Why do airlines not fly over the polar regions?

With the development of aviation technology, flying over the North Pole and Antarctica is no longer a difficult thing. But why are airlines only making these flights 3 times? The answer is that the flight time is so long that the passengers are tired.

In fact, flying over the oceans or flying to the far north and south with long-distance passenger aircraft with stops to refuel has become a reality since the mid-1960s. But passengers will not willing to go to the knees in the tight space of the plane to make the journey over 54 hours.

Flight route of Pan Am Flight 50 in 1977.

In 1977, Brian Baum. At the age of 18, was one of aviation lovers and spent a large sum of $ 2,222 to buy a ticket on Pan Am flight 50 (USA). The flight of the Boeing 747 departs from San Francisco (west of the US), flies over the North Pole and lands on an airport in London (England). After supplies here, passengers continue their journey to South Africa, resupply and fly over Antarctica, then land in New Zealand before continuing to fly back to San Francisco. The flight lasted a total of 54 hours, 7 minutes and 12 seconds with a record average speed of 748km / hour.

An aircraft from Pan Am (USA).

Earlier there were some flights across the two poles, but this was the first flight that an ordinary passenger could afford to buy tickets.

Mr. Baun recalls, 120 passengers can carry only one light luggage per person for a two-and-a-half-day flight. Many people just need to bring more clothes and necessary supplies. There is a hair dryer on the plane, but the toilet water is only for minimal needs.

From the airplane window, passengers experience two revolving aircraft twice. The crew counts down when the plane reaches the top of the Earth. And everyone excitedly cheered when the plane flew over the North Pole, watching the sunset and then seeing the sunrise again.

On the plane, a singer who plays the guitar sings songs about the two Earth poles. A blooming international beauty orchestra, according to the taste of the 1977 period, bring the camera right away to selfie if the passenger wants. A Gucci fashion show was also held in the cabin. The five models show 25 different models of clothing and use the upper space of the aircraft as a place to change, the lower corridor is the catwalk.

The view of Antarctica.

To Antarctica, passengers are surprised and overwhelmed by an icy, remote and immense ice. One can see that the Mount Erebus volcano is erupting and although flying at an altitude of 13,100 meters, it still sees the Antarctic landscape as much closer as the airy vision and giant objects beneath the plane. When the crew announced that they were flying over the South Pole, everyone cheered and cheered as if they were coming to this extreme.

The sky is clear, no air pollution, no smoke makes the sunset more brilliant. Mr. Baun recalls: 'We were at the bottom of the Earth and around there thousands of miles without a shadow. What an interesting feeling! '.

Stewardess Siri Giberson on Pan Am 50 flight. (Photo: CNN).

Earlier, Earth's ultra-polar flight was made in 1965 with an improved Boeing 707-349C, carrying 40 scientists, guests and crew. The aircraft has been improved to install two more oil barrels on the main compartment. This flight lasts 60 hours, 27 minutes.

In 1968 Modern Air Transport flight (suspended from 1975) with Convair 990 carrying 78 passengers and the crew also flew over the poles. The plane failed to set a record for speed but landed at Antarctic McMurdo Station for supplies so it was the first aircraft to land on all seven continents in one flight.

The average speed record for both Pan Am's flight 50 was kept for 31 years, until 2008, when Bombardier Global Express (a long-range business aircraft built by Canada's Bombardier firm) break this record thanks to the perfect flight plan and stop time for shorter supplies.

41 years after Pan Am's flight 50, people are planning flights over two Earth poles for less than 50 hours. The Polar Express flight is scheduled to take off on October 26, 2018 from JFK airport in New York with 150 passengers. The flight will go to Río Gallegos in southern Argentina, then fly over Antarctica and continue to Perth in Australia. From here the plane will arrive in Beijing. And the last flight will cross the North Pole and return to JFK airport.

It is expected that this flight of Polar Express will use Airbus A340-300 aircraft, a large aircraft line, wide body, long range with four engines. Tickets for this flight are being sold at a starting price of $ 11,900.

Celebrate when flying over the North Pole.

Passengers will be served special cocktails, get into yoga classes and have an Antarctic expert to explain what passengers see through the window.

Mr. Baum will also participate in this flight as a historian, collecting data to complete the final chapter of the book he is writing 'Through two poles: Legendary flights around the world', will be published in early 2019.

Of course, there will be many more flights across the two poles of Earth for those who have enough time and money to admire new things.