Washington flights exceed 800 mph due to near-record winds over DC — arrive 45 minutes early
Multiple flights from the DC area experience significantly faster travel times to London due to near-record jet stream winds.
Flight Speeds and the Jet Stream
Multiple flights from the DC area got a roaring start to London over the weekend with help from near-record jet stream winds over the Mid-Atlantic. According to FlightAware, the flight from Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) to London Heathrow International Airport (IAD) arrived 45 minutes early, and the wind and flight speed data can help explain why.
Travelers on Flight 22 can thank the powerful upper-level winds recorded at near-record speeds over the mid-Atlantic over the weekend. The graphic below shows the equivalent ground speeds for Virgin Atlantic Airways Flight 22 as it roared toward the Atlantic Ocean.
The plane hit a top speed of 802 mph relative to the ground when it was 33,350 feet in the air just over 20 minutes into the flight while it was still over the US mid-Atlantic region.
Other Flights Benefit from the Jet Stream
Other air travelers also benefited from this powerful jet stream on Sunday night, with speeds reaching over 800 mph. British Airways flight 292 departed the gate at 9:56 p.m. on Sunday and arrived 32 minutes early at London Heathrow International. Yet another British Airways jet reached a top speed of 809 mph after flight 216 departed on Sunday at 6:38 p.m. and arrived at London Heathrow 20 minutes early on Monday, according to FlightAware.
The Power of the Jet Stream
The UK-bound flights were able to ride the powerful winds known as the jet stream. These winds in the upper levels of the atmosphere travel from west to east and form when warm air masses from the south collide with cold air masses from the north. The Baltimore-Washington National Weather Service office reported a weather balloon on Saturday evening detected the second-strongest upper-level wind in DC-area history, dating back to the mid-20th century.
Data from the balloon between 34,000-35,000 feet shows the wind peaked at 265 mph. This tailwind is what airplanes can ride while traveling east, reducing travel time.
