All language subtitles for Secret.Life.Of.The.Long.Haul.Flight.2017.720p.WEBRip.x264.AAC-[YTS.MX]

[engine rumbling]

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[Narrator] Each year,
over 300 million passengers

fly over six billion
miles on longhaul flights

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and pick daily journeys

made by some of the
world's biggest planes.

Like flying hotels, they
transport people across the world

in comfort and style.

But what does it take to
keep these giants in the sky?

All our team have sprung into action.

It's almost like a choreographed dance.

The key is just keeping moving.

[Narrator] Come with
us as we hitch a ride

on one of the longest
journeys in the world,

London to Sydney, Australia,

as with exclusive behind
the scenes access,

we can reveal the confessions
of the cabin crew.

Sometimes we do get
a few weird requests,

such as marriage proposals.

[Narrator] We go below stairs
to their secret crew rest.

And welcome to our
secret sleepover joint.

[Narrator] We meet
the back office staff,

who monitor every second of each flight.

The IOC is the nerve
center to the airline.

Without us, they literally
would be flying blind.

[Narrator] And follow
the stories of passengers,

both animal and human,
who have their own reason

to board flight 002 from London today.

From starting a new life down under.

It's a big move for both of us.

We haven't got a clue what to expect.

[Narrator] To meeting a long lost family

for the very first time.

They've been looking
for me for 20 years.

[Narrator] Filmed at 40,000 feet,

this is the ultimate insider's
guide to life in the skies.

So make sure your seat is
in the upright position

and your seatbelt is fastened
as we prepare to uncover

the Secret Life Of The LongHaul Flight.

[engines rumbling]

It's just before dawn
at London's Heathrow.

The world's largest passenger
plane, the Airbus A380,

is towed onto stand.

Costing over 280 million pounds,

it's 73 meters long, 25 meters high,

and has a tip to tip
wingspan of 80 meters.

In just two hours' time,

it will depart in its
daily longhaul flight

to Sydney, Australia.

Loaded with up to 484 passengers,

the 11,000 mile journey
will take 24 hours.

But long before the passengers can board,

a whole army of service personnel
must get her ready to fly.

In the world of longhaul flying,

there is not a second to lose.

We don't want any of our
planes hanging around the ground.

The best place for our aircraft
is operating within the air,

so it's all hands on deck

and everyone's onto the
aircraft straight away

to get their jobs done, and
we can make that turnaround

within that two hour timeframe.

[Narrator] Now, a wellrehearsed
ballet swings into action

as the refuelers, baggage
handlers, engineers,

cleaners and catering
teams all set to work.

There's certain jobs
that have to be done.

The wheels have to be inspected.

The engines have to be checked, oiled.

You have to do a walk around to make sure

there's nothing hanging off
of the hull of the outside.

Same for the inside.

It's a very, very structured process,

and it's broken down minute by minute.

Each department and each
team have a job to do

within a certain amount of timeframe.

It literally does go to the minute,

so we need to have the aircraft closed up

by 10 minutes before departure.

[Narrator] With our plane

not suffering any serious faults,

the engineers can crack on
with more cosmetic jobs,

like a sticky TV screen.

Tiny screw.

Someone's just overtightened it.

Can we get a seat in there, too?

Like this?

You have to leave it.

[Narrator] While below the wing,

the action is in full swing.

90 minutes before
departure, the 21 cabin crew

clock in for their preflight briefing.

We all have individual roles.

There are business and first class

flight attendants on board,
economy flight attendants.

[Narrator] Sarah Kelly has
been flying for five years.

For her, aviation is in the blood.

My father is a Qantas captain,

so yeah, I've just grown up
with him traveling around

and going to different
exotic destinations,

and just the whole thrill of just flying.

There's somebody amongst the
crew who you've not met yet.

Please spend some time and
have a little chat with them

and to get to know each other.

[soft music]

[Narrator] On the tarmac,
Second Officer Adam Thompson

carries out his visual inspection.

The purpose of the
inspection is to make sure

that there's no ground service
vehicle report to be damaged,

there's nothing leaking from any pipes

that's not meant to be.

In the engine, looking to see

if there's been any scratches
or dents on the fan blades,

any indication that something's
gone through the engine

that shouldn't have, if they've
had a bird strike perhaps

or something like that
on a previous sector.

On the tires, we're looking
to see that there's no gashes

or any bumps at all with the tires.

[announcer murmuring]

[Narrator] On every longhaul flight,

each passenger has a story,

and we're following four of them.

We're just a longhaul flight away

from meeting three sisters.

[Narrator] Malcolm and Adelaide

are about to board their
first longhaul flight

to meet the family they
never knew they had.

I just can't wait.

I've never seen them in real life.

I can't believe it.

[Narrator] And young
parents Daniel and Bethanie

are heading down under

to see if they want to
make Sydney their new home.

[Woman] From Daniel,
Bethanie and how do I say?

[Daniel] Eirlys.
[Woman] Eirlys, oh.

We've got a lot planned.

We've got a list written up

of all the places we want to go and visit

and different neighborhoods
we kind of want to see.

Exciting really, isn't it?

[Narrator] Back on the tarmac,

Second Officer Adam Thompson
checks the A380's huge wings,

which are so large, you
could park 70 cars up there.

[Interviewer] They only
just fit really, don't they?

They do only just fit, yeah.

It's quite common on such a large aircraft

to have a ground service vehicle follow us

just to check the wingtips to
make sure that we're all safe.

[Interviewer] You don't
want to hit anything.

Do not want to hit anything.

[Interviewer] How does it look?

Looks very good, good to go.

[Narrator] Back in terminal three,

28 year old Australian Sean checks in.

Going home to surprise
my mom for her 60th.

She has no idea I'm coming.

[Narrator] While fellow Aussie Belinda

is leaving fiance Alice behind

to return home after almost four years.

Are we getting married?

We're getting married
soon, it's gonna be okay.

I love you.

[Narrator] Although for her,

the 24 hour flight time
is a little overwhelming.

