rkkwan

biz.yahoo.com/prnews/051108/sftu169.html?.v=2

Boeing is going to fly their 777-200LR demonstrator from HKG to LHR "the long way" eastbound. 23hr, 11,000nm, blah blah blah... You can read the news release.

What caught my eye is that besides Pakistan International Airlines pilots (this specific aircraft is built for PIA), it says Singapore Airlines pilots will also be onboard. Hm, does that suggest a SQ order is forthcoming? Will Boeing have to buy out SQ's 345 to make a deal like they did with SQ's 343?

wally34949

I saw that on CNN this morning. Only 35 people on board. I suppose they are not going over the North Pole because this flight is for publicity? Boeing is trying to advertise that this plane can fly to any location on the planet. 23 hours. NASA better look out or they may fly it to Mars next! Hope the passengers aren't paying $5 for each glass of wine.

rkkwan

This flight is for the Guiness Book of Records.

Don't know the exact path, but definitely not the shortest route between HKG-LHR.

In fact, 11,000nm (or about 20,000km) is about half the circumference of the earth.

Gardyloo

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/busine...dflight09.html

<i>Will Boeing have to buy out SQ's 345 to make a deal like they did with SQ's 343?</i>

My guess is that SQ would happily sign them over to pretty much anyone. Maybe the Google guys need something bigger than their 762 for a corporate (lead) sled.

rkkwan

Well, the flight has completed. 11,664nm or 21,601km. Over half of the world's circumference.

Takes over 22 hours, but don't know the exact time yet.

wally34949

Good thing they weren't going from London to Hong Kong across the United States.

rkkwan

I don't understand wally's comment, but...

The actual fligth time was 22hr 42min. The actual flight path is close to:

HKG-Midway-SFO-LAX-JFK-LHR

Probably due to LHR traffic, it circled for over half an hour over London.

Actual flight length is 11,664nm (21,601km)

Gardyloo

Wally was referring to the headwinds they would have encountered. Doubtful if they would have made it.

wally34949

Come on rkkwan:

Everyone knows flying across the States and Atlantic is quicker from west to east. No more Continental currency for you.

rkkwan

Oh, wally... Now I see what you're talking about. Hahhaha.

Next time, I want to see something like TPA-PER over the South Pole. That will solve some problem of at least one other Fodorite.

Gardyloo

<i>Next time, I want to see something like TPA-PER over the South Pole. That will solve some problem of at least one other Fodorite.</i>

http://home.comcast.net/~gardyloo/QF63Antarctica1.jpg

rkkwan

Gardyloo - Cool pic. I think QF63 is SYD-JNB.

It's funny that when I looked it up, TPA-South Pole-PER is 12,157mi, or 10,564nm. In the ballpark of the distance we're talking about here.

But of course, with limited ETOPS, a flight like this will not happen in the near future.