Worlds longest flight took off today, or did it?

[Gandahar]

Singapore Airlines A350 900 ULR doing Singapore to New York, which not the longest distance flight but is the longest duration flight, 19 hours plus.

However, thanks to Richard Quest of CNN, who being an avgeek in his spare time tries to wangle the things

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/worlds-long...

Scroll down a bit and the captain says -

"Because of very strong tail winds, this inaugural flight will take around 17 hours and 25 minutes"

So it is not the longest flight by time either...

I wouldn't say no to that meal on this shorter than expected hop though......

[tight5]

No, it didn't-

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutan_Voyager

[Speculatore]

Also contravenes the international regulations on 'Work and Rest Hours' for staff on commercial transport. "Even after 17 hours flying on 4 hours rest they have remained cheerful and helpful." They should have 10 hours rest in a 24 hour period 6 of which are to be uninterrupted sleep and two breaks of at least 15 minutes.

[AMArchie]

I did this route a couple of times around 2010 - 2012, but goin to Singapore from Newark. At that time I was working in Montreal, and needed to go to Singapore on business, so chose this route just to experience it.
The all business class cabin was comfortable, and I think given the ~18 hour transit time was really necessary. I remember one of the flight attendants mentioned Singapore Airlines was going to discontinue the route (in 2012?) as they could make the financials work.
I made the two trips (both were Newark -> Singapore). I seem to recall we had two sunrises on that route which was novel.
The routes taken in each occasion were quite different - I guess they depended on the jet streams prevailing at the time. One was over the pole (ironically back over Montreal!) and down through Siberia and China, the other over the northern Atlantic, over the U.K., and then diagonally across Europe, Middle East and on into Singapore.

[robm3]

I do the Dallas/Sydney route around 3 times a year. It's no bother and I prefer it to Syd/LAX/Dallas. About 14 hours I think.

Pretty much every flight is super long haul when you're living on the arse end of the world! (Sydney)