20 hours non-stop

[Boac]

The move to direct SYD to LHR, taking over 20 hours, brings an interesting dilemma on fuel carriage. I seem to recall that the penalty for fuel carriage in a jet was around 4% per hour. It begs the question that if we push a route to 25 hours......................

[ian16th]

This is why In Flight/Air to Air Refuelling was invented!

https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/o ... lling.aspx

[Alisoncc]

Are there any commercial/civilian flight refueling operations anywhere? Or is just a military specialisation?

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

I thought AAR was bloody marvellous, especially no comms.
Nevermind the technological aspects, it really is a triumph of human endeavour.
Just pitch up next to the tanker cockpit at Oh-dark-thirty, wait for him to notice you, drift back and follow the traffic lights. You didn't get your windshield wiped, but apart from that it was perfect!
For bonus points your tanker would be listening in to the air picture, and would divert off the towline to start the intercept with your pair plugged in. They'd leave you topped up at 70nm from the targets and head back to Blighty, leaving you to wind up the hamsters in the radar and get on with your job. Tick VG

[Alisoncc]

Fox, did you have to present your credit card before or after filling up? Don't suppose they had "tap and go" back then. Mind you if you had an account they would just charge it. Sign the invoice when you landed.

[Boac]

We used to have Shell Carnets in the Lightning force tied to a/c identification letter. That was in the days of Green Shield stamps, mind you.

[ian16th]

Are there any commercial/civilian flight refueling operations anywhere? Or is just a military specialisation?

One of life's oddities is that Alan Cobham's great idea was for civil a/c to fly non-stop to all point of the Empire, but it became a military tool.

For anyone interested in the history and development of the matter, I recommend the book; 'In Cobhams' Company' buy Colin Crudas.
ISBN 0 9524488 0 7

I'm not mentioned by name, but the antics of 214 Sqn are.

[Slasher]

20 hours non stop??!! 25 envisaged?? My godfather.

Who the hell wants to be cooped up in an aluminium tube for that long without a break? SQ started SIN-JFK direct and vv a few years ago and it fell over because of the flight time - and that's with an all cabin BC configuration. No one could even survive BC let alone Cattle. It was in a A340-600 I think too.

What's next? Issuing pax with certificates of the Double Sunrise?

Unless the White Rat offers cheap comfy fully reclinable FC seats on the cheap, with firm guarantee all crying babies and annoying brats are locked away down in the rearmost cargo holds, I think most will opt for a mid-stopover somewhere of 2 hours transit for a recovery and leg stretch.

[ian16th]

I think most will opt for a mid-stopover somewhere of 2 hours transit for a recovery and leg stretch.

A night or two in a hotel bed appeals to me.

30 odd years ago when I travelled on the 747-200 with BA from Joburg to various USA ports of entry, a big atraction was that BA gave the business class pax a night in a London hotel in each direction.

[Slasher]

Thing is Ian 30 years ago was during an era when Int'l flying was still enjoyable...before the Dark Times. Now it just sucks.

I agree with a pub stopover enroute. Done it meself.

[Ex-Ascot]

The foreign office had a great idea for a tour of Africa for the Foreign Secretary. To save on hotel costs we would fly at night between each country and he would sleep on board. Africa is big but not that big. We flew in circles so that he could sleep in his on board bedroom. The accompanying press and his staff were not impressed neither were we. Goodness knows what the fuel costs were. But, different budget of course.

We went though a period when you were not allowed to have a budget for more fuel for the current year than you had for the previous year. We were flying empty jets across the pond on 'trainers' to ensure we got our same budget for the following year. Phoned up friends in Vancouver and asked them if my wife and I could call in for dinner the following week. Took my own jet on the strength of a navigational grid exercise across the Arctic.

[Boac]

Heck - with ypur propensity for 'greasers', ex-A, you should have just put down and pretended.

[Ex-Ascot]

Heck - with ypur propensity for 'greasers', ex-A, you should have just put down and pretended.

It was the same FS who went onto the flight deck at Moscow who congratulated the relief Capt having just taken over on HIS greaser.

[ian16th]

Thing is Ian 30 years ago was during an era when Int'l flying was still enjoyable...before the Dark Times. Now it just sucks.

I agree with a pub stopover enroute. Done it meself.

Still at the rear of the back burner, is the very vague possibillity that SM & I just might visit family in Oz.

Did I qualify that enough?

If we do, I do have the route and carrier planned.

It is with SIA, JNB-SIN-MEL with at least 2 nights in Singers each way.
And seeing as we are now so far from JNB, a night each way there as well.
So that is 6 nights away from home, not at our destinatiion.

[Slasher]

JNB - SIN is roughly 9-10 hours flying time and SIN-MEL about 8 hours. Two nights in SIN will acclimatise you. Good deal!

[Woody]

Well it’s back on again

The battle to offer the world's longest non-stop flight steps up a gear on Thursday, when a new Singapore-to-New York service takes off.
Singapore Airlines is relaunching the service five years after it withdrew because it had become too expensive.
It will cover more than 15,000km and is scheduled to take just under 19 hours.
Qantas launched a 17-hour non-stop service from Perth to London earlier this year, while Qatar runs a 17.5-hour service between Auckland and Doha.
Have passengers been snapping up the tickets?
The flight from Changi Airport to Newark's international airport in New Jersey will be taking off amid much fanfare and with barely a seat to spare.
Singapore Airlines (SIA) said there was demand for customers for non-stop services which help cut travelling times compared with flights which have a stopover.
The airline told the BBC that business class seats for the flight were fully booked.
However, there were "a very limited number" of premium economy seats left.
The airline is not planning to offer any economy bookings on the route.
A business class ticket will entitle passengers to two meals, and the choice of when they are served, plus refreshments in between. They will also have a bed to sleep in.
Premium economy fares will get three meals at fixed times, with refreshments in between.

[ian16th]

SQ22 is scheduled to take off quite soon!

[ian16th]

Delayed!

About 8 Hours.

[Woody]

Delayed!

About 8 Hours.

Not according to Flightradar24

[ian16th]

Delayed!

About 8 Hours.

Not according to Flightradar24

Not often I'm right.

But I'm wrong, again.