Near-record winds over the Northeast push passenger planes to speeds over 800 mph

MicroWave@lemmy.world to News@lemmy.world – 184 points – Near-record winds over the Northeast push passenger planes to speeds over 800 mph
wamu.org

Strong high-altitude winds over the Mid-Atlantic sped up sky traffic on Saturday night, getting passengers on at least two commercial planes to their destinations early, after both aircraft hit supersonic speeds topping 800 mph.

Winds at cruising altitude peaked at about 265 mph, according to the Washington, D.C., area National Weather Service office — the second-highest wind speed logged in the region since recordings began in 1948. The highest-ever wind speed recorded in the area at a similar altitude was 267 mph on Dec. 6, 2002.

“For those flying eastbound in this jet, there will be quite a tail wind,” the NWS warned in a tweet.

Sure enough, that tailwind helped cut down the flight time for passengers on a Virgin Atlantic flight from D.C. to London by 45 minutes, according to the tracker FlightAware.

30

You are viewing a single comment
View all comments

The supersonic claim reeks of bullshit. Humans had a hell of a time engineering a plane that could withstand that speed, and I'd guess passenger jets would tear apart.

“Although its ground speed — a measure that combines the plane’s actual speed and the additional push from the wind — was greater than the speed of sound, it was still moving through the surrounding air at its ordinary cruise speed. It just so happened that the surrounding air was moving unusually fast,” the Post reported.

Oh! Never knew what "ground speed" meant. So no, those planes were not leaving a sonic boom. Not even close to supersonic at typical altitudes.

(Apologies, don't know how to format a table on here.)


Sea level	15 °C (59 °F)	761

11,000 m−20,000 m (Cruising altitude of commercial jets, and first supersonic flight )	−57 °C (−70 °F)	660

29,000 m (Flight of X-43A )	−48 °C (−53 °F)	673

Ah so that's how aliens fly supersonic without breaking the sound barrier. Just move the air around the craft in the direction they're going! Problem solved.

The aliens just move spacetime (with the air included) next to their ships around with their warp drives around. Don't you watch any Star Trek?

I’d guess passenger jets would tear apart.

Not initially. Supersonic flows disrupt the airflow around the wings, control surfaces and the fuselage in general, so the plane just gets out of control. Since gravity exists, that means the plane will begin to drop, accelerating even more. At some point, the airflow will tear the fuselage apart, but if not, the collision with the ground surely will.

Look up the coffin corner for some interesting explanations of the problems around there.

1 more...