I've done a lot of longhaul flights,

so it's not like I'm new to the game,

but I just find them rather
horrendous to be honest,

like long.
I don't think anyone

enjoys a longhaul flight.
I know, but I just dread it,

and I think that's a part that
stopped me from going back

all these years.

[Narrator] But Belinda's
in for a surprise,

as she's been upgraded.

Yay!

It's actually business class,

and actually I'm flying
business class, which is crazy

because I've never flown any kind of class

except for comedy.

How do you say it?
Economy.

I feel like I'm a little
bit emotional, actually.

Off to the gate, here we go.

Baby's doing really well, baby Eirlys.

Say hello.

Everyone wave.

Yay.
Hey!

[Narrator] And it's not
just our human passengers

that are about to go longhaul.

Every day, Qantas alone make
4,000 freight shipments.

The two huge hulls can carry
up to 20 tons of freight,

although anything bigger than a suitcase

is handled by the specialists.

I would say we're a
big checkin for freight.

[Narrator] Just a
few miles from Heathrow

is Dnata's bonded warehouse,

a high security, 24/7 cargo facility

where they handle up to 450 tons a day.

We're open all the time,
every day of the year,

and it is very fast paced.

It comes in, it goes out.

Anything from clothing to cars,

live animals, absolutely anything.

We had an armored vehicle
come in, customized,

had all leather seats and fridges,

so that was quite unusual.

[Narrator] The A380 can even
carry its own spare engines,

although at 10 tons apiece,
it's a bit of a tight fit.

They'll go out this
afternoon on a special vehicle.

They direct load onto the aircraft.

It just squeezes in and out,
but yeah, that's quite tight.

[engine roaring]

[Narrator] Today, it's
not just jet engines

and luxury cars that are going longhaul

as two very important passengers arrive.

Mitzi and Alfie are being
relocated back to Australia,

and a few days ago it
was time to say goodbye

to mom and dad.

Come on, we're gonna go.

Quick, quick.

We won't see them for about 12, 13 days,

[toy squeaking]

which is a long time
for us, and Mitzi here

suffers from a little bit
of separation anxiety,

so hopefully the flights
are not too bad for them.

[dog barking]

Come on pup, good boy.
Good boy, good boy.

Go on, go on.

She's a little bit uncertain.

She probably thinks
we're going with her.

She's probably gonna get a surprise.

We're all gonna go on a car ride.

That's right, so she's
all up for the ride.

It's just when she works
out that we're not going.

[Narrator] Mitzi and Alfie are traveling

with a specialized pet transport service,

and they've just realized
they're going alone.

See you soon, see you soon.

[dog whining]

[Narrator] But they're in safe hands,

as the animal's welfare is top priority

for all the airlines.

Even before they fly, they
get a thorough checkup.

Australia especially are super paranoid

about importing infectious diseases,

so that's parasites and other
signs of contagious diseases.

I just work from head to
toe, go through these guys

and make sure they're all
well, everything's healthy.

Lovely clean ears, super.

Go through his coat to
make sure there's no signs

of ticks, fleas, anything
like that hanging around.

Make sure his cardiovascular
system's up to the trip.

You are good.

We'll have a look at your sister,

but very happy with how
things look with him.

You worried you're coming
on the table as well?

I'm afraid you are.

Pretty laid back customer.

Nice steady heart rate, nice, clear chest.

Good, good.

[Narrator] And it's
not just domestic pets

that travel longhaul.

Every day of the year,

you could be sitting there on a plane

and below you don't
realize there are literally

half a dozen animals going
from one place to another

around the world, and it's
not just cats and dogs.

There's exotics as well on
international breeding programs

from zoo to zoo.

The largest animal I've moved by air

is an Asian onehorned greater rhinoceros.

[Interviewer] And dare I
say, how do you move a rhino?

In a big box.

[Narrator] Today, the
dogs are accompanied

by a few feline friends,

so Mick has to be careful
about who sits where.

We try and separate everyone.

We've got some cats on the corner.

We obviously face them away from the dogs

so they don't upset each other.

They all look quite happy this morning.

[Narrator] Although
the hulls on the aircraft

are pressurized, they
are not usually heated,

but with outside
temperatures at 40,000 feet

of minus 50 degrees centigrade,

today, these guys will
be well looked after.

[Mick] They'll actually
warm the compartment

so it's comfortable for the animals.

Their main concern is their welfare.

[Narrator] Mitzi and Alfie
are just two of the 65,000

domestic pets carried by Qantas each year,

a tiny fraction of the 100
million animals flown worldwide.

Back at the airport,

with is 60 minutes before departure,

the catering trucks arrive.

Specially built to reach
the plane's two decks,

the service team now has
to replace 40,000 items,

including 70 meal carts,

two and a half thousand glasses,

and 5,000 pieces of cutlery.

[soft music]

[Announcer] We continue to
board our first class customers

through door C.

[Narrator] With 45 minutes
to go, boarding begins,

but delays on the roads around Heathrow

mean getting the flight away
on time could be a challenge.

As a consequence, we have
late passengers and late crew,

so everything that we did this morning

was a little bit behind.

Still a lot more to do.

[Narrator] As the crew
rush to prep the plane,

now even some of the checked in passengers

have gone walkabout.

Qantas, good morning.

Oh, orange juice, thank you.

11 passengers missing.

[Interviewer] Where did they go?

This is the $1 million question.

[Narrator] But Inez is undeterred.

For her, getting the flight away on time

is a matter of pride.

The flight on time is when
I watch those wheels move

right on the dot.

If that doesn't happen,
then we fail everyone

that has worked very hard
to get all the passengers,

all the crew, the aircraft
at its destination.

So yes, they would be disappointed in me

if I didn't deliver.

[Narrator] With boarding about to close,

most of the passengers have been found,

but there's always one.

One premium economy,

we're just trying to get a phone number.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you, bye.

So we are 20 minutes to departure.

We're missing one passenger,
and at minus 15 minutes,

we start looking for their bags.

[Narrator] Next, will
Ines avoid costly delays

and get flight 002 away on time?

I sometimes say that waiting

for the door to close ages me.

