Qantas Perth - Heathrow

[ian16th]

The headline is wrong! but they get it nearly right in the article.
Most people don't know the difference between non-stop and direct.
This will be the 1st non-stop commercial passenger flight between the 2 nations.

The 1st non-stop flight between UK and Oz was in 1961, when a Vulcan crewed by 617 Squadrons Squadron Leader Beavis, flew from Scampton to Sydney.

This a/c was re-fuelled in flight by Valiant tankers of 214 Sqdn, operating from Cyprus, Karachi and Singapore.

I know 'cos I was on the detachment to Karachi.

Qantas have also previously completed a non-passenger carrying flight, from Heathrow to Sydney, with a B-747-400.

[Capetonian]

It is infuriating when people don't know the difference between nonstop and direct. Some years ago my sister who is an expert on everything, claims that she flew from London to Sydney non-stop on a British Airways flight. When I challenged her over it she said : we stopped in Singapore but we didn't have to get off the plane.

[unifoxos]

It' the Grauniad - what did you expect? Accurate reporting, spelling and grammar?

[ian16th]

It is infuriating when people don't know the difference between nonstop and direct. Some years ago my sister who is an expert on everything, claims that she flew from London to Sydney non-stop on a British Airways flight. When I challenged her over it she said : we stopped in Singapore but we didn't have to get off the plane.

I've had to get off the a/c a few times on direct flights, at such exotic beauty spots as Antananarivo!

And one when I only wanted to stay in my seat and sleep, Brisbane.

We were on an 18-hour leg with Scumarates, from Dubai to Auckland, stopping at Singapore and Brisbane. The Oz 'authorities' made us get off, queue to do a passport check and then a check against the manifest, we hung around for nearly an hour, buying grotty coffee with a credit card 'cos we had no Oz$.
Then we went in reverse through the manifest and passport check to get back on board.
All I wanted was to sleep.

In fairness, I must mention a couple of places where I didn't want to get off, and they let me stay on board, Brazzaville when flying with UTA and Kinshasa when with Sabena.

[Woody]

We were on an 18-hour leg with Scumarates, from Dubai to Auckland, stopping at Singapore and Brisbane. The Oz 'authorities' made us get off, queue to do a passport check and then a check against the manifest, we hung around for nearly an hour, buying grotty coffee with a credit card 'cos we had no Oz$.
Then we went in reverse through the manifest and passport check to get back on board.
All I wanted was to sleep.

Don’t the Septics do that to the Air New Zealand flight to Auckland from LHR, when it stops at LAX

[Woody]

Suppose I’ll see it tomorrow at Perry Oaks International

[ian16th]

Oddity!

Just logged on to flightradar24, yesterdays flight is still in the air!

[Woody]

Oddity!

Just logged on to flightradar24, yesterdays flight is still in the air!

Last A380 via sandpit, due at LHR 12.40

[Ex-Ascot]

I guess that this is a night flight all the way if I have got it right? Very interesting to see how the folk deal with the jet lag. If you can treat it just like a long night, recovery may not be too bad. We used to do a weekend in DC followed by a Honkers run. That was difficult.

[603DX]

So over 17 actual flying hours; presumably there will have to be two sets of flight crew, and probably also cabin crew?

[Woody]

Just 9 hours 20 minutes to go

[ian16th]

It seems to have the wind up its arse, and it is scheduled to arrive before 03:00

What time do the noise abatement rules allow landings at LHR?

[Woody]

Clocks go forward one hour tonight, normally no landings before 0430

[ian16th]

It might have to hover for a while then.

[Ex-Ascot]

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

[Woody]

Two QF1 today as well, one via Singapore, other via sandpit.

[Capetonian]

I think it's more of a PR exercise than a viable and profitable routing and it will be interesting to see how it evolves.

What semi-literate muddle-headed moron said this :

"The flight marked a historic day for aviation. From today it will be the first link between Australia and Europe that has ever occurred non-stop in aviation, we are so excited."

Answers on a postcard.