‘FASTER . . . deeper . .. yes, that’s it . . . good, now keep going,’ panted the woman over the hum of the jet engines. And we’d only just met.
We had just inducted ourselves into the most exclusive club in the sky: the Double Sunrise club.
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We were among the 50 people invited aboard the first non-stop passenger flight from London to Sydney, which made history last week when it touched down in Australia after 19 hours and 19 minutes in the air.
And my bout of exercise with University of Sydney physiology expert Dr Corinne Caillaud — squatting and lunges in the aisles at 38,000ft — was just one element that made this pioneering flight unlike any other.
There’s long haul, there’s very long haul and then there’s QF7879 — officially the longest flight in the world, in terms of both duration and distance. The Qantas jet broke records as it covered the 17,800km between the two cities, experiencing two sunrises along the way.
This was no ordinary flight. Firstly, there were no paying passengers on-board.
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Instead, the new 246-seater Boeing 787 Dreamliner used for this research flight was filled with Qantas staff, scientists and invited guests — including Sun Travel.
With a departure time of 6am, Heathrow Airport was all but a ghost town as we checked in but excitement was in the air.
Even the man behind the counter in Boots was impressed. “You’re on the direct Sydney flight,” he exclaimed as I bought some very necessary sleeping tablets. “That’s incredible.”
On board, we settled into our seats as rain dripped on the window panes. Captain Helen Trennery welcomed us warmly. ‘We are about to make history. This is the final frontier of commercial aviation,’ she said. London was only just beginning to stir as we thundered down the runway and into the slowly softening sky.
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The only other time a jet has done this same journey without stopping to refuel was in 1989.
Back then, the Qantas 747 had to be refitted to make it light enough for the journey. The seats were removed, only 12 crew were permitted on board and there wasn’t a drop of fuel to be wasted. In fact, the aircraft couldn’t even turn its engines on until it was on the runway.
How times have now changed. Advances in technology mean direct services are now not only possible but realistic and last week’s test flight was a big step in achieving that dream.
Soon after take-off, everyone rushed to the right-hand side of the place to see the sun coming up over Europe — the first of two sunrises we would see on this flight. The second came 15 hours later, over Indonesia.
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Of course, flying for this length of time presents challenges for both passengers and crew and successfully overcoming these obstacles will determine whether Qantas goes ahead and makes these flights a commercial reality.
Fresh from its launch of the first direct link between the UK and Australia last year — its London-Perth flight, a mere 17 hours — the plan, all being well, is to launch the same to and from Sydney in 2023. But first, regulators must be convinced that pilots and crew can perform their duties safely.
Taking shifts during the flight, four pilots wore futuristic-style headbands that recorded their brain activity and reactions. Their sleep patterns are scrutinised and even pee is tested to monitor melatonin levels.
Meanwhile, the wellbeing of my fellow passengers and I had also been well thought out. Beyond our exercise classes — which included walking loops around the back of the plane — the menus and cabin environment have been modified to minimise jet-lag.
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Upon take-off, the cabin immediately shifted to Sydney time so it suddenly became late afternoon instead of early morning.
The lighting, created to replicate the time of day, moved into the evening phase as dinner was served with dishes and ingredients designed to aid sleep.
Broth of roasted chicken with macaroni was followed by a steak sandwich and a vanilla rose and pistachio cake dessert. Lots of dairy and lots of carbs.
With so few on board, everyone sat in business. Before long, lights were dimmed and we were tucked up for nine hours as we flew over Russia and China.
The final few hours were the toughest. I drank water to stay hydrated and roamed around the plane to alleviate the boredom. A breakfast of ricotta and smoky paprika frittata — spices are said to encourage alertness — was served alongside cold juices.
Almost 20 hours after leaving London we landed in Sydney feeling fairly well rested. But this flight was not a true indicator of what the real thing will be, especially if you’re in economy.
And while the aircraft that will one day service this route will be adapted to have exercise areas, it’s likely to remain the biggest test of endurance in the skies.