[engine whirring]

[soft music]

And a very good morning to
you, ladies and gentlemen.

My name is Jason and I'll be
your customer service manager.

[Narrator] At London's Heathrow,

boarding of flight 002 to
Sydney is almost complete

as the last passenger is rounded up.

We've located him, and
it is a him, isn't it?

Yes, so we should be all good to go.

[Narrator] Inez can now make sure

the doors are all sealed.

We're just waiting for
engineers to get off,

and then once they're off we can close.

I sometimes say that waiting

for the door to close ages me.

That was a very happy moment.

I know it's a bit sort of
obvious because I work here,

but that is, closing the door.

[Narrator] With the door
sealed, the aerobridges retract

and flight 002 is pushed
back for takeoff on time.

[upbeat music]

There she goes, and
she slides away from us.

[upbeat music]

[Dispatcher] Number two for
takeoff, right wing 22014.

[Pilot] I've got clearances confirmed.

[Narrator] Takeoff is one
of the most critical phases

of the flight.

Captain Rod Duncan and his
crew now accelerate the plane

to 138 miles per hour.

We always only use as
much thrust as we need.

That just saves wear
and tear on the engine,

so it never seems to
accelerate really quickly.

[Narrator] As the speed increases,

the air pressure around
the massive wings changes.

Now air flowing over the
wing has a lower pressure

than the air flowing under it.

With enough speed, the pressure difference

begins to lift the aircraft into the air.

Once you get to that speed,
if you have an engine failure

or a major problem prior to that speed,

you'll stop on the runway,

and if you have an
engine failure or problem

after that speed, you'll
sort it out in the air.

[engines roaring]

[Narrator] As the giant
aircraft heads southeast,

it's following the kangaroo
route, a 70 year old air link

between Australia and the mother country.

The 11,000 mile trip crosses
Europe, the Middle East

and the Indian Ocean before
arriving in Australia

in just over a day's time,

one epic journey that's a tiny fraction

of the 6.28 billion longhaul
miles flown each year.

Hi, so here I am in the
business class section.

I've just been given some champagne.

Life is pretty good right now.

Unfortunately, baby Eirlys was sick

on Bethanie's shoulder,
so not the greatest,

but she's now fast asleep.

Hopefully she can stay like that now

for the rest of the flight.

[Narrator] In seat
70C, 65 year old Malcolm

has hardly ever flown before.

This is the first time
I've ever flown longhaul.

Oh my gosh, ever flown longhaul, wow.

What brings you to Australia?

What it was, one Friday night,

me and my wife were watching
television, got a phone call.

This woman on the phone, then
she told my all me details

and all that, she says I'm your sister.

Plus, there's another two
of us, so I've got three.

[soft music]

[Narrator] Malcolm's parents split up

when he was just three months old.

Until his sister Allison tracked
him down in October 2016,

he had no idea he had
another family in Australia.

She says they'd been
looking for me for 20 years.

My dad's been looking for me for 40 years.

Well, I just went and
I just completely went,

tears were rolling down my
face, both of us at either end.

Five minutes before we started talking,

and I just couldn't believe it.

[Narrator] Malcolm's father David

had joined the thousands of Ten Pound Poms

who immigrated to Australia in the 1950s.

Starting a new life, he had remarried

and had three daughters.

I could imagine how you would be feeling

after that phone call, really surreal.

We were on the phone for at least

an hour and a half that night.

The nicest thing I found out
is he's been looking for me

for all these years.

You don't know that makes me feel,

and obviously the first
thing is we've got to meet.

We've got to meet.

I don't know what's gonna happen

when I see them at the other end.

Just think, when you get
off this plane, that's it.

You're gonna meet them
all for the first time.

[Narrator] Malcolm's
dad passed away in 1996,

having never been reunited with his son,

and now Malcolm's got a
lifetime of catching up to do

with his new family.

I'm never gonna meet
my dad in real life,

but the next best thing

is my three sisters.

Fabulous.

I've got goosebumps everywhere.

I'm actually tingling, it's so beautiful.

That reminds me why this is my dream job.

[soft music]

[Narrator] As flight 002 begins its trek

across mainland Europe,

11,000 miles away in Sydney,

it's just one of 100 Qantas flights

that is being tracked second by second

in the Integrated
Operations Center, or IOC.

The IOC essentially is the
nerve center to the airline.

We provide information to all the aircraft

that we have flying anywhere,
any time around the world.

This system gives us a
timeline of all the aircraft

that we have at any given moment

through their phase of flight.

That information is updated
as soon as an aircraft

releases its brakes, takes off, lands

or comes back to the terminal.

Yeah, that's right.

We might be diverting
to Sydney, Qantas 94.

A lot can vary in
approximately 18 to 24 hours,

be that weather information, engineering,

medical assistance, security assistance,

so we're always providing
updates to those aircraft

throughout the course of their journey.

[exciting music]

Okay, let me go and check
with maintenance watch

and I'll come back to you.

[Narrator] And this
communication isn't just one way,

as each A380 is equipped
with hundreds of sensors

which beam realtime data

about the health of the
plane and its engines

across the globe.

Have a look at the imagery
from the airplane at this stage

when we'll see if it's
carrying any defects,

which may cause us an issue.

[Narrator] Although
flight 002 isn't reporting

anything serious, it does
have one or two minor niggles.

Well, the aircraft
carries some minor defects.

It's like your car, the
ash tray may be full

or the window may not wind down properly

or something like that.

If it's a serious fault,
there's other alerting

from the engine manufacturers
they've been monitoring.

Of course, Airbus themselves
are monitoring the aircraft,

and if they believe
there's a serious issue,

they can also send us some
additional information.

[Narrator] If the engineers
do spot a worrying problem,

they can pick up the sap phone

and talk directly to the pilots.

We have to be very mindful
that we don't bother them

during a critical phase of flight,

so if they're just starting
their flight we might not call,

and if they're just towards
the end of the flight,

definitely won't be calling.

[Narrator] Engineers like David

are just one of the many unsung heroes

of the longhaul flight.

