4h40m BRU-Tenerife Sur Sobelair 734
Shortest: 30 min Kortrijk/Wevelgem to Kortrijk/Wevelgem VLM F50

My shortest one was 55 mins from LHR-CDG

Originally posted by Tim Green
A complicated balancing act between payload (pax + cargo) and range. I understand that in the southern summer (peak period) months the headwinds can be outside of the envelope with a heavy load. Fiji (Nadi) has reasonable landing fees but it adds at least 90 minutes to the already long flight and they don’t let you off to stretch your legs.

I’ve flown to SYD from LAX/SFO and I’ve never had this happen, thank god. If I’m going to have a layover, I better be able to get off the plane, damnit!

Originally posted by Tim Green A side note: Did you read that Singapore Airlines has started LAX – SIN non-stop at +/- 19 Hours. The A340 has special seating with extended legroom but they charge a premium price for flying the non-stop.

This flight is actually listed as 16 hours on the eastbound and it has routinely been doing it in 14 hours 45 minutes. Not bad. They still operate the 2 one-stops for those that don’t wish to pay the ‘premium price.’

Originally posted by Tim Green A side question: Can anyone confirm that the A340 achieves it’s fuel economy by flying considerably slower than a 747 or 777? A friend commented recently that she hated getting behind an A340 on the trans-Pac as they had to fly higher or lower than the optimum altitude to overtake them.

Which model A340? The 777 is slower than a 744 also. Add an extra hour is you’re flying from western Europe to say, Singapore on a 777 rather than a 744.

My longest was Gatwick to Colombo in Sri-Lanka via Bahrain.In all 14hrs 31 mins. (Ex stop)

Originally posted by greekdude1
Any idea why you had to stop for fuel, seeing as they normally don’t do this? Were headwinds very strong that night?

A complicated balancing act between payload (pax + cargo) and range. I understand that in the southern summer (peak period) months the headwinds can be outside of the envelope with a heavy load. Fiji (Nadi) has reasonable landing fees but it adds at least 90 minutes to the already long flight and they don’t let you off to stretch your legs.

A side note: Did you read that Singapore Airlines has started LAX – SIN non-stop at +/- 19 Hours. The A340 has special seating with extended legroom but they charge a premium price for flying the non-stop.

A side question: Can anyone confirm that the A340 achieves it’s fuel economy by flying considerably slower than a 747 or 777? A friend commented recently that she hated getting behind an A340 on the trans-Pac as they had to fly higher or lower than the optimum altitude to overtake them.

mine were,

1: United airlines from Lhr- lax on a 777-200
2: American from Lhr -lax on a 767-300er
3: virgin from Lgw- Sfo on a 747-200

Originally posted by T5
I love delays on the inbound flights to the UK.

However, when your flight is scheduled to depart at 1.00am from Bangkok, a delay of several hours isn’t so good. Obviously the views aren’t so great at that hour! :p

There is nothing like night spotting! For five years I only ever went to see the freighters at Ostende at 4 in the morning off the ferry. You have to eat more carrotts!!!;)

My longest flight has to be 9 and a half hours to MIA from LHR.

http://hometown.aol.co.uk/will875/index.html

I love delays on the inbound flights to the UK.

However, when your flight is scheduled to depart at 1.00am from Bangkok, a delay of several hours isn’t so good. Obviously the views aren’t so great at that hour! :p

Flew LHR-LAX in a VIR 747-2 in 1992 but due to exsessive headwinds we had to land at Denver for refuel! It was torture for the other 300+ pax except me as I made over 100 new airline frames in the 2 hour turnround, heaven!!!
Am I the only one who wants a massive delay on return to the uk from abroad????

Originally posted by Non-Stop
FRA-DFW on AA 767 Bus Class almost 11 Hours, and then there wasn’t a gate available, so we sat out on the tarmac for about 30 minutes!
That was in 1998 or there-abouts.
Enjoyed the warm mixed nuts and all, but in the future, I want to keep my non-stop flights pared down to 8 hours max, if that’s possible. But if it’s going to be a transfer nightmare, then I’ll just tuff it out. Going west to get to the esat, I would almost certainly prefer any layover in HNL !:D

When we flew New York JFK to London Heathrow with United Airlines in November 2002, we landed at Heathrow approximately 1 hour early. Unfortunately, like your situation, we couldn’t park up at the gate as there wasn’t one available. Our gate was occupied by a delayed American Airlines 777. After almost 45 minutes sat near the terminal building, we pulled up at the gate and were able to disembark.

An agonising 9hr 45min ride to SFB from MAN on G-OOAO with AMM. Return flight better on board G-OOAL, 7hr 30min.

7 hours 20 minutes, MAN-JFK with BA1502/3. 763 G-BNWH.

Originally posted by Tim Green
I have flown SFO – SYD on UA 747-400’s a number of times (stopping in Fiji once for fuel).

Any idea why you had to stop for fuel, seeing as they normally don’t do this? Were headwinds very strong that night?