Jet Setter In the Northern Hemisphere, the jet stream flows toward the east, giving a boost to eastward flights and working against westward flights. The speed of jet streams ranges from 80 to 140 miles per hour (130 to 225 kilometers per hour), and flying in one can save the airline time, fuel, and, duh, money.
Due to the rotation of the Earth which generates the Coriolis Effect. Globally, the wind mainly blows from West to East, and this effect is even more pronounced at altitude in the Jet Stream, speeding journeys towards the East. So, in general but not always, aircraft can travel more rapidly from West to East.
Why Do Planes Avoid Pacific Ocean? Most commercial airlines that travel between East Asia and the Americas avoid flying over the Pacific Ocean due to high costs and safety concerns, such as the risk of flying during stormy weather.
Why do planes not fly against the Earth's rotation?
In fact, flying west (against the rotation of the Earth) takes a little longer than flying east. "The reason for quicker flights while flying eastwards is jet streams," Simple Flying explains. "Put simply, these are fast-flowing, narrow air currents in the atmosphere found at high altitudes."
It may sound strange, but the direction in which airplanes fly can affect their flight times. Airplanes typically fly faster when traveling from the West to the East. This is because the jet stream — a current of fast-moving air — travels in this same direction.
Does Earth's Rotation affect the Airplanes Speed & Flight Time
Why is flying east worse for jet lag?
Flying east or west makes a difference to jet lag
This is because travelling west 'prolongs' the body clock's experience of its normal day-night cycle (the normal tendency of the body clock in most of us is slightly longer than 24 hours). Travelling eastwards, however, runs in direct opposition to the body clock.
Is it better to fly east or west around the world?
If you've traveled through time zones even occasionally, you've likely noticed a distinct phenomenon of jet lag: it's easier to travel west than to travel east.
Planes can and have flown into space for over 50 years – though not the kind you see at the airport. That's because conventional planes need air for both propulsion and lift, and space is essentially a vacuum.
Why Don't Some Airplanes Fly Over the Pacific Ocean? The Pacific Ocean is a massive body of water that will require an extremely large amount of fuel to fly across.
The primary reason airplanes don't fly over the Pacific Ocean is because curved routes are shorter than straight routes. Flat maps are somewhat confusing because the Earth itself isn't flat.
The short answer is, no, it's not illegal to fly over Antarctica. But there are practical considerations that make it challenging for regular airlines to navigate across the land. In many parts of Antarctica, there's limited or no infrastructure, no landing strips, and obviously no refuelling stations for planes.
When flying over land, of course it is more likely that there will be more airfields closer to the aircraft at any given time. However, because of lessons learned from its history and the improvements in aircraft and engine reliability, crossing the oceans is deemed as safe as flying over land.
New York JFK Airport to Singapore Changi Airport is the longest commercial flight in the world available as of 2024. This 9,537 mile route tops the list since 2021. It takes 18 hours and 40 minutes to complete. It requires 4 pilots to operate each flight due to its length and flight duration.
Commercial airplane engines are unable to generate enough thrust to propel a craft through the atmosphere and into space, which requires approximately 7.2 million pounds of thrust.
If a passenger jet flies too high, it reaches a point called 'Coffin Corner'. This is the point at which the aircraft's low speed stall and high-speed buffet meet and the plane can no longer maintain its altitude which forces it to descend.
Answer: Airplanes and helicopters using the resistance of the Earth's atmosphere (mostly nitrogen gas) to provide “lift”, which allows them to fly. Since both would have to exit the Earth's atmosphere to get to the Moon, neither would be able to fly to the Moon.
In heavier-than-air craft, lift is created by the flow of air over an airfoil. The shape of an airfoil causes air to flow faster on top than on bottom. The fast flowing air decreases the surrounding air pressure. Because the air pressure is greater below the airfoil than above, a resulting lift force is created.
That is equivalent to 5.9 to 7.2 miles in the air. Smaller aircraft, whether commercially operated or not, will fly at lower altitudes, often below 15,000 feet. The reason for this is usually due to the type of engine they have which makes them unable to reach the same heights.
To fly upside down, you need a wing design that can still provide lift even when inverted. On a conventional aircraft, the aerofoil is curved on the upper side and flat on the underside. That causes air over the top to flow more quickly than underneath.
The atmosphere of the earth spins at the same speed as the ground. There is only one thing that affects flight speeds and it is winds. Different layers of air have winds at different speeds.
Jet lag is a common but short-lived sleep problem you can get after traveling across more than three time zones. Jet lag can make you feel out of sorts due to an abrupt change in your body's internal clock, or circadian rhythm. Symptoms include headaches and difficulty sleeping (insomnia).
