19 hours on an airliner?

Here's what the world's currently longest nonstop airline flight is like:

 

The lavs are usually hazardous waste zones on 9-10hr flights (less on US flights). Wonder if they have service workers on board to provide mid-flight cleanings.

 

I used to regularly to the LAX-BKK non-stop flight on the A340-500. It was only slightly shorter than the LAX-SIN flight. Figuring out a viable sleep pattern was problematic with it being a 13 hour time difference from the Central Time Zone. Ones bottom gave out long before the fight was over. Could easily watch 3 or 4 movies.

There was a rumor of the aircraft having a coach seating section but I never saw it.

 

Ghawd. I flew LAX to SYD, 16 hours more or less. In coach, on United. That's as long as I -ever- want to be on a plane.

 

I flew coach from Istanbul to JFK once with a serious headwind that made the flight >14 hours...another two hours would have killed me.

 

Try 10-12 hours in a fighter or U-2.

 

I'm having a tough time imagining that. I'm presuming one's career gradually prepares you for that duration mission but how do you do it?
Mind over matter (if you don't mind, it don't matter)? Condom-cath? something to prevent DVTs?
Really makes me wonder what it was like for the Gemini Astronauts and their ilk did their marathons.
Much respect

 

I’m pleased to say that I’ve flown the round trip JFK to Changi in 2012.

It was a great experience. The food was great, the service quite good.

Thank you, Ambian!

Matt

Screen shot of my in-flight status:

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Or triple that in a bomber. You can stretch your legs in the B-52, lay out the cot in the B-2, and try to stretch in the tunnel of the B-1.

 

Mule- Affirmative, the ladder area from the upper to lower crew compartments is the only place you can stand completely up in a BUFF, but that is still something. Not sure they even bother with celestial shots any more with INS, GPS, etc, but that gave a little room in the old days for the EWO.

LeMay is probably rolling over in his grave now that crew members are allowed to sleep on the heavies. You could get court marshalled for that in the olden days.

 

I did a 12.8 in the A-10.

 

Jim- My max was around 10. When the 366 TFW deployed to Australia from Mountain Home in the late 70s, it was around 14.

 

I'm guessing that a 20-hour airline flight is probably right around the corner. On a flight that long, I'd want a seat that converts into a flat bed; anything less won't cut it.

 

Summer of 2000 I flew South African Airways 747 from ATL to Johannesburg non-stop. It was a miserable 17 hours or so and I can't sleep on planes.

 

I did 15:45 non stop LA to Melbourne on a Dreamliner. No biggie. But then I fly to Hong Kong every month and those average about 14 hours on the way over and 12 on the way back.

I liked the non stop much better than flying to Sydney and then going on another plane to Melbourne. I find getting on the second plane after 14 hours much tougher to do than just spending another 90 minutes in the air on the first leg.

 

I remember once leaving ATL on a Canadair RJ heading to Ottawa. The procedure was to walk inside the jetway to its end, then walk down a short stairway and then across the ramp to the RJ's airstair, stopping along the way to drop off your luggage. The SAA 747 was sitting at the gate right alongside, and the size contrast between the RJ and the 747 was rather stark!

 

Not an airliner but how about 9 days, 3 minutes and 44 seconds?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutan_Voyager

 

That was about 30 years ago for me, don't think I could do it today. We tanked either 8 or 9 times.

 

Reports are that Qantas is wanting Boeing or Airbus to come up with a model that will allow non-stop Sydney/London. This will exceed all current in production aircraft so it has to be a ne variant.

 

My worst was flying SF to Singapore (westbound) and returning in 2 days, then 3 days later flying SF to Tel Aviv (eastbound) and again returning in 2 days. I was working with different teams, so I couldn't make it one "round the world trip". Probably about 60 hours in the air over 8 days. I didn't know when to wake up for at least a week.

 

I offer a sea story from 54 years ago apropos of nothing in particular other than it reflects a large number of hours in a specific aircraft.
In mid June, 1965 the Navy gave me immediate orders to Tourane, which as it turned out was the earlier French name for Da Nang. Four days after receipt of the orders I was bused from the Brooklyn Navy Yard to NAS Lakehurst, NJ where I boarded a VR-21 C-118 Liftmaster flight number 48A18 at 1425 on 6/20/65. We stopped for fuel and crew changes at NAS Alameda, NAS Barbers Point, NAF Wake Island, NAS Agana, Guam, and NAS Cubi Point where we stayed overnight in their BOQ/BEQ. I picked up seven side arms and ammo at the Naval Supply Depot, Subic, and we re-boarded good old BUNO 131604 for the last leg of the trip to DaNang where we arrived at 2215 on 6/24/65 after spending 47 hours and 47 minutes aloft in that bird. The only benefit from that long travel ordeal was that I was happy to get to Da Nang!

Best regards,

Robert

 

I remember seeing that plane at the Smithsonian and reading about it...still hard to believe anyone would want to attempt that let alone complete it. Absolutely crazy people lol.

They're not as crazy as the Hacienda Cessna 172 guys. 64+ days non-stop.

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2008/march/01/endurance-test-circa-1958

 

I’ve done the around the world going Toronto to Australia thru Dubai and kept going east back thru Tokyo to Toronto.


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I’m amazed they are doing these. The fuel spent carrying the fuel for the last miles is crazy. My friend runs an airline and the numbers are nuts. Based on fuel cost they decide everything even how much the crap on board has to sell for to make it worth carrying it.


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