Looks like the Bills are Flying Virgin Atlantic to London

[Rich Stadium Original]

Well, you are partially correct...yes the distance in not THAT much different between NYC and BUF to London in a straight line..but a plane from Buffalo would never be allowed to fly direct to London. Instead, the flight must join the North Atlantic Tracks (Nat Tracks). A floating track system that varies daily over the North Atlantic to optimize winds.

 More correctly, the reason for the difference in flight times is that it's really not a flight time posted by airlines but a block time. A flight from Buffalo has maybe 7-10 minutes of taxi time after block out, while a flight from say JFK at peak evening departure times may see a block out to takeoff times exceeding an hour or more.

[Dr. Who]

Those of you who have significant experience flying back and forth to the UK, how much of an advantage is it for the Jags to already be in London for a week?

[boyst]

44 minutes ago, JayBaller10 said:

How is the total flight time 6 hours 19 mins? Is this plane moving faster than usual? I know a flight to London out of NYC averages 7 hours and NYC is closer to London than Buffalo…

Josh threw the plane for takeoff. 

[zow2]

7 minutes ago, Dr. Who said:

Those of you who have significant experience flying back and forth to the UK, how much of an advantage is it for the Jags to already be in London for a week?

 

Massive.  Every NFL week in America we hear what a disadvantage it is for West coast teams to fly east and play “at 10am” body clock.  Well this is 5 hours east. Wouldn’t be a big deal if both teams had the same travel but this is a different kinda deal.

[BuffaninSarasota]

10 minutes ago, zow2 said:

 

Massive.  Every NFL week in America we hear what a disadvantage it is for West coast teams to fly east and play “at 10am” body clock.  Well this is 5 hours east. Wouldn’t be a big deal if both teams had the same travel but this is a different kinda deal.

The flip side to that coin is that perhaps the Jags are really out of sorts with their personal routines, being away from home, and may be running for the bus Sunday. Probably not the case but I don’t think they have as much of a potential advantage as some might think.

[sherpa]

29 minutes ago, Rich Stadium Original said:

Well, you are partially correct...yes the distance in not THAT much different between NYC and BUF to London in a straight line..but a plane from Buffalo would never be allowed to fly direct to London. Instead, the flight must join the North Atlantic Tracks (Nat Tracks). A floating track system that varies daily over the North Atlantic to optimize winds.

 More correctly, the reason for the difference in flight times is that it's really not a flight time posted by airlines but a block time. A flight from Buffalo has maybe 7-10 minutes of taxi time after block out, while a flight from say JFK at peak evening departure times may see a block out to takeoff times exceeding an hour or more.

 

I have flown, taught and certified captains and copilots on the NAT Track system for years, so I'm kind of familiar.

I am also well aware of block times vs flight times. 

What I stated is that flight time from NY to LHR is nominally what I mentioned. I've seen it more and I've held the departure in order to avoid holding to comply with the LHR curfew. because of extremely strong tail winds in the winter.

The reason the flight times are not that different is because the great circle  route distance, which is what airliners fly, is not that significant.,

[BuffaninSarasota]

16 hours ago, Giuseppe Tognarelli said:

It would be the most Billsy thing ever for them to be the first team ever to die in a plane crash.

 

What would the league do?

 

😱😱😱

another great example of the need to review at least twice before even thinking of hitting submit.

 

a very bizarre and morbid thought. Some thoughts are better left unsaid.

 

and your doubling down in an attempt to normalize an aberrant post and/or question why you're getting flamed makes things worse

 

 

Edited October 6, 2023 by BuffaninSarasota
add

[PromoTheRobot]

22 minutes ago, sherpa said:

The reason the flight times are not that different is because the great circle  route distance, which is what airliners fly, is not that significant.,

 

How does that work when the Earth is flat?

[EmotionallyUnstable]

This thread is bizarre, even for this place. 

[Beck Water]

1 hour ago, zow2 said:

Massive.  Every NFL week in America we hear what a disadvantage it is for West coast teams to fly east and play “at 10am” body clock.  Well this is 5 hours east. Wouldn’t be a big deal if both teams had the same travel but this is a different kinda deal.

