Skip to main content

Enjoy the first-ever nonstop flight from Australia to the U.K. — vicariously

Qantas London to Perth Full Flight: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (Inaugural Flight)

The first-ever non-stop commercial flight from Australia to the U.K. took place at the end of March. For the inaugural journey back to Perth, Australia, which departed later the same day, flying enthusiast Noel Marsh-Giddings took his camera on board Qantas flight QF10 and filmed not just the takeoff and landing, but also the entire 16-plus hours in between.

Recommended Videos

There aren’t many commercial flights that stay in the air for this long, but if you’ve ever wondered what it might be like to actually experience such a trip, now you can find out. Just pull up a comfy chair, grab a few snacks, and settle in for the virtual journey of a lifetime.

Noel doesn’t simply crank up his camera the moment the Boeing 787 Dreamliner starts rumbling down the runway. Keen to present viewers with the entire adventure, his video also includes parts of the build-up, including taking the London Underground to Heathrow Airport, checking in, and boarding.

With his camera pointed out of the window, the aircraft and its 200-plus passengers climb into the sky over London before turning south.

“Once airborne, we proceed over Europe, towards Romania, the Black Sea, and Turkey,” Noel writes in the video’s notes. The sun sets as they fly through Turkish airspace, and a while later they pass over the Iranian city of Shiraz, with the lights of Dubai and Abu Dhabi shimmering in the far distance.

A nice touch by Noel is the inclusion of air traffic control audio, as well as map data showing the location of the plane on this first-ever direct flight from London to Perth. He also includes clips showing the aircraft interior, the all-important in-flight meals, and passing air traffic, among other things. To see the list of extras and the precise times where they occur, click on the “show more” button below the video.

The plane later passes over the south coast of India and Sri Lanka before continuing over the Indian Ocean toward Perth where it lands under cloudy skies.

“We get a water cannon salute as we taxi to the terminal, before parking and making our way into a crowd of news reporters and media as we enter the arrivals hall,” Noel wrote. “We hang around to watch the press interview the captain before making our way out to a rainy day in Western Australia.”

OK, unless you’re a fan of slow TV, we understand you might not want to sit through the entire flight, so instead how about a speeded-up version lasting a couple of minutes that Noel has kindly posted on his Facebook page?

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Ford ships new NACS adapters to EV customers
Ford EVs at a Tesla Supercharger station.

Thanks to a Tesla-provided adapter, owners of Ford electric vehicles were among the first non-Tesla drivers to get access to the SuperCharger network in the U.S.

Yet, amid slowing supply from Tesla, Ford is now turning to Lectron, an EV accessories supplier, to provide these North American Charging Standard (NACS) adapters, according to InsideEVs.

Read more
Yamaha offers sales of 60% on e-bikes as it pulls out of U.S. market
Yamaha Pedal Assist ebikes

If you were looking for clues that the post-pandemic e-bike market reshuffle remains in full swing in the U.S., look no further than the latest move by Yamaha.

In a letter to its dealers, the giant Japanese conglomerate announced it will pull out of the e-bike business in the U.S. by the end of the year, according to Electrek.

Read more
Rivian offers $3,000 off select EVs to gasoline, hybrid vehicle drivers
Second-Gen Rivian R1S on a road

Early November typically kicks off the run-up to the Black Friday sales season, and this year, Rivian is betting it’s the perfect time to lure gasoline drivers toward its EVs.
If you own or lease a vehicle that runs on gasoline, which means even a hybrid vehicle, Rivian is ready to give you $3,000 off the purchase of one of its select fully electric vehicles -- no trade-in required.
The offer from the Irvine, California-based automaker extends to customers in the U.S. and Canada and runs through November 30, 2024. The program applies to Rivian 2025 R1S or R1T Dual Large, Dual Max, or Tri Max models purchased from R1 Shop.
Rivian’s new All-Electric Upgrade offer marks a change from a previous trade-in program that ran between April and June. There, owners of select 2018 gas-powered vehicles from Ford, Toyota, Jeep, Audi, and BMW could trade in their vehicle and receive up to $5,000 toward the purchase of a new Rivian.
This time, buyers of the R1S or R1T Rivian just need to provide proof of ownership or lease of a gas-powered or hybrid vehicle to receive the discount when they place their order.
Rivian is not going to be the only car maker offering discounts in November. Sluggish car sales from giants such as Stellantis and rising inventories of new cars due to improving supply chains suggest automakers and dealerships will be competing to offer big incentives through the year's end.
This follows several years of constrained supply following the COVID pandemic, which led to higher prices in North America.
According to CarEdge Insights, average selling prices for cars remain above what would be called affordable. But prices should continue improving along with rising inventories.
Stellantis brands are entering November with the most inventory, followed by GM and Ford, according to CarEdge. Toyota and Honda, meanwhile, have the least inventory, meaning they probably won’t be under pressure to offer big incentives.

Read more