Posted on 11/10/2005 9:34:12 AM PST by lowbuck
A Boeing 777 plane has landed at Heathrow Airport after completing a record-breaking non-stop flight.
Piloted by American captain Suzanna Darcy-Hennemann, the plane touched down in west London following a 12,000-mile easterly-heading flight from Hong Kong.
The plane, carrying 35 passengers, beat the existing non-stop passenger airline record of 10,823 miles achieved by another Boeing 777.
Painted in Boeing's distinctive blue colours, the aircraft touched down at 1.13pm UK time after a flight of 22 hours and 42 minutes.
Three Heathrow fire crews shot a celebratory water spray over the aircraft as it taxied to a halt after a journey of 13,422 miles.
Seriously, quite a feat, congrats to Boeing!
Sweetness. Planes are cool.
Boeing jet arrives in London in attempt to break record for world's longest commercial flight
P I N G
One ping only.
Not when you're traveling in steerage. 10 hours is about my upper limit. Whether it's the Big Pig (A380), or 22 hours -- I'm not going.
LOL!!!
Captain Ramius: Re-verify our range to target... one Ping only.
Capt. Vasili Borodin: Captain, I - I - I just...
Captain Ramius: Give me a Ping, Vasili. One Ping only, please.
Capt. Vasili Borodin: Aye, Captain.
And I was one of her smaller passengers on the return voyage. I have a vivid memory of a broad, foaming white wake that stretched out like a ruler to the horizon, and a raging, 40-knot gale that swept her decks as she stormed across the Atlantic.
Long flight ping
Cool.
airbus is toast
This is my favorite plane to fly in, provided you aren't in the back. Comfortable climate control, leg room in coach (if you're flying Continental), stands up well under turbulence, and QUIET.
Oh yeaaaah. One of my favorite things in the world. Love 'em.
Ping to come rain your Airbus drivel on this parade, too.
Pardon me but the correct appellation would be
"Woman oh Woman" since the Captain was a WOMAN!!!
"Oh Suzanna, Oh won't you fly for me......"
Way to go Boeing!
If you want on or off my aerospace ping list, please contact me by Freep mail.
I told my cronies yesterday at our Pub this was going to happen today. They called me full of it. Told them to see their newspaper on Friday.
I can't wait to stick this info in their ear.
Go Boeing.
A good achievement, but pointless.
No airline would route HKG-LHR going east, currently they cross N. Russia.
They should have tried something that long that there is a actual need for route wise, like Auckland to London, or Seoul to Buenos Aires.
"The plane has four pilots and was carrying 35 passengers and crew, including Boeing representatives, journalists and customers."
Yet, American captain Suzanna Darcy-Hennemann is the only one to get any press.
Come on...we all know women can fly! How about giving kudos to the entire crew!!
I beg to differ. The route is irrelevant.
The big deal is that it is a twin engine aircraft and it flew for so long and so far. There are different flight rules for twin and four-engine aircraft. Twins must stay within a certain distance, en route, of an emergency landing site should an engine fail. This is a push to qualify twin engine aircraft to be certified to fly the more expensive four engine routes. Four engine ac's being more costly to acquire, maintain and fuel.
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