A Turboprop's Epic 12,000-Mile Journey From Brisbane To Exeter

Love them!

I’ve read that on some (737’s?) they use additional in-cabin fuel tanks to go the distance over water.

Great article.

Fascinating,and as youve commented no doubt fatigue making

This is the type of content I'm here for.

So glad to read this type of refreshing content, rather than whatever the latest incident of poor passenger behavior on airplanes that so many other bloggers are writing about

Not all that dissimilar routing from early jet services , eg 707, on QANTAS or BOAC. ( Sydney- Darwin-Singapore-Bombay-Karachi-Athens-Rome-London, or a variation, VV).
COVID has given Virgin the opportunity to make these decisions ( perhaps a necessity). The shift to all 737s make very good sense. REX will dominate the regional/smaller plane space/niche.

Stories like this are fascinating. And that is quite an epic journey for those pilots! And long. I wondered what they found to do in Hurghata for 3 days, so I looked it up and it's actually a Red Sea resort - so I'd imagine they got some well deserved R&R there.

Great story. There's a book, The Long Way Home, detailing the longest Pan Am flight ever when the Pacific war started. SYD-NYC via the Atlantic. Well worth a read.

I can hear the Indiana Jones theme music in my head when looking at that routing map…

Love this. I used to fly around the Australian east coast on these birds. Now I’m back in the uk I may have the pleasure again

So... there were actually a couple of these already at EXT on Saturday (17th rather than 18th) as I saw them there. I was very confused as to what they were, as I had thought that they might be some of the old 'Little Red' planes. However, this answer it for me!

How do they pay for fuel on these trips? Do they carry a company credit card?

Wow, that's a long trip certainly seeing different parts of the world!

I second that recommendation. It is a great historical and aviation book.

Credit card or cash generally.

Be surprised how may Shell and Esso signs you see at various FBOs in the world

This is the third VIRGIN ATR 72 to be ferried from Brisbane to Exeter,VH-VPJ departing BNE 7th May and VH-VPI on 24th May. All three are reportedly for ''new'' airline EMERALD AIRWAYS, to cover the demise of STOBART AIR.
VIRGIN operated 14 ATR-72s, with two different versions.