Virgin Australia and AFL fans to scream for Guinness World Record

(L-R): Gemma (13, Corey (9), Jack Graham, Jess (10), Kayla (14). Thursday, September 26, 2019. Photo: Daniel Pockett

Virgin Australia and AFL fans are getting ready to break a world record at the 2019 AFL Grand Final this weekend.

In an attempt at perhaps the oddest Guinness World Record in Australian history, 100,000 AFL fans will attempt to scream louder than a plane taking off during the Grand Final on Saturday.

To break the World Record, the fans in attendance at the final will need to scream “louder than standing 20 metres away from a plane taking off” to go into the record books.

But just how loud is a jet taking off? Well, according to Hear Smart ­– an Australian initiative founded to promote hearing health – a jet at take-off can be as loud as 130 decibels.

But according to airportnoiselaw.org, a jet taking off at 25 metres is as loud as 150 decibels, which is usually considered loud enough to burst your eardrums.

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Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson will appear on the big screen at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to pump up the crowd. While Virgin Australia will be giving away hundreds of flights to New Zealand during the attempt.

On Thursday, Richmond Tiger Jack Graham, AFL fans and Virgin Australia cabin crew prepared their vocals for the pre-game entertainment ahead of the big game on Saturday.

If all goes well, this won’t be the first time Virgin has broken a world record.

In February, a Boeing 787 operated by Virgin Atlantic reached the ground speed of 1,289 kilometres per hour.

The record-breaking speed was reached thanks to a huge jet stream, and saw the plane travelling from Los Angeles to London arrive at its destination 48 minutes early.

At the time, plane captain Peter James wrote on Twitter that he had “never seen this kind of tailwind in my life as a commercial pilot!”.

The speed of sound is 1,234 kilometres per hour, but whether air travel breaks the sound barrier hinges on airspeed rather than ground speed.

Earlier this month, guests on board Viking Cruises’ Viking Sun embarked on the ‘ultimate world cruise’, a 245-day journey spanning six continents, 51 countries and 111 ports, which should claim a Guinness World Record for the longest-ever continuous cruise.

Sailing from London on Viking’s 930-guest vessel, the cruise will fully circumnavigate the globe bringing guests to some of the world’s most legendary cities, iconic landmarks and far-flung destinations, before returning to London in May 2020.

Upon the return of Viking Sun to London next year, an official Guinness World Record adjudicator will confirm the successful attempt with a certificate presentation.

Featured image credit: Daniel Pockett (supplied by Virgin Australia)

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