Why is it quicker flying back from America?
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Jet streams are, at their most basic, high-altitude air currents caused by atmospheric heating and the inertia of the earth's rotation—and they're the reason why flights from west to east are faster than the same route traversed in the opposite direction.
Adding in the effects of wind – the jet streams
It is the rotation of the Earth that is causing the longer flight times, but not because it's moving towards or away from the flying aircraft. It is instead due to its influence on wind patterns – the so-called high-altitude jet streams.
As previously mentioned, the primary reason for the difference in travel times with flight direction is due to the jet stream. This is a high-altitude wind that blows from the west to the east across the planet.
there is one main reason and 1 minor reason. Mainly flying from europe to the US is flying against the jet stream (an upper level air current). secondly, you're crossing time zones against the earth's rotation. When we fly back to Europe, we fly home.
In the frame of reference of the airplane, everything is stationary. Similarly, the airplane is already moving along with the surface of the Earth before it takes off. The rotation of the Earth has no direct significant effect on flight times in either direction.
But It's not always shorter
Overall, the Earth's rotation and the jet stream can have a significant impact on the length of a flight, and flying from west to east is generally shorter than flying from east to west because of these factors.
Most flights are intended to spend as little time as possible over water, since storms are more common over the ocean than on land. An aircraft would not be safe to fly over the Pacific Ocean due to the stormy weather and frequent lightning strikes that occur there.
Currently, the world's longest flight is the 9,585-mile route between New York City and Singapore, operated by Singapore Airlines with a flying time of 18.5 hours.
Everything on earth, not just the ground, but also the water (and even the atmosphere), is rotating in the same direction, Forbes reported. Since planes in the sky are being pulled eastward with the earth, it takes more time to go west. Think of it kind of like walking against the wind.
Is it better to fly east or west around the world?
Flying east or west makes a difference to jet lag
Your circadian rhythm (body clock) is less confused if you travel westward. 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).
- Flight number: SQ23.
- Aircraft flying: Airbus A350-900ULR.
- Calculated distance: 15,349km.
- Duration of flight: 18 hours 50 minutes.
Why don t planes fly east? Due to Earth's rotation, these air currents often move from West to East. If an airplane is flying in the same direction as a jet stream, it may save time and fuel, but if it is flying against a jet stream, it will encounter extreme turbulence and might be damaged.
Early aircraft engines did not have the reliability nor the power to lift the required fuel to make a transatlantic flight. There were difficulties navigating over the featureless expanse of water for thousands of miles, and the weather, especially in the North Atlantic, is unpredictable.
1. The World's Longest Flight: New York (JFK) to Singapore Changi (SIN) New York John F Kennedy Airport – Singapore Changi is currently the longest commercial flight it is possible to book. At 15,332km, this route has been at the top of the table since 2021, and takes an average of 18 hours and 40 minutes to complete.
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 can't you fly east from Australia to America? Australia is extremely far from the nearest location in the United States. This means that an airplane will spend a longer amount of time flying over water.
But we wouldn't be flung off Earth. Gravity and the centrifugal force of Earth's spin keep us grounded. In order for us to feel weightless, the centrifugal force would need to be ramped up. At the equator, Earth would need to spin at 28,437 kilometres per hour for us to be lifted off into space.
The North American X-15 may be the fastest plane in the world, with speeds at 4,520 mph and Mach 5.93. It's an experimental aircraft used and powered by NASA and USAF.
Flight plans need to account for the curvature of the earth when they are created. Since the earth is three-dimensional, it would be impossible not to fly in an arc. Another reason that planes would choose to fly in a trajectory that resembles an arc is to account for the amount of traffic that will be in the air.
Why are short flights worse than long flights?
Shorter flights result in higher carbon emissions per passenger compared to long-haul flights, said an international group concerned about the impact of air pollution and other environmental hazards.
Despite what many people believe, the answer actually has nothing to do with safety. The real answer is because going north may actually provide a shorter route. This is called Great Circle Navigation. Because of the curvature of the Earth, the shortest route between two locations may appear much longer on a flat map.
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 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.
Nevertheless, the most expensive flight ticket currently available is not Emirates but Etihad Airways. The ticket for the Etihad Airbus A380 suite “The Residence” on the route New York City/JFK – Abu Dhabi/AUH costs a hefty 61,000 euros.
The world's most expensive one-way airline ticket will set travelers back about $66,000. The reward is a first-class seat on Etihad Airways from New York City (JFK) to Abu Dhabi (AHU). The 12.5-hour flight winds up costing passengers about $88 per minute.
The shortest flight in the world is a long-established air route between two of the Orkney Islands (Westray and Papa Westray) in Scotland. The distance is a mere 1.7 miles and with favorable winds, the actual flight often lasts less than a minute!
