Longest RAF mission?

[Small Cheese]

The USAF announced today that the longest B-2 mission to Afghanistan so far was 44 hours. Hats off to those guys, no matter what on-board facilities they may be provided with.

However, that started a bit of an argument over a quiet pint. What was the longest RAF mission ever?

I think it must have been one of the Albert flights down south during/just after the war, but someone also suggested that Coastal Command Liberators put in some very long missions over the Atlantic.

Anyone know the answer?

[DrSyn]

I am sure you are right about our Alberts during the Falklands push. The officer then known as Budgie, but probably now as Sir or 'Arry, was credited with around 32 hours out and back from ASI. I really must hit the sack right now or I would have dug out the relevant details which are buried in boxes.

No doubt the facts will be here before I rise!

[Samuel]

Given the claim is for a B2, I presume it is for the longest bombing mission, which up until now would have been Black Buck to the Falklands. "Air War: South Atlantic ".

Could an Albert carry enough pies for 44 hours airborne?

[MarkD]

I think the B-2 Yugoslavia missions beat Black Buck a few years ago. The Ascension-Stanley round trip was about 7500 miles.

Fire up Google and type in "Black Buck" for more...

[BEagle]

The longest flight which I know of - and no I was NOT there at the time - was the flight by 2 Vickers Wellesleys in 1938 from Ismailia in Egypt to Darwin. They did the 7162 miles in just over 48 hours... Crew of 3 in each and but a single Bristol Pegasus XXII engine in each aircraft!

[FJJP]

The Buck missions were flown from Ascension. The Vulcan does .84M cruise, which is 480K TAS or about 8nm/min. That means that the 7500nm round trip would have taken about 15.5 hrs. Given the descent, bomb run and climb back to high level, the whole mission must have taken around 16 hours. God knows what it was like in the cockpit flying for 44 hours. Take my hat off to those guys. :eek:

[Deaf]

WWII Catalina missions would have to be considered, for the RAF support for Artic Convoys or something in the Indian Ocean.

The scheduled civilian mail/VIP flights pre dawn takeoff from Perth to Ceylon were ~28 hrs and the passengers were given the "Order of the Double Sunrise". Longer recon flights were flown.

[Descend to What Height?!?]

Makes the 12 hour sorties in Snoopy seem a mere doddle. Was a bit uncomfortable on one where the cargo hold ac pack went u/s, and the cabin temp sat at around -14'C for 9 hours.
Ah those were the days....... :rolleyes:

[Follow Me Through]

Have the thought police or politically correct looked at the dangers of DVT with these record-breaking sorties?

[Throttle Pusher]

The longest mission I ever completed was 21 years, getting a drink from a spec aircrew navigator! :) :) :)

[Whipping Boy's SATCO]

Didn't a Nimrod do a non-stop FI to Kinloss once? I seem to remember it was somewhere in the 24hr area. Not the longest, but still.........

[PPRuNe Dispatcher]

The longest nonstop Vulcan flight was by XH481 on 20th June 1961 from Scampton to Sydney. The flight took just over 20 hours.

The aircraft was "borrowed" by 617 squadron from 101 squadron for the flight as it had the best servicabilty record at the time. 101 squadron didn't know at the time why 617 squadron wanted that particular aircraft! My dad in particular was extremely pissed off as he was the crew chief of XH481... and anyone who knew my dad would understand why XH481 was such a good aircraft.

---Mik

[scroggs]

The longest C130 mission in the Falklands era was by XV179 on 18/19 June 1982, at 28 hrs 4 minutes. At the time, it was the longest-ever operational military non-stop flight, the furthest out-and-back airdrop, and the longest-ever flight by a C130 of any operator. F/L Terry Locke was the Captain, I was the co.
I understood that the long B2 missions over the last few days included a ground stop and crew change at Diego Garcia, and are not non-stop flights. I believe the there-and-back flying time is around 32 hours, so if the overall mission time is 44 hours, that's a 12 hour stop on the island. Given the distances and speeds involved, I think that's more credible than 44 hours airborne.

