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General control line discussion => Open Forum => Topic started by: Douglas Ames on January 12, 2015, 05:57:37 PM

Title: Surfing the Jetstream in a Boeing 777 - New Record?
Post by: Douglas Ames on January 12, 2015, 05:57:37 PM

Really makes you think... Ground speed of 745 mph. Wow, that's a tailwind!

http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/12/travel/new-york-london-record-flight-time/index.html

Title: Re: Surfing the Jetstream in a Boeing 777 - New Record?
Post by: Mike Keville on January 12, 2015, 06:23:18 PM

Yes, that often happens with the West-to-East Jetstream winds.  Sometime in the '80s I was aboard a TWA 727 enroute from LAX to Boston (red-eye flight).  At some point over the Midwest, the Captain announced that our ground speed was 717 mph.

Title: Re: Surfing the Jetstream in a Boeing 777 - New Record?
Post by: Howard Rush on January 12, 2015, 08:00:53 PM

 Optimal Mach number with a tailwind is actually less than normal.  Dumb headline.

Title: Re: Surfing the Jetstream in a Boeing 777 - New Record?
Post by: Mike Keville on January 12, 2015, 08:23:43 PM

Right.  True airspeed was, of course, significantly less than the speed over the ground.

Title: Re: Surfing the Jetstream in a Boeing 777 - New Record?
Post by: Wayne J. Buran on January 13, 2015, 05:26:06 AM

We had a similar experience on the way back home from SFO to CLE on 12/3. Three hours and forty five minutes T/O to T/D. Great ride in a United 737.
Wayne

Title: Re: Surfing the Jetstream in a Boeing 777 - New Record?
Post by: John Park on January 13, 2015, 07:32:19 AM

Have you read 'Red Ball In The Sky', by the late Charles F Blair?  It's one of my favourite aviation books, and contains a superb description of his record 7hr. 48min. New York-London flight on 31 January 1951 in his modified P51-B 'Excalibur III'.  At one point, a mid-Atlantic weather ship told him his ground speed, as indicated by their radar, was 520 knots, which is how he knew he'd got into the jetstream as planned.  If ever I visit the USA, I must make a point of going to see Excalibur III - if she's still visible at the Smithsonian...?

Title: Excalibur III
Post by: Steve_Pollock on January 13, 2015, 07:59:47 AM

Charles Blair's Excalibur III (actually a P-51C) is restored and hanging in the Udvar-Hazy Space Museum Annex near Dulles Airport in Chantilly, Virginia, which is well worth a day's visit.  Check: http://airandspace.si.edu/collections/artifact.cfm?object=nasm_A19530088000

Title: Re: Surfing the Jetstream in a Boeing 777 - New Record?
Post by: Douglas Ames on January 13, 2015, 02:59:27 PM

Quote from: Howard Rush on January 12, 2015, 08:00:53 PM

Optimal Mach number with a tailwind is actually less than normal.  Dumb headline.

Yes, poor choice of words by the writer, then again what do they know?
"Where's the BOOM? There's supposed to be a BOOM!..."