St Lucia July 2022

[CageyH]

The design is such that the aircraft can fly with gravity feed from the wing tanks.
The engine usually contains an engine driven low and high pressure fuel pump.
So, if all the wings pumps were to fail, you can still fly.

[Sherwood]

I spent much of my working life on a series of long and short term projects in the developing world. Generally, I was OK with long haul travel, but one project completely wiped me out. I was commissioned to undertake a major review of the Tongan health care system for the Asian Development Bank. My journey started at Leeds/Bradford Airport and included the following stops: Heathrow, Los Angeles, Auckland, and finally Tonga. Each step entailed substantial gaps between flights. After 2 days travelling, I arrived in Tonga early on a Monday morning, with just enough time to have a shower and a shave, before attending business meetings at 8am. Even though I was travelling business class the journey wiped me out and I was not firing on all cylinders for the rest of the mission.

Tui’s 787s do it in around 8.5 hours. I booked extra legroom seats (by the escape doors) and found the flight quite comfortable. The 787 has bigger windows the ceiling of the cabin is higher making it more light and airy. Think I read they put more oxygen in the cabin mix to?

https://www.tui.co.uk/destinations/info/dreamliner

[walpurgis]

Can planes really fly with gravity feeding the fuel? I don't know - but I'd have thought that the flow rate would be too low for a jet engine.

Jets may look normal, but everything is actually built upside down to avert this exact problem .

[Roy S]

787-8 - G-TU1B ('Alfie') did it in 7:29 !

That’s me in the red t shirt

[Barry]

I don't think I have ever made a long haul flight uninterrupted in one go, without a change of plane somewhere 'midway'.

[Sherwood]

Long haul is generally taken to be in excess of 6 hours. London to LAX nonstop is over 11 hours. LAX to Auckland nonstop is around 13 hours.

I don't think I have ever made a long haul flight uninterrupted in one go, without a change of plane somewhere 'midway'.

[Roy S]

More pics

[Macca]

I don't think I have ever made a long haul flight uninterrupted in one go, without a change of plane somewhere 'midway'.

Neither have I. Las Vegas is 11 hours but change at Chicago, think they do a direct now from Heathrow though.

But the changeover is very quick you barely have time to get off one plane and get on the next one before it goes. With all the pissing about with customs and that it's about 23 hours from leaving the house to checking in at the hotel. Then a quick shower and hit the tables! Mind you I was a lot younger last time I went there.

[Macca]

More pics

I always think it looks a lot like North Wales, except for the palm trees and blue skies.

[struth]

Neither have I. Las Vegas is 11 hours but change at Chicago, think they do a direct now from Heathrow though.

But the changeover is very quick you barely have time to get off one plane and get on the next one before it goes. With all the pissing about with customs and that it's about 23 hours from leaving the house to checking in at the hotel. Then a quick shower and hit the tables! Mind you I was a lot younger last time I went there.

i have to say all that fills me with horror, especially now, but would have when younger too. Im not a good traveller tho and unless im driving, i get pissed off pretty fast.
there was a time i would have liked to see the us of a, but not now. uk is big enough for me