 

How does that disadvantage actually play out in terms of W-L record?

 

I think it’s a bit of an apples to oranges comparison.  The West Coast teams usually fly out Saturday AFAIK, so they have no time to adjust.  And 3 hrs is kind of a “gotcha” as it doesn’t seem significant enough to make special efforts.

 

If the Bills are doing what I think McDermott said, sleeping on the plane then staying up all day Friday, they should be OK by Sunday as far as body clocks.

 

What I think is the bigger struggle is the preparation - hopefully they got in two good practices W and Th, but will they be mentally sharp enough to be alert to watch film Fri and Sat and to process all the details of the plays in the game plan?

[K-9]

21 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

How does that disadvantage actually play out in terms of W-L record?

 

I think it’s a bit of an apples to oranges comparison.  The West Coast teams usually fly out Saturday AFAIK, so they have no time to adjust.  And 3 hrs is kind of a “gotcha” as it doesn’t seem significant enough to make special efforts.

 

If the Bills are doing what I think McDermott said, sleeping on the plane then staying up all day Friday, they should be OK by Sunday as far as body clocks.

 

What I think is the bigger struggle is the preparation - hopefully they got in two good practices W and Th, but will they be mentally sharp enough to be alert to watch film Fri and Sat and to process all the details of the plays in the game plan?

The offensive and defensive quality control guys had all the Jags film broken down and in the coaches hands by lunchtime Monday. Game plans were installed on Wednesday morning and practiced yesterday and today. Very little film work, if any,  remains to be done at this stage. 

[Rich Stadium Original]

7 hours ago, sherpa said:

 

I have flown, taught and certified captains and copilots on the NAT Track system for years, so I'm kind of familiar.

I am also well aware of block times vs flight times. 

What I stated is that flight time from NY to LHR is nominally what I mentioned. I've seen it more and I've held the departure in order to avoid holding to comply with the LHR curfew. because of extremely strong tail winds in the winter.

The reason the flight times are not that different is because the great circle  route distance, which is what airliners fly, is not that significant.,

I didn't see your posts earlier on your familiarity with the NAT tracks...my apologies. 

   However, think you are still missing the point. The way the original question was posted is how can a flight from BUF to LHR be seemingly much less flying time than a flight from JFK to LHR when it IS further.

 The fact that both flights use CLOSE to great circle routing is irrelevant. BUF is still further from LHR than JFK is, and should be somewhat longer distance..albeit not by much..and thus a longer flight. (and neither flight is really flying great circle..routing from BUF to the NAT entry point would probably add a little time to flight as well)

   The reason it MAY be significantly longer out of JFK IS block/taxi time. 

   I'm a Captain at a major US airline I've been with nearly 25 years, and a pilot in the Air Force 15 years before that. I have spent many an afternoon on the ramp at JFK delaying my push after door is closed and brakes released because lineup for departure is over 30 planes long and an estimated hour plus delay for takeoff.

[Beck Water]

9 hours ago, K-9 said:

The offensive and defensive quality control guys had all the Jags film broken down and in the coaches hands by lunchtime Monday. Game plans were installed on Wednesday morning and practiced yesterday and today. Very little film work, if any,  remains to be done at this stage. 

Well, who knows, but when players like Poyer talk about watching film, they talk about it as something they’re doing in position meetings and on their own all week and, during a short week, even on the bus to the game.

 

I wasn’t speaking of the film breakdown the QC guys do, but what the coaches and players do

Edited October 6, 2023 by Beck Water

[Royale with Cheese]

Sal C on WGR this morning flew with the team and he said he had his own row where he could spread out comfortably.

 

If Sal gets that, Allen probably has 72 virgins fanning him and feeding him grapes.

[Bob Jones]

10 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

Sal C on WGR this morning flew with the team and he said he had his own row where he could spread out comfortably.

 

If Sal gets that, Allen probably has 72 virgins fanning him and feeding him grapes.

Would Hallie be OK with that though? 🤔😂

[Beck Water]

25 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

Sal C on WGR this morning flew with the team and he said he had his own row where he could spread out comfortably.

