Thread: Are you ready for the 18 hour flight?

Originally Posted by Tombie

I developed a talent for air travel...
Even the 20 minute air time from Whyalla to Adelaide gives me a great 20 minutes sleep.

Unless I'm with company I can shut down in minutes and sleep a flight (with the exception of toilet visits).

First thing on long flights is a friendly word to the flight crew - please don't wake me for food service..

Yep, do it often enough, and you get yourself into a routine. A goodly proportion of my long haul flying was overnight. So for my "after takeoff" drink I used to request a camomile tea with a little bit of honey. No food service except for breakfast before landing. Drink the tea, and out like a light until brekkie.

unfortunately wiki has listed distance records...not time .....the Qantas catalina flights were up to 33 hours endurance. They cruised at 130mph. They operated 5 PBY-5B Catalinas on loan from BOAC for the Indian Ocean wartime service.

An official flight time of 31hrs 45mins was recorded on 30th August-1st September 1943 on a flight from Ceylon to Perth

The Catalinas made 271 crossings between 10th July 1942 and 24th July 1945.

The aeroplanes had to keep their british registration , so the Australian crews named each one after a prominient star in our skies. Some nostalgia buffs and really old pilots may remember Altair Star , Vega Star , Rigel Star , Antares Star, and Spica Star.

All 5 aeroplanes were sunk to comply with lend lease conditions.