Record-breaking jet stream accelerates air travel; 787 flight clocks in at 801 mph

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. - On Monday night, the river of air 35,000 feet above the New York City area, known as the jet stream, clocked in at a blazing 231 mph. This is the fastest jet stream on record since 1957 for the National Weather Service in Upton, New York — breaking the old record of 223 mph, according to NWS forecaster Carlie Buccola. This wind provided a turbo boost to commercial passenger planes along for the ride. With the help of this rapid tailwind, Virgin Atlantic Flight 8 from Los Angeles to London hit what could be a record high speed for a Boeing 787: 801 mph over Pennsylvania at 9:20 p.m. Monday night, reported Jeff Berardelli for CBS News.

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The Intelligent Aerospace take:

February 20, 2019 -The Virgin Atlantic flight from Los Angeles to London got a big boost thanks to a 200 mph tail wind. The 787 Dreamliner generally cruises at 561 mph, but went faster than the speed of sound - but not the sound barrier - because of the relative speed of the air around the jet. The record-breaking flight was made possible thanks to warm El Niño waters in the Pacific and strong winds coming from the west combining with a polar vortex.

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Jamie Whitney, Associate Editor
Intelligent Aerospace

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