Flight Paths

[blott]

That's because it's the way the weather comes from USA to UK and also the prevailing wind.

[chrisj]

hehehe I know

[floridadreamvilla.co.uk]

It's quicker on the way back as the high altitude airstream flows from west to east thus giving the aircraft a tailwind and pushing it along. By this I mean the air above the weather systems that we see on the usual weather forcasts.

[george]

Why then when I flew to Barbados did we go from A -B and not over Iceland, Greenland and down the East Coast. After all the West Indies is only a few hundred miles down from the keys.

[floridadreamvilla.co.uk]

Draw a line on the great circle map above between the UK and Barbados and you will see why.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by george
Why then when I flew to Barbados did we go from A -B and not over Iceland, Greenland and down the east Coadt. After all the West Indies is inly a few hundred miles down from the keys.
[/quote]

[lgordon6041]

This type of flight is called ETOPS, the Effective range for Twin-engined Operations. Aircraft with 2 engines, 757,767,777 etc come under these rules. When airlines start flying across the atlantic, initialy they are to remain no more than 60 minutes from a suitable airfield. As airlines become more established and procedures are proven, this clearance is extended to a max of 180 minutes eaving airlines much more flexible to fly true great circle routes.
Generally, the main north atlanic jetstream runs from the tip of newfoundland and runs to southern ireland. It does shift at times though. Hence the reason, as already mentioned, why airlines generally fly more northerly routes westbound and southerly routes when flying eastbound.

Hope this helps [msnsmile2]

[floridadreamvilla.co.uk]

I assume you have heard the old one: ETOPS = Engines Turning Or Passengers Swimming [msnsmile2]

[lgordon6041]

Never fails to raise a smile I must say[msnsmile2]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by floridadreamvilla.co.uk
No - all aircraft follow the great circle route - it is all the more so for Concorde to do as it is range limited and thus has to find the most fuel efficient route between two points.

Concorde was built for the London / Paris to New York route and anything longer than that e.g. Washington, meant it could not normally carry a full load as it simply would not have enought fuel to get there non-stop.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by chrisj
I think the only plane that went straight across was concorde ???
[/quote]
[/quote]

John

We used to fly non stop to Washington with a full load on Concorde - it could not get to Miami though hence the Fuel stop in Washington.

Concorde used to fly at 60,000 ft and did not fly north as most US bound flights do, on leaving London we fly directly west over the Bristol Channel.

[chrisj]

And when it got past the Bristol Channel he put his foot down and boy what en experience
that was when the after burner thingies were turned on