Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Boeing jet arrives in London in attempt to break record for world's longest commercial flight
Wichita Eagle ^ | Thu, Nov. 10, 2005 | Associated Press

Posted on 11/10/2005 7:25:29 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach

LONDON - A Boeing Co. jet arrived in London on Thursday at the end of an attempt to break the record for the longest nonstop flight by a commercial jet.

The 777-200LR Worldliner - one of Boeing's newest planes - touched down shortly after 1 p.m. (8 a.m. EST) at London's Heathrow Airport after an almost 23-hour journey of more than 12,586 miles from Hong Kong.

The flight traversed the Pacific Ocean and North America before landing in London.

Boeing said that Guinness World Records representatives would monitor the flight and attend the landing at London's Heathrow Airport.

The plane has four pilots and was carrying 35 passengers and crew, including Boeing representatives, journalists and customers.

Boeing wanted to fly the jet farther than a Boeing 747-400 that flew 10,500 miles from London to Sydney in 1989.

The record-breaking attempt is part of Boeing's fierce competition with its European rival Airbus. The Boeing 777-200LR Worldliner was designed to compete directly with the popular Airbus 340-500, which has a flight range of 10,380 miles.

After leaving Hong Kong, the Boeing jet was flying to the northern Pacific Ocean, crossing North America and cruising over the Atlantic Ocean to London, said Boeing spokesman Chuck Cadena. Hong Kong-London flights usually fly over Russia.

ON THE NET

The plane's flight path can be tracked at http://www.777.newairplane.com


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: deepveinthrombosis
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-50 last
To: Cliff Dweller

I was heading to Asia from NYC and was determined to break the trip into NY-SF SF-Hong Kong legs instead of a the mega hellish 19 hour NY-HK direct.


41 posted on 11/10/2005 9:50:08 AM PST by finnman69 (cum puella incedit minore medio corpore sub quo manifestu s globus, inflammare animos)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

a representative from Guinness world records was on the flight and Boeing has now recieved official certification from them that they now hold the record for this flight.

Man, talk about a great event to sell that plane. Heard representatives from some perspective customers were on board. Quantas and Singpore are going to annouce large orders by the end of the year. Heard both are heavily interested in the 777 and new 747 Advanced. If Boeing gets the bulk of those orders, their should be a representative from Guinness records on hand at Airbust. They will easily break the worlds "whine" record.

I'm sure that foul a$$wipe who runs Airbus is having a whine fest this morning.


42 posted on 11/10/2005 9:51:33 AM PST by Proud_USA_Republican (We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good. - Hillary Clinton)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: altoidboy
an interesting record, for sure, but is this the kind of thing we should be encouraging? i'd hate for the next daredevil pilot to try and beat this record and...fail...

This type of thinking keeps us bound to the same spot. I am sure that in 1910 people were saying the same types of things, "Oh, we can't let those daredevil pilots fly 100 miles non-stop, what if they crash?"

43 posted on 11/10/2005 10:26:36 AM PST by calex59
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Proud_USA_Republican

I loved my lufthasa flight...



I call it "Barf-thansa" after getting food poisoning from some bad beef stew. Barfed in a big way on the final domestic leg (whished I could have shared it with the Lufthansa crew, and spared the Southwest crew the job), and still many hours later after arriving home.

(Never mind the German jerk who thought my coach seatback was their foot rest, and kept pushing it forward as I tried to rest.)


44 posted on 11/10/2005 10:42:12 AM PST by Atlas Sneezed (Your FRiendly FReeper Patent Attorney)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: Gay State Conservative

These types of flights were never meant for the type of coach that most people are used to. Boeing is aiming at Qantas for the LHR-SYD nonstop, as well as several S. America-Asia routes for this tour. These flights are for high paying business travel and the planes will be configured as such, we're talking 150-200 people or so instead of 350-400 that the plane can typically fill.


45 posted on 11/10/2005 10:56:34 AM PST by Citizen of the Savage Nation
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: ErnBatavia
before I'd left Perth

Bet ya felt well rested...

46 posted on 11/10/2005 11:49:00 AM PST by Gamecock (Eternity is a long time to be wrong.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: A Ruckus of Dogs
Who wants to stay on a plane for 23 hours?

Who wants to get off before it lands?

47 posted on 11/10/2005 11:56:34 AM PST by Fester Chugabrew
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Fester Chugabrew
Who wants to get off before it lands?

Depends who you're sitting next to, LOL!

48 posted on 11/10/2005 12:00:25 PM PST by A Ruckus of Dogs
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: Gay State Conservative
The Seattle P. I. says they had lots left>

"The plane had 360,732 pounds of fuel before the engines were started in Hong Kong -- more than the combined weight of the plane, its passengers and their bags. When it landed in London it had 18,700 pounds of fuel remaining."

It also says:
"The plane actually flew farther than the 13,422 miles that went into the record book. That's because the distance record is measured by a straight line from the start to each of the three turn points and finally to the end point at Heathrow. But the plane did not fly in a straight line between those points. The pilots would sometimes change course slightly to find better winds, although each of the three turn points had to be overflown. A flight map that is part of the jet's in-flight entertainment system showed the total miles flown just before landing at 14,042 miles."

49 posted on 11/11/2005 12:23:19 AM PST by skeptoid (lysdexia: the dyslexic's "dyslexia")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: ErnBatavia
Took off for Honolulu (9 hour flight) that late Thursday morning and slowly went back in time. Landed Hono at 11:00 pm Wednesday, theoretically before I'd left Perth.

,,, I left Auckland one time, doing the twelve hour flight to LAX and arrived at the Hilton Palmer House in Chicago (a couple of minutes before midnight) five hours after AKL departure time. Howzat?

50 posted on 11/11/2005 12:50:55 AM PST by shaggy eel
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-50 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson