Posted on 12/22/2014 5:05:48 PM PST by zeestephen
The Monday morning reading out of Port Hardy, BC, Canada, reported a west wind of 188 knots (216 mph!) at about 33,000 feet. A check of the flight data on a Southwest Air flight showed ground speeds were over 700 mph at cruising altitudes. [Seattle to Denver, 1 hour 50 minutes!]
(Excerpt) Read more at komonews.com ...
I have been on flights returning to the U.S. from Asia via pacific and these strong tailwinds are no fun at all.
The SW Airlines flight was just 67mph short of the speed of sound. They would have to ride a lightning bolt to reach the speed of light. However, the sudden stop downward wouldn’t be worth it. Maybe the could catch a ground to cloud lightning bolt ride.
During WWII the jet stream was not well understood.
When B-29s began bombing Japan from high altitude, they were sometimes barely moving. Coming back of course was the opposite.
I think that is one reason they went to low altitude bombing.
Nope. An aircraft In fight is part of the moving airmass. It is still flying the same Mach number no matter what the wind.
But if you arrive too soon, and do not have a slot, you may circle until you meet your original slot.
Flight 276 now arriving Gate 2...Gate 3...Gate 4...Gate 5...Gate 6....
200 plus mph ? Texans did that in a Lingenfelter Corvette at the Texas Mile last year in Goliad.....:o)
Texas Mile....or as I like to call it, ....the passing lane !
Merry Christmas Larry ....
Doesn’t work with sound, either.
“I just wanted to tell you both, Good Luck, we’re all counting on you.”
On flight from Beijing to San Francisco on Friday 12/12. Took off at 2 PM, landed at SFO, 12/12 at 9 AM.
Thanks. I already have that bookmarked as well as the US ONLY WINDMAP.
But if you arrive too soon, and do not have a slot, you may circle until you meet your original slot.
After we reached altitude, the Captain came on and announced “Does Santa have a present for you!”. The mood immediately lightened, when we learned the good news. We got to the gate 20 minutes early, to boot :)
That must have been some flight! Thanks for your reply.
Denver to Seattle might take a bit longer.
Had the same thing once on a flight from LA to Boston. The pilot announced our ground speed and said he had never flown that fast before.
19 hrs? What is the usual time?
Did the crew wake you to reset your watch as you passed the International Date Line?
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