8/17/1989: Qantas Operates Longest Nonstop Delivery Flight
Long before 'Project Sunrise', Qantas had already flown nonstop on the famous 'Kangaroo Route'.
Long before 'Project Sunrise', Qantas had already flown nonstop on the famous 'Kangaroo Route'.
DALLAS — Today in Aviation, a Qantas (QF) Boeing 747-400 (VH-OJA) flew nonstop from London Heathrow (LHR) to Sydney (SYD) in 1989. The record-breaking flight was part of the jet's delivery flight from Boeing's Seattle factory.
Named 'City of Canberra,' the mammoth journey took 20 hours and nine minutes. Previously, the world's longest non-stop flight record had been held by a Boeing 747SP, or 'Special Performance', which had covered 16,430 kilometers in 17 hours and 22 minutes.
In command of the Rolls-Royce, RB211-524G-powered Jumbo was Captain David Massy-Greene. He was joined by three other senior QF Captains, Ray Heiniger, George Lindeman, and Rob Greenop, plus a Boeing pilot, Chet Chester.
Just two Flight Attendants were onboard to tend to the 21 passengers, including senior Qantas managers, media, and engineers from Rolls Royce and Boeing.
To complete the flight, engineers had to reduce the aircraft's weight. They removed all unnecessary equipment from the galley areas and life rafts from all but the forward two doors.
Shell Germany even mixed a special high-density jet fuel to power the epic flight. Rather than taxiing to the runway under its own steam, the aircraft was towed to the holding point of Runway 28R. Here, it was met by a fuel truck that topped up the tanks to a total of 183.5 tonnes.
The 747 needed to fly the optimal route to take advantage of favorable winds. It also cruised at its service ceiling of 45,000 feet to conserve precious fuel.
Qantas retired the historic jet in 2015. It now resides at the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society at Wollongong Airport (WOL) at Albion Park.
Featured Image shows VH-OJA pictured on a test flight prior to the record-breaking delivery flight. Photo: Boeing
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