Until just several years ago, over the preceding period of about two decades, I must have taken the [KORD->EDDF] flight at least on 15 occasions (usually with Lufthansa but occasionally with United). I recall well that the LH flight no. was "431" (the reverse direction from FRA-to-ORD been "430"), which numbers, btw, are still in use by LH (for ORD-to-FRA and FRA-to-ORD legs respectively), as I found, on checking FlightAware today. 

We note, here, that Lufthansa has always had strong association with Boeing since the earliest times of Jet Transport. In 1965, Lufthansa, with an order 21 units, was the launch customer (and first non-American operator) for the first variant of the Original (aka: the First Gen) 737 (the 737-100), that had started it all for the 737 lineage, as we know it today (MAX included). The first B737 had entered service with Lufthansa in 1968. However, it never acquired Boeing's best-selling long-hauler, the earlier B777 versions (though, it would now acquire the latest B777X).

Anyway, my LH (ORD-FRA) long-haul flights were operated by A330(-200/-300), A340(-200/-300/-600) and B747-400. So, for one or more reasons, such as due to the competency of its (existing) A330/A340 fleet or/and to save cost on Pilot certification on the new B777 Type, LH never operated the B777, when most other major international operators did so. As LH is currently in the process of transitioning to the most modern A350(-900/-1000) and B777-9 a/c, its (A330, A340, B747) fleet are being retired, if not already. The B747-8I, subject of this post, would replace/supplement LHs B747-400. My very last 2 or 3 (LH) transoceanic flights were on the B747-8I, for which LH was the launch customer.

Today (Dec. 16, 2023), on FlightAware, I found that an Airbus 340-600 (quad jet) operating as LH 431, left ORD at 6:37pm this evening, already in the air for 2hrs 26 mins, and has 5hrs 24mins to go, for arrival in FRA, at (local) 9:28am. This is exactly the A346 flight I recall most, especially because, for the onward long-haul flight, from Frankfurt, LH would sometimes "bus" pax out to the tarmac, for boarding (away from the Gate) in Frankfurt airport. Plus, the A340-600 is surely one (extremely) long plane...🙂...which is hard to ignore when one climbs up the steps from the tarmac into this aircraft...

While the A346 has already left ORD today, there is another B747-8, waiting at ORD now, for departure at 10:35pm, also destined for Frankfurt. The filed altitude for this flight is 33,000ft, and here is its route: RAYNR BRTMN TAAYZ PECOK 4700N/08000W MT OMTOL HOIST 5500N/05000W 5500N/04000W 5600N/03000W 5600N/02000W PIKIL SOVED LUTOV BELOX BUKUT L603 LAMSO EVELI OTMEC SOGPO DIXAT T149 LIPMI T911 TANJO TANJO1A. So, for my Lufthansa B747-8, for this post, I've manually entered these same WPTs and Oceanic LATLONGs into the FMC. My FMC [PROG] page showed a distance of ~3,800 nms, which matched today's RW flight distance of ~4,300 miles.

Hope you enjoy these (20) Pics of this long (and complete) flight of mine... (don't recall having done such a long flight, in the SIM, in recent memory...🙂...), as I lift off from ORD in the dusk light, fly through the night, and arrive at Frankfurt in the dawn light...just as what I used to do as a (RW) traveler...each time, catching sight of the first rays of the Sun, from the Cabin window at 30,000 ft, as you see, here, in my concluding images below...

Thanks for viewing.

Another fine set P-7878, thanks for showing !

cheers 😉

pmplayer, Richard:

Thanks, and glad you liked this set of images of the 748...!

 

5 hours ago, pmplayer said:

Another fine set P-7878, thanks for showing !

cheers 😉

The 748 liveries in Xbox are somewhat limited, pmplayer...I would like to get it in the newer LH livery ...the airline remains the largest operator of the -8I now ...

Though, my (LH) recollections are mostly of this old (and iconic) livery ...

Very nice shots! 😉 

Nice shots to relive old memories. I would say you are well-traveled...both in (and out) of  the sim.

On 12/17/2023 at 12:08 PM, Alaska738 said:

Very nice shots! 😉 

Appreciated the comment, Will...!

 

On 12/17/2023 at 1:12 PM, John F said:

Nice shots to relive old memories. I would say you are well-traveled...both in (and out) of the sim.

Thanks, John...! Yes, these days...more well-travelled...in the SIM than out of the SIM...🙂...