Long haul or what!!

[capt ronweb]

Today while making my way back up North from EHAM @ FL340 at about 10;00 we were talking to Scottish and he gave me the usual info about an aircraft crossing from left to right 1000ft above, grand, we both looked and it was a lovely sight, we even said "morning" and the guy responded likewise, it was not a busy frequency.As he passed over us the Scottish controller asked him (the singapore airbus) what was his flight time today, wait for it, yes I was gobsmacked when the guy said 17hours and 56 minutes. We landed 30 mins later and I was home in 20 minutes, I am 3/4's way through the "honey do" list already. Maybe I have got this wrong, long haul people correct me here but if it had taken Mr Singapore say 6 and 1/2 hours to get from JFK (?) to where we saw him(60nm East of NEW), this is like ATPL planning all over again, that means nearly 11 and 1/2 hours to go from when we saw him!!!
Tough work or not? I wonder if that type of flying is enjoyable?
Happy Landings everybody.
Capt Ronweb.

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

There was a high level jet this morning over the Northern UK/N Atlantic that was 170kts on my chart... Perhaps this tweaked ATCs interest. For me it was 1hr2mins to Amsterdam, 1hr31mins back. Multiply that by perhaps a 13hr normal sector...

Cheers

WWW

[Rainboe]

18 flying hours one duty........= 4 or 5 days work like that......a month......look and weep! Travel almost halfway around the world, in one go? It either floats your boat or not.

[scroggs]

The JFK-SIN flight is, I believe, currently the longest scheduled non-stop service, flown by A340-500 aircraft. The winds must have been unusually strong for the flight to be as far south as UK - I would have thought that the GC route would be considerably further north.

17:56 is a mere bagatelle; my own longest is 28:04!

Scroggs

[Loki]

No, I worked that flight loads of times....as far South as Clacton in fact. I used to like pointing it out to other a/c that it went past.

[Avman]

Yep, it's a regular through the Maastricht airspace. To be honest, I wouldn't fancy it - not even in First Class. I get bored after a couple of hours!

[Big Tudor]

Scroggs is right, Great Circle would put it right over the North Pole at about 9,500 miles. Although coming south over the UK only adds about another 5-800 miles to the route. More advantageous winds must make it a preferable route. Although at 9,500 nms a couple of hundred extra here or there are almost academic!

[Airbubba]

To be honest, I wouldn't fancy it - not even in First Class.

If it's SQ I think I could enjoy the floor show for a couple of days before I'd get bored.

[JackOffallTrades]

Originally Posted by scroggs

The JFK-SIN flight is, I believe, currently the longest scheduled non-stop service, flown by A340-500 aircraft. The winds must have been unusually strong for the flight to be as far south as UK - I would have thought that the GC route would be considerably further north.
17:56 is a mere bagatelle; my own longest is 28:04!
Scroggs

28:04!!?

What sort of flight was that Scroggs? What were you flying?

[dontpickit]

SIA21 this one?

Aircraft Airbus A340-500 (quad-jet) (H/A345/Q)Origin Newark/New York Liberty Int'l (KEWR)Destination Singapore Changi (WSSS) Route MERIT HFD PUT TOPPS N111B DOTTY NATT
ODLUM UN551 NIBOG UN552 MAC UN562 SAB
UL983 MADAD UL983 VES UL975 ELVIX UL621
DIBED UL981 SOBLO B143 KARAT B143 IDLER
UM747 LUSAL UB111 SAGIL UA912 RODAR N644
LEMODDate Wednesday, Dec 13, 2006Duration 16 hours 32 minutesProgressn/a left





Status Proposed/AssignedActual/EstimatedDeparture11:00PM EST11:31PM ESTArrival09:56PM GMT09:03PM GMT

[IE_flyer]

I flew this recently (EWR-SIN-EWR) and yes, it's VERY long. The aircraft configuration is impressive, with so much free space. There are only 181 seats on the whole aircraft. No first class, just business and a premium economy cabin.

The seat plan can be seen here: http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Sin...irbus_A345.php

[flt_lt_w_mitty]

Cone on you drama queens - you are asleep most of that time!

[RoyHudd]

Methinks Scroggsy was on some very special crew food, allowing him to hallucinate for over 28 hours!!!!!!!!! Or maybe teaming up with his boss and Steve for a little trip round the world.

Come on then, oh Moderator extraordinaire...what flight was that? Surely not commercial?

Got an HRG return tomorrow, quite enough for me and the other bloke, I can tell you.

[JustAnothrWindScreen]

Originally Posted by Rainboe

It either floats your boat or not.

It sinks mine. Actually seems like cruel and unusual punishment. But as they say.... everyone is different.

[fox niner]

Hmmmmmm......

And I thought I was a cool dude with 14 hour flights in my 777. Apparently, this is not the case.

Bummer.

[flash8]

Originally Posted by RoyHudd

Methinks Scroggsy was on some very special crew food, allowing him to hallucinate for over 28 hours!!!!!!!!! Or maybe teaming up with his boss and Steve for a little trip round the world.
Come on then, oh Moderator extraordinaire...what flight was that? Surely not commercial?
Got an HRG return tomorrow, quite enough for me and the other bloke, I can tell you.

Obviously not commercial. I'd hazard a guess of an (RAF) heavy (Tristar/Herc?) with in-flight refueling? (If that can be done?)

[galaxy flyer]

If this a guessing game on Scoggs:

Me thinks Herc--Ascension-southbound to a certain combat zone AND return to the Rock!!! 1982. Am I right??

GF

[Huck]

I fly alot of MD-11 long haul, i.e. 13 hours or so. It's painful but more days off, the old trade-off. 6 hours or so in the bunk every flight - I carry a laptop and a few "Sopranos" disks.....

When I get tired of it I bid domestic until that gets old, then go back.

[arem]

I think the Catalina crews of WW2 were often in the air for 36hrs or so!

[mini]

18 hrs is a long time as a pax. I could probably just about stick it in the deadheading row on cargo (walk about, smoke etc) but certainly not on a regular. Even in 1st, 12 hrs is my limit - assuming I can sleep 8 of them.