Here's how pilots on the world's new longest flight will stay rested and alert for the 20 hours from New York to Sydney
Nearly 20 hours in the air can take a toll on the human body, but fortunately the four pilots who worked the Project Sunrise research flight were able to get some rest during the trip (also pictured, on the left, is Captain Lisa Norman, the pilot who took delivery of the plane from Boeing's factory in Seattle).
Similarly, the six flight attendants would need an opportunity to take breaks and sleep during the nearly daylong flight. Just like for the pilots, there's a secret area of the plane where the cabin crew can go to rest.
Behind an inconspicuous locked door just ahead of the rear galley, and up a narrow set of three or four steps, there's the secret compartment where flight attendants can disappear during long haul flights.
A 16 or 17-hour flight might seem brutal to you, but for the flight attendants working, it would be virtually impossible to work on your feet that whole time.
Most airline labor agreements — and, often, safety regulations — require crews to be given a certain amount of time to rest after a set number of hours.
On some smaller planes that fly medium- and long-haul, you might see a business-class seat cordoned off for a crew rest. But on bigger jets, there's a dedicated compartment.
There are six narrow bunks in the cabin crew rest on Qantas' 787-9, the plane that operates the "Project Sunrise" flight.
Each bunk is separated by cushioned dividers and curtains, giving at least a small degree of privacy to each occupant. Less ideal than on the ground, maybe, but still useful considering it's on board a plane.
Each bunk on this flight had a pillow, a sheet, and a blanket, plus a personal air vent, like the ones you might find near a passenger seat.
It's surprising and impressive that there's room for as many bunks as there were, but even though it was a tight fit, there was enough room to get some much needed shut-eye while working the lengthy 10,000 mile flight.
As you make your way down the stairs back into the main cabin, there's a mirror, helping flight attendants maintain the indefatigable and professional image that you might recognize from your long-haul flights.
At the front of the plane, just behind the cockpit, there's another crew rest compartment — this one is for the pilots.
Just like the flight attendant rest area, this is a part of the plane that few passengers will ever see.
It’s similar to the flight attendant's compartment, but there are a couple of differences.
Since the flight works with four pilots, a maximum of just two pilots will be on break at any given time, so there are only two cots.
The beds are a bit wider, since there are only two of them. “Sometimes, I sleep better on the long-haul flights than I do at home,” Captain Sean Golding, the lead pilot on the research flight, told Business Insider.
The four pilots split their workload to make sure that everyone got enough rest on this research flight. Captain Golding described the shifts: "The whole crew will be on for the first hour-and-a-half. Then, I’ll take a two-and-a-half hour break. I’ll work for the next five-and-a-half hours, sleep for the next five-and-a-half, work the next two-and-a-half, and we’ll all be on for the final approach and landing."
For shorter breaks, or in case there's a fifth pilot who wants to relax, the compartment also has a folding jump seat with an in-flight entertainment screen that can swing out from the bulkhead.
The plane's business class seats, which fold out into a bed, are comfortable, but there's no question that the crew rest areas offer a more private space to relax and rest up.
Even after 19 hours and 16 minutes in the air, doesn't that look like a well-rested flight crew?
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