One flight from London to Sydney

could have anywhere from approximately 10

to 350 people involved,
so there's a lot of people

behind the scenes that
are making that aircraft

get to where it's going.

Without the IOC, the
airline wouldn't function.

You'd have aircraft in the air

that wouldn't be able to
get real time information,

be that mechanical, be that for weather,

be that security or
medicalrelated situations,

and as a result, they literally
would be flying blind.

[Narrator] Which is
exactly what used to happen

when the pioneers of
longhaul took to the skies

nearly 80 years ago.

[Announcer] 1938 and
QEA, Qantas Empire Airways,

operates the Short C Class flying boats

in modern luxury and comfort,

and what's more, the trip
only takes nine days,

which includes 70 hours
of flying and 36 stops.

Essentially, longhaul
was a series of short hops,

none of them longer than
200, maximum 300 miles.

Between each hop, you would come down,

the plane would be refueled.

You had to be adventurous.

There was a lot of forced landings.

You had to be prepared
more or less for anything.

[exciting music]

[Announcer] There is even
a demand for fishing lines

at refueling stops, where both
passengers and crew members

can enjoy the relaxation of
dropping a line over the side.

[upbeat music]

[Narrator] Back on board,

our passengers won't need to
be fishing for their dinner,

as just 30 minutes into the
flight, it's time to eat.

Sarah, do you have a fruit, please?

[Sarah] Of course you can.

Just getting my fruit out.

Thank you very much.
[Sarah] There you are.

My pleasure.

Hello there.

[Narrator] Meal service
is the busiest time

for the 21 crew, and each one
has their own specific role.

Depending on where we're
seated for takeoff and landing

depends on what we're doing

either in the cabin or in the galley.

So basically I'm taking the opportunity

to get things ready for
the dessert service now

while all the other cabin crew

are out doing the bar service.

[Narrator] Today, Aaron
is one of the 10 crew

looking after the 64
passengers in business class.

Give the passengers a nice
glass of wine with their meal,

a small side salad where they
get a choice of dressings,

and then we start delivering
entrees and the main course.

[upbeat music]

[Narrator] With food and
drink playing a crucial part

of the longhaul experience,

each year over 1 billion meals
are dished up at 40,000 feet.

Qantas alone serve 7.5 million
on their longhaul flights,

400,000 in first class,
2 million in business

and 5 million in economy.

Everywhere in the world
at any minute of the day

there's a client up there,

and we're serving a meal to somebody.

[Narrator] Neil Perry
is one of Australia's

best known chefs.

For 20 years, he's been
putting the food he serves

in his Rockpool restaurants into the sky.

It can be a massive risk
putting your name on something

you have no control over.

Airline food's always had a bad rap,

so when we got involved,
the most important thing

is we create a sort of a
number of cornerstones.

So we said, what have
airlines always done?

Well, they're flowing really bad bread,

so we have to have great bread.

They're flowing pretty poor cheese.

Let's have beautiful, ripe
cheeses that are ready.

Salad, not great.

Let's do great salads.

And then we'd roll dishes around that.

[upbeat music]

[Narrator] Today, all
the food is prepared

in huge catering centers.

The 105 chefs at Alpha LSG in London

produce 31,000 meals per day.

[upbeat music]

In the premium cabins, each of the dishes

must be dressed and plated the
same way across every flight.

Just gotta be calm and
collected, go along stepbystep.

It's all good.

There is pressure, but you
can't let the nerves get to you.

[Narrator] Serving
restaurant quality food

is an idea that harks back

to the pioneering days of aviation.

[Announcer] Feeling peckish?

Well, here's a sample
of our inflight dining.

Anyone care for la crustace a la mussel?

Mm, tres bien.

You'd have had a seven course meal.

You would be served by a steward

who would be wearing a white
jacket and a white cap,

like a waiter in a fine
restaurant, really.

This was served the
14th of September, 1952.

They started with lobster bisque,

roast filet of beef, fresh
sliced peaches with Kirsch,

fresh double cream, martini cocktails,

ground van der bogonia
and bisque de buche.

I'm sorry about my French
accent, but you get the idea.

[Narrator] Creating the
tricky dishes is one thing,

but serving them is quite
an event, as in the air,

both equipment and space
is severely limited.

[Interviewer] This is a real ballet.

It is, it's a bit of a juggling act.

It's a bit of a circus trick, this one.

Yeah, it's like a waltz, like a dance.

One moves one way and we move in,

and backwards and forwards.

[soft music]

You are all jammed in a small area.

You have to be very
comfortable on the aircraft

with people in your personal space.

You do learn very quickly
how to maneuver around.

It's like we almost
have eyes behind our heads

because we sort of just like move away

and we all just get out
of each other's way.

We can just sort of, we
never really collide anymore.

We're used to it.

We come to work knowing
that it's going to be full

and we're trying to work when it's full.

Another day at the office.

[upbeat music]

Let's go downstairs.

[Narrator] Next,
we'll take a sneaky peak

at life below stairs as we inspect

the crew's secret quarters.

[Sarah] There we go.

Goodnight, everyone.

[Narrator] Flight 002 out of Heathrow

is on its way to Sydney, Australia.

As the world's only fully
doubledecker passenger plane,

the A380's upper deck is
mostly business class,

while the lower deck is
the main economy cabin.

In row 81, Daniel and Bethanie

are enjoying a rare moment of calm.

I think this is the
first meal mommy's had

without baby Eirlys crying
and saying feed me first,

so it's actually quite
nice to do that, isn't it?

The routine is whatever she
wants, so when she's hungry,

she will cry and she will ask for food,

and when she's tired, she will sleep.

[Narrator] The young
parents are preparing

to move away from their families

to start a new life in Sydney.

We're just kind of gonna go out there

and kind of research the areas,

look at the neighborhoods,
look at some houses

and just kind of look
at what we potentially

are letting ourselves
in for in the future.

We haven't got a clue what to expect.

We could go there and we could hate it.

We haven't got anyone nearby to help out.

It's a big move for both of us,

but I'm not scared because
I know we're a good team.

