As a pilot for US Airways, I always believed there had to be a better way for single-aisle aircraft to fly long distances. I used to fly the Airbus A321 from Philadelphia (PHL) to Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO), but even with two auxiliary center tanks, the A321's advertised range of 3,000 nm (2,400 nm useful range) limited it to only transcontinental flights. I also flew the Boeing 757 from Brussels (BRU) to PHL many times, taking off with a full load of fuel, passengers and cargo at maximum takeoff weight every time.
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