Taking advantage of this long holiday weekend, I simulated today what I recall as probably the longest time I was ever afloat in the air, travelling in an AA 777. I've been meaning to do it for a while but never got to it.

In my life, there was a period of a couple of decades, I considered myself the consummate (and seasoned) long-haul air-traveler. 8–10-hour flights, across the oceans and lands, were most common (departing from my local airport, Chicago, O'Hare, to destinations in the east and far-east) with typically one layover in Europe (mostly in Frankfurt). But I can also recall a couple of ultra-haul flights lasting 16 hours or more. One, I especially cannot forget, had lasted 18 hours. The (non-stop) flight was from KORD/Chicago to New Delhi/VIDP, operated by an American Airlines 777, which was (normally) supposed to last ~16 hours. However, due to adverse weather in New Delhi, caused by a nasty combination of heavy rain, gusty winds, and dense fog; the flight got diverted to Jaipur/VIJP, about an hour so of extra flight time from New Delhi.

At the end of that already long 16 hours 777 flight, prior to the cockpit announcement of diversion, I recall pressing my forehead into the cabin window next to me, and peering outside, and seeing nothing except the rain striking against the window, and an absolutely opaque grey (and cloudy) sky. New Delhi is notorious for low-level (dense) fog and smog, that surely awaited below, on our final approach path. These are the times when you begin to develop supreme faith in the aircraft you're travelling...🙂..., a Boeing 777 here. Moreover, I never had felt more respect for that extra (RESERVE) amount of fuel, that we, the virtual simmers, casually plan for (and enter into the FMC), at the start of our long-haul flights. 

Anyway, after another hour and half later, nearly 18 hours after we had lifted off; to my extreme relief, we finally (and safely) landed in Jaipur. [BTW, here is a little trivia, from yours truly 007 enthusiast...🙂... There is only one James Bond film (Octopussy, 1983) that is shot in India, and this city of Jaipur happens to be near the locales that were used for shooting of this film, with (late) Sir Roger Moore, at the helms, as the fictional British Secret Service Agent. Octopussy was actually shot in a nearby city, within the same state as Jaipur, called Udaipur.]

I learned today that AA has since discontinued (KORD-VIDP) non-stop flights, whereas United Airlines and Air India still operate non-stop flights between these two cities. For my flight today, I've used the SimBrief (default) route, uploaded into the FMC/CDU of this PMDG 777.

Below, excerpted, is the entire (marathon) 8,000 miles (~16 hr) route that I've strictly adhered to for my flight (at 4X simrate), and a shot of the SimBrief Map is also shown in my shot #3 below.

"KORD/09C N0491F290 DCT EBAKE DCT WISMO DCT POSTS DCT PADDE DCT SVM DCT DERLO Q913 RAKAM DCT EBONY DCT PORTI/M084F290 DCT 47N050W 48N040W 48N030W 48N020W 47N015W DCT SIVIR DCT RIVAK/N0493F290 DCT GALOF/N0484F320 DCT PECNO DCT VALKU/N0479F330 DCT TIS UP860 BALSI UY11 ROBEX DCT LAPRI/N0482F320 DCT MOGBO DCT LABIN/N0480F330 DCT SONIK DCT ELTIB DCT UZVEZ DCT VEBAR DCT NISVA L614 BLO T228 BGS Q29 ARTAT UP975 ERMUP/N0483F350 UP975 ERGUN UL124 BONAM L319 DASDO L223 SIR DCT TATLA DCT TONVO P307 KUNUS/N0484F370 P307 VAXIM L301 RASKI L639 LAXOM J61 UUD A347 UKASO UKAS6C VIDP/29R"

Per FlightAware, an actual Air India (KORD->VIDP) 777 flight was completed yesterday, on Friday, with route and waypointing, near identical to the (SimBrief) one shown above. Note in particular, in the SimBrief Route MAP, how the final segment (starting with Persian Gulf and UAE) sharply dips down below the countries of Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, before turning up north, for the home stretch, towards New Delhi.