[soft music]

Three hours into the
flight and with service over,

for some of the crew, it's a
chance to sneak a quick break.

Big crowd.

We just went to check
on all my passengers.

My passengers are all good, aren't they?

So we thought we'd reward ourselves

with a cheeky cup of tea, so
that's what we're doing now.

[Narrator] Beatrice has
been flying for nine years.

For her, keeping the passengers happy

is one of the things that
keeps her in the air.

Thank you.

I'm a people pleaser to a certain degree,

and that's what I really like,

meeting the people and
making them leave happy.

I think I could be sat
in an office nine to five

looking 'til it's 4:30, and yeah,

obviously there are some
fights where I'm thinking,

oh, I can't wait to get
to the end of this flight,

but then my reward is that
I'm in Dubai for 24 hours

or in Australia for three days,

so I don't really know what
more you can wish for, really.

[Narrator] But all that
excitement does come at a price.

I'm just about to get stuck

in every cabin crew's
favorite job, which is,

as you can see, I've got my glove on,

cleaning the toilets.

So off I go.

People tell you it's a glamorous job.

I think they lied.

So we just come and do this
like every half an hour,

just to check everything's
well and good in the toilet

and that there's some paper in there,

'cause no one likes going
to the toilet with no paper.

Give it a little spritz, beautiful.

We have like a friendly
family atmosphere on board.

[Both] Hello.

[Beatrice] We all go out
together or go to the beach.

It is really nice.

Now I'm gonna sit down
and have my cup of tea

and a biscuit.

It's the best part of this job,

the cup of tea and the biscuit.

Life.

[Narrator] Today, the
kangaroo route has a single stop

of 90 minutes in the world's
busiest airport, Dubai.

[engines rumbling]

Welcome to Dubai.

[Narrator] Recrewed,
refueled and recatered,

the plane is ready for the
longest leg of the flight,

14 hours to Sydney.

About to hop on the plane.

Not much longer.

[engines rumbling]

[Narrator] Back in the air,

the crew are preparing
for another meal service.

We have a little trick
that we like to call,

you know about Tom Cruise, don't you?

When we talk about Tom
Cruise on the aircraft,

we're not talking about
the famous movie star.

We certainly are not.

We certainly are not.

We are talking about tea and coffee.

How do you put them on the trolley?

Tea and then coffee.

Tom Cruise.
Tom Cruise.

There you go, fact of the day.

[Narrator] On the upper
deck in business class,

Belinda settles in for lunch.

Miss Wilson, you're joining
us for something to eat?

Thank you, thank you so much.

[Narrator] This is her first experience

in the premium cabin,

and she's not yet used to
the restaurantlike service.

I'm serving a side salad with your meal,

and I have a choice of dressings for you.

I have aged balsamic or I have a verjus.

What's a verjus?

Funny you should ask.

[Narrator] And it's
not just the food jargon

she needs some help with.

Aaron's just been telling me

about the lifestyle of an air hostess.

Flight attendant.

Sorry, flight attendant.

I'm still half asleep.

Flight attendant, flight attendant.

[Narrator] Australian Belinda left home

to pursue her dream as
an actress and singer.

I think I underestimated
how hard it would be

setting up in London.

It's not easy to come over
with like two suitcases,

and that's all you have.

[Narrator] But she
might have to get used to

the high life, as things are on the up.

So we're getting
married, legally married,

which is a little bit different
if you're in Australia,

but in the UK, we can get
married, which is incredible.

Yeah, it's very exciting.

So keep your eyes at the
point that you're looking at,

but just drop your nose down a little bit.

[Narrator] And she's also
landed the role of Judy Garland

in a new West End show.

[both singing]

I can't wait for my mom to see this.

I don't think she'll quite believe it,

but I think she'll be really proud

of everything that I'm
achieving over here.

[Interviewer] Judy really
is going to Oz, isn't she?

Judy's going to Oz,
she's going back to Oz.

Yes, absolutely.

[Narrator] And Judy's
traveling in style.

The Qantas A380 has 64
business class seats.

At up to eight times the
cost of an economy seat,

this premium cabin is vital
to the success of the airline.

What they're selling is exclusivity.

It's that great sort of social cachet

if you turn left at the top of the steps

instead of turning right.

For the airline, it's a
question of economics.

If you're a standard
economy class traveler,

they're not making much profit on you.

In fact, they're hardly
making anything at all.

So in a sense, those business travelers

who are paying a great deal more

are paying for the ordinary
passengers like you and me.

[soft music]

We often see this cabin
full on every flight,

lots of business travelers

or people that have saved
up for a little while

to take that trip of a lifetime.

It's very exclusive with the
sky beds that go fully flat.

You can have privacy.

There's these mid seat dividers.

It's all about service
tailored to the customer.

Business class is the business, really.

[engines rumbling]

[Narrator] It's not just
the business class passengers

who travel in comfort.

In the forward hull
directly below first class

are the animals like Mitzi and Alfie.

While it's not possible for owners

to visit their pets in flight,

if they're in the serenity of first class,

they occasionally might hear them.

Sometimes you can actually hear the dogs

chatting to each other and barking,

which can be a little bit distracting.

It's really interesting
hearing those noises

and thinking that your ears
are playing tricks on you.

[Narrator] Cruising
at almost 40,000 feet,

the A380 is one of the most
comfortable planes in the sky.

Quiet and stable, it travels
at more than 500 miles an hour

almost effortlessly through
the thin, frigid atmosphere.

But it wasn't always this way.

The early longhaul passengers
had to endure flying

much lower in primitive,
unpressurized planes.

Okay, the good news about flying low,

that's eight or 9,000,
maximum 10,000 feet,

is you get a good view
of what's down below,

the pyramids or the Taj Mahal
or the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

The bad news is because you're
going through the weather,

your stomach is being
thrown all over the place,

and up to 50% of people in
prewar flights were nauseous,

they were queasy, and
a great many of those

were actually vomiting on the floor.

And it's interesting that
when the first stewardesses

were introduced, they had
to be qualified nurses.

