While the Concorde supersonic jet is long-gone from the skies, the era of supersonic travel is apparently not over, and a Virgin Atlantic 787 is the latest to give its passengers the thrill.
When it happens, its not part of the plan, but a gift from the jet stream, which generates winds that can push the plane to higher speed—or slow it down, if it’s flying in the opposite direction.
In this case, last Monday, the powerful tailwinds met a Virgin Atlantic flight from Los Angeles to London over Pennsylvania, and pushed it to speeds just a bit over 800 mph for several minutes.
The speed of sound in such conditions is about 767 mph, and the usual cruising speed for the 787-9 is 560 mph, with a top speed of about 590 mph under only its own power.
And how did it feel? According to a tweet from the captain,“[N]ever ever seen this kind of tailwind in my life as a commercial pilot,”
