British Airways flight sets record

A British Airways flight from New York to London broke a commercial flight record last Wednesday, completing the journey in just over five hours. The plane arrived at Heathrow an hour and a half early.

The flight reached ground speeds of 745 miles per hour. For reference, the speed of sound is broken at 761 miles per hour. The Boeing 777-200 plane was caught in tailwinds of more than 200 miles per hour, allowing it to complete the journey in record time.

Being caught in a jet stream is "just like surfing," former British Airways pilot Alastair Rosenschein told The Telegraph. "You try to sit in the core of the jet where it's not too turbulent and where you can pick up some free mileage. It's not unusual to get 100 mph tailwinds, but [these pilots] have got more than that. This must be a record."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

(Editors Note: This article originally misstated elements of the flight. It has since been corrected. We regret the error.)