Why an airplane travels 1000 km to the east faster than to the west: it is not about speed at all

Flying east is significantly faster than flying the same route west. For example, a trip from Los Angeles to New York takes about 5 hours, while a trip from New York to Los Angeles takes about 6 hours.

In an article for jetplaneczx.medium, scientist Daniel Chen explained why an airplane will travel 1000 km east faster than west. It's not about speed, but about jet streams.

What are jet streams?

Jet streams are relatively narrow bands of strong winds in the upper atmosphere that occur at an altitude of about 9,100 meters. They appear due to various factors. For example, when there is an interaction between high and low pressure areas or in places where there is cold and hot air. The sun heats the Earth unevenly, which further complicates this process. And, of course, changes in the seasons also affect this phenomenon. All this together forms jet streams in the atmosphere that move from west to east in both hemispheres.

Do airlines take advantage of jet streams?

Jet streams can reach a maximum speed of 250 thousand km/h. As a result, many airlines have begun planning routes that reduce flight times using these jets. They may intentionally choose a longer route to utilize the jet stream, which pushes the aircraft forward, greatly increasing the aircraft's speed on the ground.

A Great Circle Route is a flight path that minimizes the distance an airplane travels. Airlines use jet streams only for west-to-east flights because these currents blow eastward. When aircraft are flying west, they will take this route to minimize the distance traveled and avoid the frontal jet streams.

What are the disadvantages of jet streams?

Despite all the advantages of flying in a jet stream, there are a few disadvantages. These include flying perpendicular to the jet stream or flying head-on into the jet stream. Flying perpendicular to the jet stream means a strong side wind and makes it difficult to determine the direction, while flying head-on into the jet stream significantly reduces the speed of the aircraft.

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