 

If Sal gets that, Allen probably has 72 virgins fanning him and feeding him grapes.

 

I dunno.  I "get" that being able to spread out across an entire row is better than being locked in an upright position (or having someone else's seatback in your face) for an international flight, but "comfortable" in this context is still relative.  Maybe I'm just projecting my own experience: sleeping on international flights (in fact, napping at all) is an Achilles heel for me.

 

But, if they do have 44 first class seats, I would imagine most of the game day roster and some of the coaches were accommodated.... hoping the players were able to look at the seating and maybe some of the guys "nope'd" out of those convert-a-seats and chose to spread out across a row as actually giving them more space, rather than becoming a class or status marker.  I find those seats a bit claustrophobic myself,  so I can only imagine what they'd be like for an OL or DL.
 

25 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

Sal C on WGR this morning flew with the team and he said he had his own row where he could spread out comfortably.

 

If Sal gets that, Allen probably has 72 virgins fanning him and feeding him grapes.

 

I don't think the EEOC would be "down" with sexual inexperience as a relevant employment criterion for grape feeding 😈
 

Also pretty sure the Sports Science department does not want him eating sugar bombs.  Want food with protein (tryptophan) and fats, I believe.

 

Perhaps they dropped gourmet Portuguese tinned sardines into his mouth one at a time.......sort of like feeding a captive Sea Lion.

 

Edited October 6, 2023 by Beck Water

[Beck Water]

9 hours ago, Beck Water said:

 

How does that disadvantage actually play out in terms of W-L record?

 

I think it’s a bit of an apples to oranges comparison.  The West Coast teams usually fly out Saturday AFAIK, so they have no time to adjust.  And 3 hrs is kind of a “gotcha” as it doesn’t seem significant enough to make special efforts.

 

If the Bills are doing what I think McDermott said, sleeping on the plane then staying up all day Friday, they should be OK by Sunday as far as body clocks.

 

What I think is the bigger struggle is the preparation - hopefully they got in two good practices W and Th, but will they be mentally sharp enough to be alert to watch film Fri and Sat and to process all the details of the plays in the game plan?

 

I found this

https://www.sportsinsights.com/blog/is-there-still-a-disadvantage-for-nfl-west-coast-teams-traveling-east/

 

It seems to say that recently (since 2013) the West Coast teams actually do a bit better playing on the East coast than they do overall?

 

Quote

There are many things that we need to account for when looking at this recent performance. For starters, home-field advantage has been largely overvalued by NFL bettors which has historically created value on visitors. Additionally, the four West Coast teams have combined to go 111-100 ATS (52.6%) over the last three-plus seasons.

 

As you can see, these four West Coast teams have gone 60-44 ATS (57.7%) as visitors over the past three seasons. When we eliminate all games played on the East Coast, the record dips to 36-29 ATS (55.4%).

 

(the article has some nifty tables that didn't paste in well, so check it out to see data)

[Ralonzo]

23 hours ago, Logic said:

I've never had the pleasure of climbing aboard a Virgin before.

 

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

23 hours ago, boyst said:

not a very big plane, either.

 

23 hours ago, Dan Darragh said:

A350-1000 is huge, holds more than 400 passengers

 

23 hours ago, scuba guy said:

It is a very big plane mite won't to check your Google search 

 

23 hours ago, Royale with Cheese said:

This plane is HUGE.

 

21 hours ago, Returntoglory said:

PLENTY BIG and has a 14 pallet cargo capacity. 

 

 

 

22 hours ago, sherpa said:

I captained the then New Jersey Nets charter from JFK to Heathrow a number of years ago, 2011 to be exact.

 

Have you ever seen a grown man naked?

[sherpa]

Rumack:
                 Captain, how soon can you land?

Captain Oveur:
                I can't tell.

Rumack:
                 You can tell me. I'm a doctor.

Captain Oveur:
                 No. I mean I'm just not sure.

Rumack:
                 Well, can't you take a guess?

Captain Oveur:
                 Well, not for another two hours.

Rumack:
                You can't take a guess for another two hours?