QF9/10 Smashing speed records

[cosi]

Qantas Boeing 787 smashing speed records - Airline Ratings

 

[jb747]

Flying in that direction was never going to be an issue. It’s the same as ops across the Pacific. Going to the US is much faster than flying back.

 

[docjames]

The captain of QF10 dep LHR on the 26th described it as “quite a quick flight time today” of 16hrs (which it was, almost to the minute)!

My understanding is yes it’s the ex-PER leg that was always going to be the more challenging.

 

[Quickstatus]

Sounds like an advertorial.
Is the writer looking for a free invite to the next Qantas love-in?

 

[JessicaTam]

It is possible that the originally planned flight times were pessimistic, to avoid the bad press of delays on a new route.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I actually thought it was an interesting article. I always thought that route is too long, but 16 hours is really only 3x a BNE-PER. Manageable, but cabin class would become crucial I should imagine.

Does anyone have a flight path map?

 

[Quickstatus]

Does anyone have a flight path map?

Of that actual flight? Of of the route in general?

Most recently:

QF10 16:30 hrs, 14827km
QF9 16:30hrs 14749
QF8. 16:59 hrs 14334km
QF7 14:53hrs 14189km
QF94 15:18hrs 12967km
QF93 13:45hrs 13048

@jb747
Would there be significant seasonal differences in aircraft endurance for a route like QF9 to LHR
Winter in OZ but summer in GB

 

[Comoman]

Sounds like an advertorial.
Is the writer looking for a free invite to the next Qantas love-in?

It's written by Geoffrey Thomas (also from The West Australian) who is universally pro-Qantas. He is always at Qantas functions/delivery flights etc.

I personally take anything he writes with the proverbial grain of salt.

 

[Comoman]

Does anyone have a flight path map?

Flight map here:

Qantas (QF) #10 ✈ FlightAware

 

[Quickstatus]

It's written by Geoffrey Thomas (also from The West Australian) who is universally pro-Qantas. He is always at Qantas functions/delivery flights etc.

I personally take anything he writes with the proverbial grain of salt.

Great info. Anyone in the media commenteriat who provide balanced airline op-ed?

 

[codash1099]

It's written by Geoffrey Thomas (also from The West Australian) who is universally pro-Qantas. He is always at Qantas functions/delivery flights etc.

I personally take anything he writes with the proverbial grain of salt.

Ditto on taking salt, but I've always thought that he favours whoever paid for the flight.

 

[Franky]

Geoffrey Thomas always receives disparaging comments on this forum, but no-one has yet disputed the facts in his story.

 

[jb747]

Would there be significant seasonal differences in aircraft endurance for a route like QF9 to LHR Winter in OZ but summer in GB

The differences that will come up....weather holding, etc in the UK. In my experience February was the worst for this. Fog in Perth....the alternatives aren't great, but as long as you can legally have go you'll probably get in. Winds can be shocking there too. Summer in Perth may be an issue. Apparently on the hottest of days, the aircraft won't be able to take off at max weight. I've heard that from a couple of sources who should know, but whether or not it will be limiting, I don't know.

The route across the Indian Ocean will vary a bit to make the most of winds, but not as much as the Dubai route did, simply because the end points aren't as far apart. Crossing the coast in the Oman area won't vary all that much, as there are only a couple of routes that can be used over Iran.

 

[Quickstatus]

Geoffrey Thomas always receives disparaging comments on this forum, but no-one has yet disputed the facts in his story.

Except that he dressed up the facts as something wondrous (which is why I thought it sounded like an advertorial) rather than plain old facts

 

[oz_mark]

The differences that will come up....weather holding, etc in the UK. In my experience February was the worst for this. Fog in Perth....the alternatives aren't great, but as long as you can legally have go you'll probably get in. Winds can be shocking there too. Summer in Perth may be an issue. Apparently on the hottest of days, the aircraft won't be able to take off at max weight. I've heard that from a couple of sources who should know, but whether or not it will be limiting, I don't know.

The Perth Airport Master Plan made comments about needing to lengthen the runway (to 3,800m), due to the issues of mid-summer takeoffs to Europe.

Of course, it has never helped that the main runway is North-South, when the prevailing winds are normally East-West.

 

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

i just wonder how take off delays and limits on crew working hours will handle weather delays at either side.

 

[Comoman]

Except that he dressed up the facts as something wondrous (which is why I thought it sounded like an advertorial) rather than plain old facts

It's also in The West Australian:

Perth-to-London plane travel smashes speed records | The West Australian

Why they think that's worthy of news I have no idea!

 

[mannej]

It's also in The West Australian:

Perth-to-London plane travel smashes speed records | The West Australian

Why they think that's worthy of news I have no idea!

Well GT is the aviation editor at the West is he not?

 

[docjames]

According to the in flight map, QF10 the other day travelled over Northern Europe, north of Baku, down effectively to Dubai then over southern India, then over ocean to Perth.

 

[Melburnian1]

Bear in mind that the published website schedule is from blocks off (i.e. at gate) to landing, so it includes the taxiing at the start of the journey, but not five minutes typically taken from touchdown to arrival at gate.