Why are flights longer in one direction?

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
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leste (plural lestes) agile; nimble quotations ▼
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are faster than the same route traversed in the opposite direction.
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Why does it take longer to fly in one direction?

Plane travel times do often differ depending on the direction of travel, but this is caused by wind currents in the upper atmosphere called jet streams, and in the northern hemisphere it has a lengthening effect on flights from East to West.
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Why are some flights longer on the way back?

The reason it took so much longer to fly back is the jet stream, a river of fast-moving air high up in the sky. Jet streams are usually about 100 miles wide. They can be thousands of miles long and are found all over the earth. To be called a jet stream, the wind must be moving faster than 60 mph.
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Why does it take longer to fly south than north?

When an airplane is moving in the same direction as the wind, it will travel faster because it is getting that welcome boost of tailwind. When an airplane is travelling opposite the wind direction, however, it will get that drag resulting in a slower travelling speed.
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Why is flying east to west slower?

The real reason flights from west to east are quicker is down to jet streams. Jet streams are air pockets high up in the Earth's atmosphere which move in a wavy pattern from west to east. Should a plane find itself in a jet stream then it will travel at a faster speed with greater ease.
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Why Ultra-Long Flights Are Better Than Short Ones



Why do planes not fly over the Pacific?

Most commercial airlines, that operate between East Asia and the Americas, do not fly over the Pacific Ocean because of cost and safety concerns, including turbulent weather, which can be dangerous to fly over.
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Why don't planes fly over the North and South Pole?

The polar regions have special navigation concerns in the form of the magnetic fields which permeate them. These can make it difficult for planes to navigate because the polar areas interfere with magnetic navigational tools.
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Does Earth rotation affect flight time?

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.
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Why don't planes fly east from Australia to America?

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.
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Why is the flight back from New York Shorter?

The main reason for the difference in travel time is due to the jet stream. The jet stream is high altitude wind that blows from the west to the east across the globe.
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Is it faster to fly against the Earth rotation?

There are a few elements that prevent this theory from working. Any fourth grader can tell you that the Earth is rotating. What a fourth grader probably can't tell you is why flying in the opposite direction that the Earth spins doesn't make for a faster plane trip.
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Why is it quicker to fly west to east?

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.
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Why do planes never take off on time?

A lot of different things can cause a delay but Baiada believes 80% of the factors involved – like schedule, airport arrival flow queueing, aircraft availability, gate availability, maintenance and crew legality – are within the airlines' control.
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Why are flights faster going north?

The polar stream is the stronger of the two, and it causes much faster winds compared to the subtropical. Most airlines on transatlantic and transpacific routes make use of the polar stream while planning flight paths. Jet streams can be as strong as 80 to 140 miles per hour, sometimes going all the way up to 275.
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Is it easier to fly east or west?

Experienced air travelers know that flying east across time zones is harder than flying west, because traveling east shortens the days while traveling west lengthens them. It means your circadian rhythm needs to do more to catch up.
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What is the longest flight in the world?

What is the longest flight in the world by distance? The longest flight in the world by distance is New York (JFK) to Singapore (SIN) on Singapore Airlines clocking in at 9,537 miles.
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Why do pilots say Roger?

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) officially defines the word "roger" to mean "I have received all of your transmission." For example, a pilot would say "roger" in response to an advisory from Air Traffic Control.
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Why do planes never fly over Antarctica?

No, planes don't fly over Antarctica because it is too remote and ETOPS regulation requires that aircraft are within a certain distance of a diversion airport at all times in case there are engine problems. As there are no diversion airports in Antarctica, routes must stay closer to other continents.
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Why don't we fly from Alaska to Russia?

Bering Strait Geography

The smaller of these granite islands is American. These islands can be used as a resting point during a crossing of the Bering Strait, however, being in the proximity of Russia's Big Diomede Island will reduce the chance of a successful crossing from Alaska to Russia.
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Why do planes fly at 35000 feet?

A balance between operating costs and fuel efficiency is achieved somewhere around 35,000 feet, which is why commercial airplanes usually fly at that altitude. Most commercial airplanes cruise at an altitude of nearly 35,000 feet—around 6.62 miles (10,600 meters) in the air!
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Can a plane outrun the sun?

This means that the Sun effectively zooms across the face of the Earth at the equator at around 1,700km/h. So you'd have to travel at least this fast to stay in daylight. But that's around 1.5 times the speed of sound – and twice as fast as a conventional passenger plane.
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Why don't we feel the Earth spinning?

But, for the most part, we don't feel the Earth itself spinning because we are held close to the Earth's surface by gravity and the constant speed of rotation. Our planet has been spinning for billions of years and will continue to spin for billions more. This is because nothing in space is stopping us.
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Why can't planes fly over Disney?

The Anaheim parks and Walt Disney World received flight-restriction status after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The 2003 law also prohibits aircraft from flying over sporting events in stadiums with a seating capacity of 30,000 or more. The ban includes any unmanned remote-controlled devices such as drones.
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Why is no one allowed to go to Antarctica?

Well, that is because visiting Antarctica is a privilege and a responsibility at the same time. The Antarctic Treaty includes a protocol on environmental protection, which designates the continent as a natural reserve. There is a set of rules any visitor has to follow.
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Can you fly over Mount Everest?

Flying over Everest. The two planes fly towards Lhotse and Everest at 32,000 feet. Though the 29,029-foot-high summit of Mount Everest was first conquered on foot by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary in 1953, it was conquered by air two decades earlier.
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