Boeing jet breaks nonstop record

Thursday, November 10, 2005; Posted: 9:37 p.m. EST (02:37 GMT)

LONDON, England (AP) -- A Boeing Co. jet arrived in London from Hong Kong on Thursday after 22 hours and 43 minutes in the air, breaking the record for the longest nonstop flight by a commercial jet.

The 777-200LR Worldliner -- one of Boeing's newest planes -- touched down shortly after 1 p.m. (1300 GMT) at London's Heathrow Airport after a journey of more than 18,662 kilometers (11,664 miles).

A representative of Guinness World Records, which monitored the flight, presented Boeing's Lars Andersen with a certificate confirming it was for the longest nonstop commercial flight. (Watch what went on during first flight -- 2:32)

Captain Suzanna Darcy-Hennemann, was at the controls when the plane left Hong Kong, said the trip east across the Pacific had been bumpy.

"But we had a great ride across the United States ... and across the Atlantic we saw our second sunrise of the trip," she said.

The previous record was set when a Boeing 747-400 flew 17,039 kilometers (10,500 miles) from London to Sydney in 1989.

Andersen said the Hong Kong-to-London flight showed the future of air travel.

"With the 777-200LR, we are changing the world," he said. "Passengers can fly commercially between just about any two cities nonstop."

The plane had four pilots and was carrying 35 passengers and crew, including Boeing representatives, journalists and customers.

The record-breaking attempt is part of Boeing's fierce competition with its European rival Airbus. The Boeing 777-200LR Worldliner was designed to compete directly with the popular Airbus 340-500, which has a flight range of 16,700 kilometers (10,380 miles).

Boeing spokesman Chuck Cadena said earlier that after leaving Hong Kong, the Boeing jet was flying to the northern Pacific Ocean, crossing North America and cruising over the Atlantic Ocean to London. Hong Kong-London flights usually fly over Russia.

Sweeet...

Think of all the airmiles. I doubt they even served a dinner on that flight, maybe gave out 2 small packs of peanuts, and I am sure the in flight movie was some crap like "Ishtar" or "Waterworld". (c:

I've made the 14 hour Sydney to LA nonstop many times, and let me tell you, it's brutal. Kind of like a spanking though, good to get it over with.

mrtelcom

imagine you are about to land after a 14 hour flight only to be told, 9 more hours to go.

i would suggest seconal and wake up when you land.

I've made many 24-30 hour flights, they just included 2 or 3 2-3 hour stops. Can you say ROLAIDS.

I am a pilot, and love to put it in the wind, but I can't imagine sitting in a seat that long. What did Groucho say . . . "I like a good cigar too, but I take it out once in a while."

Man, 23 hours.

I'll bet adroomi's feet are KILLING him!

(just a little joke, don't go all postal on me)

Doubled over shooting Seven Up out of my nose at 8Track.

Ha Ha 8track....veerrrrrryyyyyy funnny.

That flight was significant in that the last time it was done (the same route) it took 10 days and 32 fuel stops.

That's a new record by the way....the B52 used to hold it and it had internal tanks.

a team of 16 reporters were invited.

the plane was modded to have plasma tv's and such.

So far the 200LR will be sold to Qantas (so they can make it from London to Sydney nonstop), Qatar, Singapore (who now operate the two longest flights in the world, New Jersey to SIN and LA to SIN, both over 18 hours), Cathay Pacific, and ANA are looking at them too.

Singapore currently have the largest 777 fleet in the world at 77 tail numbers, and just ordered 19 more (can you guess who got a large bonus when they placed that last order.......)

I would have loved to been on that flight, however.

Overtime? LOL

tuckersdad777

you just quoted on of groucho's double entendres

and I thought STL - HNL was bad . . .

Yeah I know (about the Groucho thing). I'm old enough to have seen him say it on his quiz show. And I'm honest enough to say that I laughed so hard I slid off the couch on the floor. Guess that answers that "sense of humor" question.