If the earth is rotating (e.g. at 1000km per hour, at the equator), how can planes safely land on a moving runway? In the same way you safely land when you jump. It's 1667 km/h actually. Related: physics.stackexchange.com/q/1193/2451 and links therein.
Fuel Efficiency and Cost Savings
One of the primary reasons for the reduction in flight speed is fuel efficiency. As the cost of aviation fuel has risen over the years, airlines have sought ways to minimize fuel consumption, and flying at slower speeds has proven to be an effective method.
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. Rather, it's spherical. As a result, straight routes don't offer the shortest distance between two locations.
Do you get jet lag from Mexico to UK?
According to the NHS, crossing one or two time zones doesn't usually cause jet lag. Three to six time zones results in mild jet lag, and crossing seven to 12, to destinations like Mexico or Bali, will result in the strongest effect.
Jet lag symptoms usually occur within a day or two after traveling across at least two time zones. Symptoms are likely to be worse or last longer the farther you travel. This is especially true if you fly east. It usually takes about a day to recover for each time zone crossed.
Adjustment to a new time zone is harder when traveling east than traveling west. This is because you “lose” time and you end up trying to fall asleep when your body is actually waking up.
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL)
The Busiest Airport in the World, ATL serves as a major hub for Delta Air Lines, one of the largest and most prominent airlines globally, offering an extensive network of domestic and international flights.
Typical commercial aircrafts typically can fly up to 4,000 miles. The Boeing 747 can fly about 15,000 km (9,500 miles) when flying at an average speed of 550 mph. This means it can fly for almost 16 hours without refueling!
Nighttime or morning flights are statistically better for turbulence, compared to those in the day. Although turbulence can't be completely avoided at night, winds are often weaker and thermal convection turbulence is less, making the chances of encountering turbulence reduced.
An aircraft would not be safe to fly over the Pacific Ocean due to the stormy weather and frequent lightning strikes that occur there. Most planes from the Americas bound for East Asia use the overland route through Canada and Alaska due to the more favorable weather conditions.
As long as the plane has communication to ATC or other planes, the pilot would report the problem and his/her next cause of action. This would include the intention to divert to the closest airport or to do an emergency water landing if there is no other option.
The twice-weekly Air Canada service between London Heathrow and St John's, the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador, is the flight with the shortest route across the Atlantic, stretching just 2,315 miles and taking under five hours.
On 1 June 2009, inconsistent airspeed indications led to the pilots inadvertently stalling the Airbus A330 serving the flight. They failed to recover the plane from the stall, and the plane ended up crashing into the Atlantic Ocean at 02:14 UTC, killing all 228 passengers and crew on board.
How long can a plane fly on a full tank?
A modern Boeing 747 can fly about 15,000 km (9,500 miles) when it's flying at 900 kmh (550 mph). This means it can fly non stop for almost 16 hours!
Theoretically it is possible but even a supersonic jet would be hindered by factors such as speed restrictions and in-flight refuelling.
The longest over water route in the world is the stretch between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii. Even between Hawaii and Tokyo there are alternate airports available, such as Midway Island (hence the name “Midway”). Going across the North Atlantic, alternates include Iceland and Greenland.
November 9, 2020: Singapore Airlines launched the longest currently active scheduled passenger flight of SQ 23/24 between Singapore and New York–JFK at 15,349 kilometres (9,537 mi; 8,288 nmi) operated by an Airbus A350-900. On January 16, 2021, this route was changed to operate using an A350-900ULR.
A Powerful “Force”
In simple terms, the Coriolis Effect makes things (like planes or currents of air) traveling long distances around the Earth appear to move at a curve as opposed to a straight line. It's a pretty weird phenomenon, but the cause is simple: Different parts of the Earth move at different speeds.
The reason for this is that the earth revolves on its axis, forcing the middle to bulge out slightly. The curvature of the earth and its extra equatorial width mean that curving towards the poles is a shorter distance than flying in a straight line.
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.
Everything on earth, not just the ground, but also the water (and even the atmosphere), is rotating in the same direction, Forbes reported. Since planes in the sky are being pulled eastward with the earth, it takes more time to go west. Think of it kind of like walking against the wind.
Several possible reasons: different equipment (not every aircraft flies at the same speed) different routing. known seasonal changes in high altitude winds (which can prompt routing changes)
The higher a plane flies, the faster it can fly—to a point. “Less-dense air at higher altitudes means the actual speed the aircraft is traveling over the ground is much faster than the aircraft speed indicator shows the pilots in the co*ckpit,” says Kyrazis.
Is jet lag worse going east or west?
Flying east or west makes a difference to jet lag
Your circadian rhythm (body clock) is less confused if you travel westward. 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).
To answer the basic question, it's because the rotation of the earth causes the winds in this part of the world to flow from west to east most of the time, which decreases the time required when flying in an easterly direction as a general rule.
