November 09,2005 | HONG KONG -- A Boeing Co. jet took off Wednesday from Hong Kong to try breaking the record for the longest nonstop flight by a commercial jet -- a trip that involves flying over the Pacific Ocean and North America before landing in London.
"We plan to smash the current record," said Captain Suzanna Darcy-Hennemann, one of the four pilots of the 777-200LR Worldliner, one of Boeing's newest planes.
The flight was expected to take about 23 hours and cover more than 12,586 miles, a Boeing statement said.
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Yikes. Can you imagine sitting in an plane for 23 hours?
But that's not even the longest commercial flight by time. During WWII, somewhere around Australia there was an airline route flown by Catalina seaplanes that took more than 24 hours (non-stop). But the crusing speed of the Catalina was around 120 mph so the distance was much less.
Is that even legal?
Unfortunately, yes. Of course, this means I can play iTunes as loudly as I want, and I don't have to pretend to be working when I'm actually slacking.
If I had time to slack off.
17. I've been trapped in a flying metal tube for 17 hours. In coach.
And it might get here before WWIV!
The ETA I'm reading in the news is 7-8 years, but I don't know if that's for the whole line, or just the 96-63rd St "phase 1."
I am sorry about the evil of that site. Opera for Windows protected me from it.
I'm back on chocolate today. If my mood's going into the toilet, I'm taking the cocoa bean with.
In random cheering news, as I was inching into the intersection today, confident no one would try and be, like, pedestrian, a jogger is heading my direction. I haven't seen this guy in months, but I'm pretty sure that buff-platinum-blond-sans-shirt takes a right here, and I'm not in his way. Not only am I right, but he waves before he does so.
Maybe the next step should be asking buff-platinum-blond-sans-shirt out for coffee someday?
OMG. I was just completely channeling your mom, wasn't I?
I've been trapped in a flying metal tube for 17 hours. In coach.
17!
Sorry. I just had to shout. But, hey, if you have to be trapped in a flying metal tube for hours, in coach, at least the number of the hours can be, well, 17.
The ETA I'm reading in the news is 7-8 years, but I don't know if that's for the whole line, or just the 96-63rd St "phase 1."
That's just for Phase 1. Phases 2, 3 and 4 would each take 7-8 years themselves. The phases could be build in parallel, but that would require a whole lot more funding.
But even phase 1 would do a lot to relieve pressure on the Lexington Ave Line.
Gronklies.
My plan for today was to get into school this morning and study. Hasn't really happened. I have to be there by 1, though, and should eat lunch first, so I guess I ought to start considering turning off the TV and getting dressed.
