2006-07-24 13:29:29 · 10 answers · asked by John 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Aircraft
I'd like to simplify lewkarg's very good answer.
Commercial jet-powered airplances measure their speed relative to the air they are flying in, and that is called airspeed. In a zero-wind condition, airspeed equals ground speed.
Most commercial jets fly between 500-550 mph, and that is their airspeed.
2006-07-24 17:13:33 · answer #1 · answered by astarpilot2000 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Great question that has a variety of answers. Generally, and I mean an overview, many commercial airliners travel from mach .72-.80. While many are capable of going faster, like cruising at mach .85, this is too expensive with the price of oil and gas, so they pull the power and cruise a bit slower. However, I noticed I haven't answered your question yet, because you ask for MPH. Because airplanes fly in a fluid (the atmosphere of air), they are significantly affected by wind patterns. It isn't uncommon to find airliners flying with the 100 kt jet stream making greater than 650 mph on the ground. However, if you are flying into the wind, it is much slower, perhaps around 450-500 mph. A good generality is around 475-575 mph on the ground.
An interesting point to demonstrate this fact. It is actually quite possible for an airplane to move backwards relative to the ground. If I take a Cessna 152 into a 50, or even 40 kt wind, I can dump the flaps and hover over the ground. The airplane THINKS it's moving at 40 kts, and it is relative to the oncoming wind, but relative to the ground, it isn't going forward. Magnify this on a scale with winds that can easily exceed 100 kts, and you can see why weather planning is extremely important in determining airline routes.
2006-07-24 14:14:11 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
600 to 750 mph
2006-07-24 13:33:02 · answer #3 · answered by tinyhrv25 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
So far I have found that aircraft floats around 550-555 mph (I have calculated the averages a no. of times during my visits to Europe & Asian countries...especially a Boeing 767 and sometimes Airbus A330)...
2006-07-25 05:07:21 · answer #4 · answered by Ask Dr. Dingo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Between 500-600 mph. What is that in nautical mph?
2006-07-28 08:36:13 · answer #5 · answered by thewordofgodisjesus 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
usually around 400-450 MPH
2006-07-24 13:32:22 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
350-400 mph
2006-07-24 16:15:46 · answer #7 · answered by ..... 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
475 to 500 mph cruising speed.
2006-07-24 13:33:27 · answer #8 · answered by mister ss 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depends on the aircraft
2006-07-26 05:36:15 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
maximum large jet airliners, which incorporates the Boeing 747, cruise at round eighty 4% of the speed of sound, meaning between about 550 and 600 miles in line with hour, once at their crusing altitude of about six or seven miles severe. however, small propeller pushed planes that are owned by using inner most pilots, often cruise at round one hundred to 100 and fifty miles in line with hour at round one mile severe.... So there is fairly no evaluation between the crusing speed of airliners and that of small inner most planes, the former are pushed by using extremely severe priced jet engines, the latter by using small piston engines equivalent to the single on your relations motor vehicle. it fairly is why there is this style of enormous difference.
2016-11-25 22:13:47 · answer #10 · answered by jacobus 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