A Boeing Co. jet arrived in London from Hong Kong on November 10, breaking the record for the longest nonstop flight by a commercial jet, a record previously set in 1989.

After traveling a distance of more than 13,422 miles, a Boeing Co. 777-200LR Worldliner (WD002) — one of Boeing’s newest planes — flew without stops between Hong Kong and London, breaking the previous record for the longest nonstop flight by a commercial jet.

The jet spent 22 hours and 42 minutes in the air.

Boeing’s Lars Andersen told Associated Press that the flight from Hong Kong to London exemplifies 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 777-200LR left Hong Kong International Airport at 10:30 p.m. local time, Nov. 9, landing at London Heathrow Airport at approximately 1:30 p.m. GMT the following day. Traveling eastbound toward London, the airplane flew over the North Pacific Ocean, across North America, and then over the mid-north Atlantic Ocean en route to its place in aviation history.

Captain Suzanna Darcy-Hennemann, the project pilot leader, was at the controls when the plane left Hong Kong. She said that, although the trip east across the Pacific had been bumpy, “the performance of the 777-200LR during the record flight was exceptional.”

“[…] across the Atlantic we saw our second sunrise of the trip,” she said.

After leaving Hong Kong, Boeing said, the jet flew across the northern Pacific Ocean before flying over Los Angeles, then slightly south of Chicago and over New York, at which point it cruised over the Atlantic Ocean to London. Hong Kong-to-London flights usually fly over Russia.

Before taking off from Hong Kong, a lot of time was spent checking weather charts for where the jet stream was going to be — all the way across the north Pacific, North America and north Atlantic, according to Rodney Skaar, world-record flight navigator and flight test production pilot, at Boeing’s 777-200LR Flight Test Journal. “We were trying to pinpoint a route of flight that maximized tail winds to help give us the greatest distance.”

The final decision was made only hours before takeoff.

In addition to favorable winds (and, of course, engines), Skaar said, another critical factor in setting a new record is fuel: auxiliary fuel tanks; fuel density, as measured by pounds per gallon; and British Thermal Units (BTUs) per pound. (BTU is a measure of energy.)

According to the company’s own announcement:

“The 777-200LR replaces the distance record set by a 747-400 [...] that flew 9,200 nautical miles (17,039 km) nonstop from London to Sydney. Also, the 777-200LR exceeded the distance traveled by a 777-200ER (Extended Range) that flew 10,823 nautical miles (20,044 km) from Seattle to Kuala Lumpur in 1997, setting a speed and distance record. Although the 777-200LR flew farther, this record will continue to stand because the 777-200ER was classified in a lighter weight category for its record attempt.”

The record-breaking attempt, according to AP, “is part of Boeing’s fierce competition with its European rival Airbus.” Both companies’ planes share a commonality in models and fly-by-wire technology. The Boeing 777-200LR Worldliner was designed to compete directly with the Airbus 340-500, which has a flight range of 10,380 miles.

As recorded by Skaar at 777-200LR Flight Test Journal:

“Records are categorized by method of propulsion — jet engine, turbo-prop or piston — and by weight […] The National Aeronautics Association (NAA) is the group that sanctions all aviation records. Part of the NAA is the Contest and Records Board, which sets guidelines and keeps track of record-flight attempts. I serve on the board with other aerospace industry and general aviation volunteers. An NAA representative was onboard the flight to officially record the results.”

The 777-200LR is the world’s longest-range commercial jetliner. In service, the 777-200LR can carry 301 passengers and baggage up to 9,420 nautical miles (17,445 kilometers). On this flight, the 777-200LR Worldliner carried eight pilots, as well as an additional 27 passengers and crew, including Boeing representatives, journalists and customers.

A representative of Guinness Book of World Records was also onboard to monitor the record-breaking flight. The previous record for a commercial aircraft was set in 1989.

It has not yet been confirmed whether peanuts or pretzels were served mid-flight.

References

Boeing’s 13,422-Mile Flight Sets a Record
by Emily Behlmann
Associated Press, Nov. 10, 2005
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051110/ap_on_re_eu/record_flight;_ylt=AlyqUjM7FyNSGSAGbcc29H8DW7oF;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

Boeing 777-200LR Sets New World Record for Distance
Press Release, Nov. 10, 2005
http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2005/q4/nr_051110g.html

Mission accomplished! 777-200LR sets world distance record
by Rodney Skaar
Boeing 777-200LR Flight Test Journal, Nov. 10, 2005
http://www.boeing.com/commercial/777family/200LR/flight_test/

http://www.777.newairplane.com/