Why does it take 7 hours to fly to NY from Dublin, but 5 hours on the way back?

Question

I have been told that it's due to headwinds, but a friend of mine recently said it's because your flying in the opposite direction that the world is turning... I think thats very wrong because as far as I know, as we're in the gravitaional field of this earth, the spinning really doesn't affect us at all does it?

Sorry yes, I do know about the timezone difference. What I'm on about is when the pilot comes on the intercom and says 'welcome ladies and gents, this is pilot x.. approx flying time to NY is 7 hours...' and that approx flying time changes to 5 hours on the way home.

Answer 1

Winds aloft, jet stream, prevailing winds. They are not all the same, but they do have the same effect on aircraft as they blow across the Atlantic from North America towards Europe, and this happens every month, every year.

The jetstream is called that because of its high wind velocity. 100MPH is common. Remember that ground speed is distance travelled and measured against time. Airspeed is the speed at which air flows over and around the airborne object/aircraft.

Most large commercial aircraft travel at an airspeed between 480 and 535 MPH, and the speed remains failry constant, regardless of wind direction.

Using the figure of 100mph for the jetstream we can see that flying with the jeststream would give a boost of 100 mph groundspeed when flying FROM North America , and that means the actual distance travelled would increase by 100 miles above the airspeed in one hour.

Flying against the wind when flying from Europe TO North America would mean the airspeed is still the same, but the actual distance covered on the ground would be 100 miles less than the airspeed in one hour.

When you look at the effective differences....a gain of 100 mph FROM North America and a loss of 100MPH flying To North America, you can see the combined net difference when measured in ground speed is 200 mph, and thus less time is needed to reach Europe, but additional time to return from there.

Answer 2

There is nothing to do with the time zone, it is the flying time, or air time. I always have the same question, and people always say it is the tail wind or head wind, but I am not convinced. Why is it always a longer flight from the West Coast to Hong Kong, Taiwan or China, and shorter flight back.

I have also noticed it is always a longer flight from north to south during winter time, and a shorter flight in summertime. I believe it is due to the directions of takeoff and landing which have to be done against the wind.

Answer 3

Jetstream. For example flying agaisnt it a boeing 747 or suchlike would fly 60mph slower then if there were flying with the jetstream. Makes a hour different in a 6 - 7 hour flight

Answer 4

Because the Irish pilots usually stop to have a few drinks in Iceland on the way back, so it takes a couples of hours longer, flying west to east.

Answer 5

Two things,

The time Zone difference and it goes a little faster/slower because of the jet stream

Answer 6

Well..yes the tail wind is faster when going west to east. But I think your times are messed up. It's 5hrs going there and 7hrs coming back. That's assuming you've already added the time difference.

Answer 7

It is called Timezone difference!

Answer 8

there is a change in time zones so you gain/lose and hour when you cross the time line so its actually 6 hours both way withouth the time change

Answer 9

The time Zone girly...

Answer 10

timezoe difference all the way