Why is the flight quicker going east?

Geography Age group: KS3: weather and global patterns

A river of wind high in the sky decides how long a flight across the Atlantic takes.

Before you start

Read or play with these Learn topics first.

Choose an airport

Latest weather report (explained in "How do you read an airport weather report?")

Name: ______________________ Date: ____________

Use the live board for this worksheet.

What is a jet stream, and which way does it usually blow?
Use the Atlantic lab on the "What is a jet stream?" page. How many minutes quicker is the eastbound flight?
Why do airlines plan different routes on different days?
Explain how this links to the global wind belts you have studied.

Ten questions on this lesson. Pupils open the link on any device. Nothing is stored about them.

Teacher notes and answers

Suggested answers. Many will vary with the live data, so check units and working. The curriculum links are a guide only.

A narrow band of very fast wind, about 30,000 to 40,000 ft up, usually blowing from west to east.
Answers depend on the setting. At the default 90 kt the model gives about 40 minutes quicker eastbound and about 50 minutes slower westbound.
The jet stream moves and changes strength. They pick the track that gives the best tailwind eastbound and avoids it westbound, saving time and fuel.
Jet streams form where warm and cold air meet, and the Earth's rotation bends the flow so that the upper winds blow from the west in the middle latitudes.