[soft music]

[Narrator] No such problems today,

as 10 hours into the flight the lights dim

for the passengers to get some rest,

although few of them realize

that there is another secret compartment

in the belly of the plane.

And welcome to our
secret sleepover joint.

[Sarah] One big slumber party in here.

[Narrator] This is where the cabin crew

go on their downtime.

Naomi and Sarah have
agreed to show us around.

So these are the bunk beds.

There's 12 bunk beds.

Crew rest is the best
thing on the aircraft.

Hi, guys.
Hello, welcome.

You guys are about to go to bed?

We are, ready for a nap.

We might get three hours
off and then we'll switch,

and then the next person
will get the three hours off.

Yeah, do a demonstration of
how we get into the top bunk.

Going to bed now.

Nice and cozy.
[Sarah] All cozy.

And you normally have a
hot water bottle down here.

Normally, 'cause it's
freezing down here.

[Sarah] It can get quite cold.

[Crew Member] Night night.
Good night.

We get cozy pillows,
blankets, hot water bottles.

You're lucky you don't
see us in our pajamas,

but we save that for down there.

It's just like a little cozy
compartment underground.

And where's the Harry Potter bunk?

Who gets the Harry Potter bunk?

We do have one bunk which we
call the Harry Potter bunk,

which is just under the stairs.

All right, let's go, Tim.

That's the easiest I've ever done it.

I actually don't mind
it, 'cause it's like

someone's actually giving
you a hug under there,

'cause it's like you've got
a wall that's halfway through

and you kind of just cozy up
in there and it's quite warm.

Good night, everyone.
[Sarah] Good night.

Nice and cozy.

[Narrator] It's not just the
cabin crew getting some rest.

Even pilots get a moment or
two to enjoy the scenery.

[Rod] There's a lot to
see and you've got your map

so you know where you are,

and you see some great sunrises,
sunsets, good mountains.

[soft music]

[Narrator] In the economy cabin

is 28 year old Australian Sean.

Living in the UK, he's
been plotting with dad

to be the surprise guest at
his mom's 60th birthday party.

I'm just gonna walk into the restaurant

and all her good friends
are gonna be there,

so that's gonna be brilliant.

And then the icing on top of the cake

should be when you walk in.

Yeah.

My mom's very emotional.

I think when she sees me,
she's probably gonna scream,

run and hug me, possibly even cry.

I think she will be very entertaining.

[Narrator] Sean's not
the only one with secrets.

Sometimes I guess we do
get a few weird requests,

such as marriage proposals
after they've had a few wines.

You just make sure that they
know that we're just there

for their safety and the service.

We're not there for anything else.

[Dispatcher] Qantas
two, say hello to you.

[Narrator] Next, with just
a thousand miles to Rome,

in Sydney, a whole army
prepare to welcome flight 002.

[soft music]

[exciting music]

With flight 002 now
just hours from Sydney,

the international airport prepares to open

after its overnight curfew.

Are you doing the two arrival as well?

We're not sure yet.
Not sure, okay.

[Narrator] On board,

the pilots make contact with
the air traffic control.

[Dispatcher] Qantas
two, say hello to you.

Qantas two, turn right, 020.

Air traffic control is pretty much

the policemen of the skies.

We make sure that the rules
and procedures are followed

and that separation
standards aren't breached.

[Narrator] Keeping the planes apart

takes a special kind of skill.

You need to be able to
think fast on your feet.

You need that spatial awareness.

A lot of people think in two dimensional,

but we're thinking in three dimensional,

but we're also thinking
four dimensional at times,

'cause we've got speed involved as well.

[Narrator] Meanwhile, in
the daily briefing at the IOC,

it's the weather that's the worry.

Sydney, we are looking
at a storm potential,

staying quite likely
within the next two hours

at the airport, those storm
cells hugging the coast.

Whether or not there's going
to be a tropical cyclone

over the flight path of several flights

becomes increasingly important

to high passenger volume flights

such as those that go to
China, those that go to London.

We are looking at storm cells
to the northwest of port,

and they are likely to move over.

Do you think they're fastmoving, then?

They're quite fast moving.

We have some stuff to the
southwest at the moment,

but that should stay offshore.

I'm just concerned that those things

that are developing to the northwest.

[rain pattering]

[Narrator] While the worst of the storms

are not yet over Sydney,
the pilots prepare to land

in some typically British weather.

We may end up with some
rain in the later stages

of the approach, so just
stand by on the wipers.

[Narrator] In the
cabin, as the dawn breaks,

the crew prepare breakfast.

As you can see, it's
sunrise on the plane.

I'm just gonna go through
and check on any passengers

that might have woken up,

just see if we get them any
drinks or anything like that.

The last service was hours ago,

so I guess they're ready
for their their brekkie

before they land.

What can I get for you?

Sure, let me grab that for you now.

Our first order of cheeky
James bodes at sunrise.

Josh here is loading up the ovens,

doing a great job of
being galley operator.

And yeah, I've just got the cart all ready

and it's good to go.

[soft music]

[Narrator] Down in the crew quarters,

the early morning alarm
call is less welcome.

I've just come downstairs
to do the worst job,

which is waking everyone up from break,

and everyone's still down here
and they're not very happy.

It can give you a heart
attack at the best of times,

and then when that hand does
come up, you're like, okay,

and then you come up and you
feel sorry for any passengers

that do come across to you in that process

between going from the crew
rest door to the toilet.

One of my favorite
things during the flight

is to see the crew that
are coming back from break

and how upset they look
after coming back from break.

Here's Edward, he's looking really happy.

Morning.

[Narrator] In the first class galley,

Marissa is tackling a tricky dish,

fresh scrambled eggs
cooked in a steam oven.

We've got to keep a close eye on it,

constantly stare at it, 'cause
if I take my eye off them,

I either burn them or they go a bit dry,

which we don't want.

[Interviewer] Is there extra pressure

being in the first class galley?

Oh, yes.

Platinum passengers, a
little nerves, but all good.

[Crew Member] And you can set
your watches to Sydney time.

The time about to be is just 7:35 a.m.

Okay, I'm just seeing where we are.

We're just flying over
Canberra now, I think.

