QANTAS has just made aviation history by completing the first non-stop flight from Perth to London in just over 17 hours in a 787-9

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-43530332

Edited March 25, 20188 yr by Matthew Kane

Oi, oi, oi! 

I tried finding some info on whether the flight has any payload restrictions.  This flight had 200 passengers so wondering if this is going to be max. load or not. On a side note a second 789 was flown into Perth as back-up in case the inaugural flight struck problems before departure.

I am hoping for an Air New Zealand 787-9 flight from Auckland to Chicago. The range is similar at 7112nm and 17 1/2 hours flight time. They get delivery of these aircraft soon.

17 hours? Too rich for my taste, even if you're flying up front.
KSFO-NZAA is a 12 hour flight and amounts to an overnighter which is really comfortable. How it messes with your mind: You board at 9:00PM on Saturday night then cross the dateline and arrive in Auckland at 5:00AM - MONDAY morning!

12 hours ago, Matthew Kane said:

They get delivery of these aircraft soon.

...ANZ has flown 787-9 since being launch customer in 2014.

EDIT: Just occurred to me, the first Transatlantic flight took about 16 hours. Alcock and Brown had whiskey in their coffee.

Edited March 25, 20188 yr by WingZ

11 minutes ago, WingZ said:

...ANZ has flown 787-9 since being launch customer in 2014.

Should have clarified, they get delivery of the next 2 soon that are most likely going to be used on a new Chicago route, the other 787-9's that have been delivered took up demand from the retired 767's and 747's for the most part. They keep mentioning Chicago but are still tight lipped

Qantas did non stop Heathrow to Sydney, August 1989 in a 747-400. This was a publicity flight to highlight delivery of their 747-400 and as the story reads much planning was necessary.

http://www.airwaysmuseum.com/Qantas 1st England-Aust non-stop 1989.htm

This flight, in the 789 will be the first regular scheduled non stop service, then Sydney-Heathrow to follow with aircraft advances, in any case, 17 hours in an airliner going anywhere, is way too long.

Edited March 25, 20188 yr by JustanotherPilot
grammer

9hrs in a 787 is about all I can tolerate. Even with only 80 passengers and sleeping across three seats. KMSP to EHAM KLM.:)

I have done 36 hours from start to finish in the past with stop overs, so I am all for 17 hour flights if it eliminates stop overs, for example:

Wellington to Auckland, Auckland to Los Angeles, Los Angeles to Chicago, Chicago to Toronto can take 32 to 36 hours depending on stop overs.

OR

Wellington to Auckland, Auckland to Chicago, Chicago to Toronto should be around 22 to 24 hours instead, possibly saving around 10 to 12 hours of travel time

All depends on what you prefer, I would take more time in the air and less stop overs to save 10 or more hours over all

 

Edited March 26, 20188 yr by Matthew Kane

The travel bug is a powerful drug, the market will decide...

Imagine building a stationary structure the size and shape of a 787 interior and filling it with people, on the understanding that in 17 hours time you'd let them out to see the movie :)

My ten and eleven hour non-stops from Phoenix to London and back last year were grueling enough.  We had some Aussies on my tour last year who had to change aircraft in Dubai.  Problem is there is still an aircraft change Aussies will have to make if they come from anywhere other than Perth, which most do.  But at least they would not have to deal with transit issues on foreign soil.

John

For me it is a no-brainer. Flight Time from Auckland to Los Angela's is 14 hours, or for an extra 3 hours you can get to Chicago instead and save 2 stop overs and 10 to 12 hours of total transit time. Therefore an extra 3 hours on just one leg that can save you up to 12 hours from start to finish depending on where you are going. 

For most people in USA or Europe this is not an issue, if you live in New Zealand, Australia or Asia this will be significant in getting to New York or London much faster

Edited March 26, 20188 yr by Matthew Kane

10 hours ago, Matthew Kane said:

I have done 36 hours from start to finish in the past with stop overs, so I am all for 17 hour flights if it eliminates stop overs, for example:

Wellington to Auckland, Auckland to Los Angeles, Los Angeles to Chicago, Chicago to Toronto can take 32 to 36 hours depending on stop overs.