I departed at 2:00pm Chicago time, witnessing the evening and nightfall, soon after, even before I entered into the airspace over the Atlantic Ocean (See the PMDG EFB Map and my MSFS EFB Map shots, below). In the darkness, I passed over the Alps mountains (see my previous post about a visit to the Alps, if you wish), then experienced a glorious sunrise somewhere in the transition point between the continents of Europe and Asia, while travelling across and over umpteen countries. The highpoint in this part was my passage over the (vast) Black Sea (see one picture of it in shot #13) lying between Europe and Asia. From my RW flights, I distinctly recall flying high above the Black Sea, sometimes in total darkness, and pondering about this massive (and mysterious, been named "Black") inland body of water, with a sense of awe and fear....🙂...I also overflew many mountain ranges (some covered with snow; see images below) on my way today and was thankful that I was not flying anywhere near the (fearsome) Himalayas...🙂...which you can clearly see just north of India, in my MSFS EFB Map screenshot #16.

The (trusty) PMDG 777 stood up to the challenge of my ultra-haul flight admirably well...except for one-time FWD Fuel Pump cautionary advisements on the EICAS (which I promptly corrected by flipping a couple of overhead switches). There was absolutely no other issue, as far this virtual pilot could tell, from the moment I took off from Runway 09C/KORD in Chicago to the moment I expertly touched down...🙂...on the (ILS) Runway 29R/VIDP in New Delhi.

I, of course, breathed a sigh of relief on my (virtual) touchdown in New Delhi (see my final shot) ...on successful completion of this marathon flight; just as I'd once breathed a (huge) sigh of relief, after the wheels of the AA 777 had (finally) touched down on the runway at the city of Jaipur, after been (suspensefully...🙂...) diverted, in the very last moment, from New Delhi ...

Hope you enjoy this collection of images from my ultra-haul flight today...with two sunsets and one sunrise included in the same single flight. How often, can we claim to experience such natural (and celestial) phenomena...while up above in an airplane...real or virtual...🙂...?

Thanks for viewing...!

Happy flying...!

Long, long haul...I'm impressed! (I like that dawn shot at the north end of the Adriatic.)

And here, all these months, I thought you had business to attend to in Frankfurt. 😃

Edited December 1, 2025Dec 1 by John F

40 minutes ago, John F said:

Long, long haul...I'm impressed! (I like that dawn shot at the north end of the Adriatic.)

And here, all these months, I thought you had business to attend to in Frankfurt. 😃

Thanks very much, John, for catching my post at the end of this Holiday weekend…🙂…, and also for your comment…

Actually, I am the one impressed by this PMDG Boeing masterpiece, especially because I frankly did not expect my humble Xbox to so flawlessly withstand this (grueling) marathon flight…🙂… of this complex airliner simulation, which it indeed did.

Anyway, I think I’m done with (RW) ultra-long-haul flights in my life…🙂… unless it’s one to Australia or New Zealand, where there is no other choice…

Cheers…!

Edited December 1, 2025Dec 1 by P_7878

Great shots, Congratulations on the longest flight !!

Mine was about 11 to 12h but with no time compression..

cheers 😉

6 hours ago, pmplayer said:

Great shots, Congratulations on the longest flight !!

Mine was about 11 to 12h but with no time compression..

cheers 😉

Appreciated the comment, pmplayer.

Yes, I do recall, at least, one of your long-haul flights…🙂…performed at 1X sim rate. You had started very early in the day. Yes, 11-12 hour long-hauls are feasible at 1X, e.g., 7am to 7pm, with most of it at cruise in Autopilot/LNAV control.

However, 16+ hour ones are a bit tough, without losing sleep…🙂…Anyway, between cooking Turkey…🙂…, and entertaining a couple of guests, I am glad I could finish it, after all.
 

I did 4X at cruise and often reverted to 1X sim rate to view (and to take screenshots of…🙂…) scenery, such as e.g., the high mountains or the sunrise and sunset that I’ve shown here…

It was indeed a rewarding and learning experience…!

Cheers…!

Edited December 1, 2025Dec 1 by P_7878