Planes flew from New York to London at near-supersonic speeds due to powerhouse jet stream
8.3k Share Tweet
Visualization of the jet stream on Jan. 8, 2015, showing a swath of 200 knot winds blowing across the North Atlantic, affecting flights.
IMAGE: HTTP://EARTH.NULLSCHOOL.NET
BY ANDREW FREEDMAN
1 DAY AGO
A jet stream roaring across the North Atlantic at more than 200 miles per hour early Thursday morning nearly succeeded in bringing back supersonic air travel for the New York to London route. Several flights from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport made the trip from there to London's Heathrow Airport (from gate to gate) in about five hours and 20 minutes.
British Airways Flight 114, a Boeing 777-200 jet, took off from JFK at 10:50 p.m. ET, and landed at 9:06 a.m. local time, taking just five hours 16 minutes to make a trip that typically takes more than six hours.
SEE ALSO: 10-minute flight could be shortest international route in the world
Jet stream analysis over the North Atlantic on Jan. 8, 2015, showing the powerful jet stream blowing across the Atlantic.
IMAGE: CLIMATE-REANALYZER
At one point, according to Flight Aware, the jet was traveling at a groundspeed, which is the speed at which the plane is traveling relative to ground level, of 745 miles per hour. For comparison, the speed of sound at sea level is 761 miles per hour.
8.3k Share Tweet
Visualization of the jet stream on Jan. 8, 2015, showing a swath of 200 knot winds blowing across the North Atlantic, affecting flights.
IMAGE: HTTP://EARTH.NULLSCHOOL.NET
BY ANDREW FREEDMAN
1 DAY AGO
A jet stream roaring across the North Atlantic at more than 200 miles per hour early Thursday morning nearly succeeded in bringing back supersonic air travel for the New York to London route. Several flights from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport made the trip from there to London's Heathrow Airport (from gate to gate) in about five hours and 20 minutes.
British Airways Flight 114, a Boeing 777-200 jet, took off from JFK at 10:50 p.m. ET, and landed at 9:06 a.m. local time, taking just five hours 16 minutes to make a trip that typically takes more than six hours.
SEE ALSO: 10-minute flight could be shortest international route in the world
Jet stream analysis over the North Atlantic on Jan. 8, 2015, showing the powerful jet stream blowing across the Atlantic.
IMAGE: CLIMATE-REANALYZER
At one point, according to Flight Aware, the jet was traveling at a groundspeed, which is the speed at which the plane is traveling relative to ground level, of 745 miles per hour. For comparison, the speed of sound at sea level is 761 miles per hour.