OR

Wellington to Auckland, Auckland to Chicago, Chicago to Toronto should be around 22 to 24 hours instead, possibly saving around 10 to 12 hours of travel time

All depends on what you prefer, I would take more time in the air and less stop overs to save 10 or more hours over all

 

My longest flight was about 24 hours with stopovers back in the day when certain aircraft had to refuel going westbound from Europe.  Then I had to change planes twice this was back in '77.  The route and equipment were as follows:

Munich to Vienna (Transinternational DC8-63)

Vienna to Shannon for refuel (Transinternational DC8-63)

Shannon to Gander for refuel (Transinternational DC8-63)

Gander to JFK (Transinternational DC8-63)

JFK to Dallas (American 707)

Dallas to SFO (American 727)

 

Note: Transinternational, which became Transamerica, was a charter airline that many groups, including high school groups from the USA, flew on.  My flight was chartered by American Institute of Foreign Study.

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Transamerica-Airlines/McDonnell-Douglas-DC-8-63CF/2227908/L?qsp=eJwtjEEKwkAMRe%2BStRspuOhOL1AXXiBkPnWw7QxJQIfSuxsHd4/3P28nKZvj449WQSMZWOVJJ6qsvBqNO73Q3kVTMLnyZrxCs3B8rKjfWvjEjqsIqiP9/aQJ%2Bptg0nNz5M8B0HtnGi7hU7a6cG/AOS90HF%2B%2BmDGV

5 hours ago, Cactus521 said:

My longest flight was about 24 hours with stopovers back in the day when certain aircraft had to refuel going westbound from Europe.  Then I had to change planes twice this was back in '77.  The route and equipment were as follows:

Munich to Vienna (Transinternational DC8-63)

Vienna to Shannon for refuel (Transinternational DC8-63)

Shannon to Gander for refuel (Transinternational DC8-63)

Gander to JFK (Transinternational DC8-63)

JFK to Dallas (American 707)

Dallas to SFO (American 727)

 

Note: Transinternational, which became Transamerica, was a charter airline that many groups, including high school groups from the USA, flew on.  My flight was chartered by American Institute of Foreign Study.

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Transamerica-Airlines/McDonnell-Douglas-DC-8-63CF/2227908/L?qsp=eJwtjEEKwkAMRe%2BStRspuOhOL1AXXiBkPnWw7QxJQIfSuxsHd4/3P28nKZvj449WQSMZWOVJJ6qsvBqNO73Q3kVTMLnyZrxCs3B8rKjfWvjEjqsIqiP9/aQJ%2Bptg0nNz5M8B0HtnGi7hU7a6cG/AOS90HF%2B%2BmDGV

The good old days when you had to make a stop in Gander, many great stories of that era and this one is a bit unusual. Fidel Castro used to make stops in Gander from his trips from Cuba to Europe and Russia and was a very big fan of the snow, During these stops he would take the time to go sledding and play with the local kids. 

Here is one woman's memory of him when she was a kid:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/fidel-castro-toboggan-fun-woman-memory-gander-1.3869323

 

The longest I've ever done was back in the 80s in the new ANZ 747-400, very exciting at the time

Sydney to Auckland
Auckland to Cook Island
Cook Island to Honolulu
Honolulu to Los Angela's
Los Angela's to Toronto

36 hours total

Edited March 26, 20188 yr by Matthew Kane

14 minutes ago, Matthew Kane said:

The good old days when you had to make a stop in Gander, many great stories of that era and this one is a bit unusual. Fidel Castro used to make stops in Gander from his trips from Cuba to Europe and Russia and was a very big fan of the snow, During these stops he would take the time to go sledding and play with the local kids. 

Here is one woman's memory of him when she was a kid:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/fidel-castro-toboggan-fun-woman-memory-gander-1.3869323

 

The longest I've ever done was back in the 80s in the new ANZ 747-400, very exciting at the time

Sydney to Auckland
Auckland to Cook Island
Cook Island to Honolulu
Honolulu to Los Angela's
Los Angela's to Toronto

36 hours total

36 hours is a long time indeed.  I remember our Transinternational pilot was very funny in Gander.  There was a Rockwell single engine piston aircraft ahead of us waiting to takeoff, just waiting there.  Our pilot came on the air and said "We're waiting for that little plane over there.  I guess he is winding up his propeller"....