[Small Cheese]

To clear up the B-2 missions, this from the US news release:

The record missions originated here [Whiteman], attacked targets in Afghanistan, then landed at Diego Garcia, a British island in the Indian Ocean, Przybyslawski [509th boss] said. After about an hour on the ground for an engine-running crew change, the jets were airborne again with a fresh crew on board for the more than 30-hour flight home.

"The fact these aircraft never shut down their engines for more than 70 hours highlights the durability and reliability of this weapon system,"


Bløødy 'ell - that's a long time! The release went on to say that crews train in the sim for 50 hour flights.

Thanks for the replies - anyone know any more about the WW2 missions? Otherwise I'll hand it to Scroggs (mighty effort, sir - Labrador to Wiltshire is about twice as long as any person should reasonably have to endure Albert).

[ 15 October 2001: Message edited by: Small Cheese ]

[BEagle]

Impressive as the B2 is, 48 hours non-stop spent behind a single Pegasus radial in an aeroplane with no autopilot in the late 1930s was pretty good too!

Lyneham to Brize is probably the longest anyone should have to endure in the back of a b£oody Albert!!

[Small Cheese]

Sorry, BEagle. Hadn't deliberately ignored those intrepid (mad?) Wellesley chaps, but I had figured that it wasn't really an operational tasking the way the others are.

[gravity victim]

I read somewhere that the key to the impressive endurance of the B2 is a Wal-Mart sunlounger, which just fits behind the pilots'seats. I suppose if ordered via normal channels they would cost $30K a pop!

[newswatcher]

Not RAF I know, but how long were the U2 trips in the 50/60s? I guess they may have been candidates for the longest single-handed missions, or am I wrong.

[ 16 October 2001: Message edited by: newswatcher ]

[Swing Wing]

Did 15 hrs in a Victor K2 on an MRR trip from Ascension. Without a loo we took a man size plastic bag for 'No 2s'. Rules were, if you went in, you did'nt come out! On landing it was every man for himself.... :D :D

[scroggs]

Small Cheese,
thanks for the 'prize' - I'm not doing a lap of honour!
Those USAF times you quote don't make a lot of sense to me. The distance from KZSL (Whiteman) to FJDG (Diego) via OAKB (Kabul) is 8818nm, according to my computer. For that to take over 30 hours suggests an average groundspeed of under 300kts, which doesn't really make sense. The great circle route doesn't infringe any of the few non-cooperative countries, and all the AAR brackets should be at reasonable heights and speeds. The prevailing winds on the way there should be positive, and I would doubt that they spend too long in the target area. I would anticipate a sector time, including bonb runs, in the order of 20 hours there and maybe 24 back (44 hours?). 70 hours would allow time for a somewhat unnecessary circumnavigation of the globe! Anyone got any explanations?

[Wycombe]

...and they fly them on 20 hour missions to airshows! AFAIK, the same one was used on Sat & Sun at RIAT this year, with a 3.5 hour turnaround at Whiteman.

Good training, I suppose

[Small Cheese]

Must admit that the B-2 times do look suspect, but that's what the guy said!

Could be that they went round the Cape to avoid overflying any territory, or going across the Pacific. A quick 'thumb' across either route makes the times seem more believable.

[Capn Notarious]

Well after all of the above. My father did an eleven hour round trip in a Lancaster. His generation helped give me, the second of the two greatest gifts. FREEDOM AND A FUTURE.

[rosscoe_pk]

I tried starting the same topic on the forums at http://www.servicepals.com/forums, but nobody there seems interested. Any thought on how we could improve those forums to attract military people such as yourselves? Would like to know.

All the best,

Ross

[Art Field]

I had the doubtful honour of being invited to be the tame AAR assistant pilot on a proposed Albert trip from Ascension to South Sandwich Islands during the Falklands do to drop off some of the Hereford lot. Not that the captain (Harry Burgoyne?) needed any help.
The trip was planned to be around 30 hrs. It was cancelled at the last minute I'm pleased to say.

[moggie]

Should we not be celebrating those that can manage to do a trip quickly? For example - Herc from IAD to LYE - 9 hours plus. Same fligt time brings you from Las Vegas to Brize - much better idea.

Shortest - 9 minutes - Boscombe to Brize in a VC10 without breaking any limitations or rules.

[ 21 October 2001: Message edited by: moggie ]