I think we touch down in like 36 minutes,

which is really exciting.

[Narrator] Sean too is excited,

having traveled 11,000 miles
just to be his mother's

very special birthday present, literally.

My plan is to get a box
that's big enough to fit me,

wrap it up in paper and
maybe put a bow on it.

I think when I leap out of the box,

I think my mom's gonna
scream, panic a little bit,

and then once she realizes who it is,

she'll probably give me a big
hug, probably start crying.

I think it will be very entertaining.

Keeping the emotions in check

is also going to be a
challenge for Malcolm,

who after 65 years is
now just minutes away

from meeting his long lost family.

First time meeting them in the flesh.

His nerves will be going now.

My nerves are going.

A bit emotional.
A bit?

A lot.

[Narrator] And it's not just
Malcolm feeling the nerves,

as at Sydney Airport, his
welcoming party has arrived.

My two sisters are
here with me, my partner,

my daughter, my grandson and my nephew.

We are so excited.

Nerves, we've been chattering
all the way down here.

Yes, really excited.

Can't wait to see him.

[Dispatcher] Qantas 2, turn right to 125

to join final 165, and you
are cleared to approach.

Broad heading 125 join final 16 right,

clear to the arrow and approach.

[Narrator] With the runway in sight,

the plane enters its most
critical phase, landing.

The A380's massive size
creates a huge amount

of weight turbulence or jet wash.

Weight turbulence is the unstable air

that is produced from the wings

and the body of the aircraft
as it flies through the air.

The weight turbulence
hangs behind the aircraft

for a period of time, and
we put like an envelope

around the aircraft, so
we've got 1000 feet below,

and for a super it's six
nautical miles behind it,

so we don't want anything
in that envelope.

Otherwise they get buffeted around a lot.

If you're quite close
to the weight turbulence

coming off the back of a super or a heavy

and you're in a light
aircraft like a Cessna,

it could flip the aircraft.

[Dispatcher] Qantas
two, wind 130 degrees,

10 knots runway 16
arrived, cleared to land.

[Narrator] While the A380
can land automatically,

usually this part is
handled by the human pilots.

I have visual.

Standard procedures.
Check, 1,000.

In tough conditions,
they can be challenging.

Cross winds make it harder.

Usually happens just
in the last little bit,

and at that stage we nearly
are always flying it manually.

It's probably the most satisfying part,

and you will try and fly the airplane

as efficiently as you can and
do a good landing if possible.

[tires screeching]

If you do, you basically feel satisfied

that it was a good job.

It's landed.

Oh my God, it's here.

It's landed, he's here.

We're gonna see him in a minute.

He's gonna be so excited.

How exciting, how exciting.

[Narrator] Malcolm is just moments away

from coming face to face with his past.

[engines whirring]

Flight 002 from London has just landed

into Sydney International Airport,

where a small army of service personnel

are ready to welcome the plane.

How many baggage containers
you got to take on?

Four.
Four more to go?

You gonna use these ones here?

[Narrator] Ramp Manager Sam Shannon

oversees the offloading.

It's almost like a choreographed dance.

We've got engineering staff

that are overviewing the aircraft
and looking for any damage

that might might've occurred in flight.

We've got our ground service team

that are offloading all
the baggage and cargo.

We'll also have catering
come to the aircraft

and start offloading all the rubbish

from the inbound flight.

Refuelers are also coming
around to refuel the aircraft.

[Narrator] With the
flight burning through

over 300,000 liters of fuel,

the plane has lost half
its takeoff weight,

although a little extra has been added.

Obviously after such a long flight,

with over 480 passengers,
there's a lot of toilet waste.

So this gentleman Neil is just
taking it out of the aircraft

and also flushing all
the tanks in the aircraft

to make sure they're all
clean for the next flight.

[Interviewer] So contrary
to what people believe,

you don't dump it in the air.

No, we don't dump it in the
air, I can assure you of that.

Hi, mommy.

[Narrator] Sam's team need
to get all the passengers

reunited with their 600 bags
in less than 45 minutes,

and for three special ladies,
that can't happen soon enough.

Might take them a little
while to get through customs

and then get their bags and stuff.

[soft music]

[Narrator] With all the
passengers disembarked,

the crew can finally clock off.

Bye!
Bye, Jason.

[Narrator] But while
it's goodbyes for the crew,

Malcolm's three sisters
are desperate to say hello.

Come on.

[Narrator] Finally,
after what has literally

been a lifetime, Malcolm arrives.

Here we go, where are they?

[soft music]

Oh, you're here.

Fantastic.

Finally, oh my God.

Unbelievable.
I know.

It's so good to see you.
Fantastic.

I can't believe it.
I know, it's been so long.

[Allison] I can't wait to
tell him just about our dad,

what he was like growing up.

It's a little bit bittersweet, sort of.

We don't want to tell him too much.

I don't want him to think
he's missed out on everything,

but he just wants to hear about everything

that we shared with dad.

It's great to find them.

I mean, 65, the only one four months ago.

Now I've got three sisters.

How lucky are you?

Oh, lucky me.

You're here, yay!

[Narrator] With the plane
due to be back in the air

in just seven hours,
there is just enough time

for some regular maintenance.

The tug has now grabbed
it, closed its jaws,

and we're elevating the aircraft up

so it's pivoting on its landing gear.

The dead weight of this
aircraft at the moment

is possibly about 300 tons.

We're gonna follow the A380 line out,

just to keep these wing tips clear

from all around the
aircraft, all around us.

It's that big, you can have an accident.

You could hit a wing on
something, so you must concentrate

on having it onto the
center of those lines.

[Narrator] With the engineering hanger

on the opposite side of the airport,

Louie must tow the 73 meter long aircraft

across a live runway, and quickly.

We're gonna have to go.

We're being cleared, we've
got lights illuminated.

There's an aircraft coming in,

and it's on its final
approach, so we have to move.

[exciting music]

That aircraft's pretty
close, it's coming in now.

Here we go.

[Narrator] This seven story
hangar was specially converted

to accommodate the giant A380,

and even then, it only just fits.

