Not Quite, But Strong Tailwind Pushed A BA Boeing Across The Atlantic At 745 MPH

A British Airways Boeing 777-200 caught a 200 miles-per-hour tailwind on a flight from New York to London last week, approaching speeds that approached the speed of sound.

An article appearing in the London Telegraph notes that the BA jetliner crossed the Atlantic at speeds up to 745 mph, or 647 knots, making the flight in just five hours and 16 minutes, according to FlightAware. The speed of sound at ground level is 761 mph, or 661 knots. It arrived an hour and a half before it was scheduled. A typical New York to London flight takes between six to eight hours at a speed of around 486 knots.

Riding the jetstream has proved beneficial for trans-Atlantic pilots almost as long as there have been flights across the ocean, but catching the wave for the entire flight takes planning and skill, according to former BA pilot Alastair Rosenschein, who flew 747s on that route for the airline. The jetstream averages about 10 miles wide and about 2000 feet deep, he said, and you have to try to sit in its core  to pick up the extra speed ... but also find a spot where its not too bumpy for the passengers.

Of course, on the return trip, going east to west ... the jetstream can have very much the opposite effect, and pilots go out of their way to avoid the strong westerly winds.

(Image from file)

FMI:  www.srh.noaa.gov/jets