The aircraft is very high.

It was a great challenge for us.

A lot of the equipment
that we need to do a job

at a normal human level has to
be elevated to those heights.

It's not just getting the people there.

It's getting some of the
specialized tooling there as well.

[Narrator] One of the regular jobs

is to give the giant plane a good scrub.

[soft music]

[Kevin] You wet the aircraft

and you apply the foam over the aircraft,

scrub it off, rinse it off.

[Interviewer] So how do they get dirty?

I mean, they're flying in the air.

Bugs, moths, the rubber
coming off the tires

hitting the back of the aircraft,

exhaust fumes, hydraulic leaks,

all sorts of various
ways they can get dirty.

[Narrator] And all this
effort is not just for show.

Obviously for our customers

to look at a bright and
shiny airplane is very nice,

however, there's a hidden
agenda there in fuel burning.

On a clean airplane, the fuel
burn is significantly reduced.

[exciting music]

[Narrator] While our
plane is being readied

for its next trip, Belinda
has finally made it home.

Australia has a smell.

This sort of fresh grass kind of smell.

I can't explain it.

It's quite comforting.

It's very emotional
coming back to an old life

that I used to have, but
it's also just so nice

to be able to see mom.

[Narrator] Yvonne's delighted

that Belinda's musical theater
career is taking off at last.

I'm very proud of her.

Finally, she's going to be
considered a professional

and getting paid.

I've been paid before though, mom.

But not like West End Theatre.

West End is definitely a
first for me, definitely.

[soft music]

[Narrator] It's not just
Belinda that's happy to be home.

Next, the rest of the passengers

have their own emotional reunions.

You found a great spot for him, anyway.

[soft music]

[gulls squawking]

[waves crashing]

We're in Sydney now,

and we're just off to our
first destination, Kuji.

[Narrator] The kangaroo route
is just one of the thousands

of longhaul flights
that deliver passengers

around the world, as each day
tens of thousands of travelers

begin their own journeys.

[upbeat music]

Got a beautiful view behind
us of Sydney Harbor Bridge

and the Sydney Opera House.

[Narrator] For Daniel and Bethanie,

their journey is just getting started

as they scope out a
possible future in Sydney.

Hello.

Welcome, have a look around.

So we've got a lovely open
plan kitchen, lounge, dining,

bedrooms just to your left here.

[Daniel] The mirror
sold it straight away.

And waking up to that every morning.

Oh, wow, yes.

I fell in love with the
apartments behind us here.

It's perfectly located.

That balcony in the mornings,
having a cup of coffee

or having some breakfast.

It's really settled our
nerves coming out here

and seeing how beautiful Sydney is.

We're looking forward to it.

My nan summed it up.

She said, it'll break
my heart to see you go,

but at the same time, it's
the best thing for you,

and if my grandpa was still
alive, he'd be proud of us

for moving out here,
'cause this is a big step,

but she knows that for our future,

this is the best move for us

and this is where our future lies.

[soft music]

[Narrator] While Daniel and
Bethanie look to the future,

for Mitzi and Alfie, after
10 days in quarantine,

it's a case of home at last.

I just got off the
phone with your parents.

They're very excited to see you.

I got them out at the airport in Sydney

just to stretch their legs,
chance to go to the toilet,

and both of their body
languages were fantastic.

They handled the flight really well.

They're both happy and obviously
glad to be on the ground.

[upbeat music]

It's mommy!

Daddy!

[Narrator] While the
dogs settle in at home,

back at the airport, the countdown is on

to get the next longhaul
flight out on time.

[Crew Member] Check all that
in about one minute's time.

You want to start heading
towards your doors.

Thanks, everyone.

We have one minute before call backs,

then about 10 minutes
before passengers board.

[Narrator] But the
crew aren't the only ones

on a countdown.

It's good to be back in Sydney.

[upbeat music]

[Narrator] As Sean as his
brother put the final touches

to his mom's ultimate birthday surprise.

This is my brother Mark.

He's picked me up in Manly.

The plan is to cover this box.

I'm gonna put a couple of eyes on it

and a couple of peep holes.

There's already some cutouts on the side,

so as she goes to open the
box, I'm gonna pop my arms out.

[upbeat music]

It's not gonna be neat, but it will do.

[Narrator] Sean takes up his position

as mom is due at any moment.

Oh, they're coming.

We're gonna hear some
yells any second now.

[Narrator] He's not
the only one undercover.

We've told mum that our camera crew

are making a promotional
film for the restaurant.

[Sean laughing]

[screaming] No, no!

Surprise.

I love you so much.

My whole being is just shaking.

I'm gobsmacked.

It's a dream come true.

In my head I'm thinking oh, to meet Sean,

wouldn't that be wonderful?

But it won't happen.

It's happened.

[soft music]

Sure tranquil, isn't it?

We're down here now, aren't we?

[Narrator] North of Sydney,

Malcolm is having a very
different family reunion.

You show me the way.

Hi dad, we're all here.

[Allison] I told you I found your boy.

65 years ago.

Here we go again.

Thank you.

It's been totally emotional
since I've been here,

finding you three and my dad's grave.

You can't explain it.

Fabulous, turned my world right around.

I'm sure he had something to do with it.

Oh yeah, he's probably sorted it out.

Sorted it out, yeah.

[soft music]

[Narrator] In just a few months,

the first nonstop 19 hour flight

from the UK to Australia will begin,

a technological leap forward

that will further shrink our world.

Yet while another longhaul
milestone will be achieved,

the spirit and romance of
long distance travel remains,

[engines whirring]

as each year longhaul flights
transport millions of people

billions of miles to reconnect those

who are half the world away.

Even though we've been doing
it now for half a century,

there's sort of a certain
magic about longhaul

which you can't equal with
a short hop of 90 minutes.

In a sense, longhaul is what
aviation is really about.

[engines rumbling]

This is dad on his journey over here.

Wow, I've never seen that one before.

That's going up in the
bedroom beside Elvis.

[group laughing]

[soft music]

[All] Bye.

[engines rumbling]

[exciting music]