How is it that a flight to Washington from Savannah is 2h while a flight to New York from Savannah is 2.5h, is the 300mile distance condensed into 30m ?

Question

I don’t know much about planes or physics, maybe someone smarter can help.

In: 1

Answer 1

Consider that we’re measuring time based on pushback to docking. This is equal in time in *both* cases. Therefore in the long flight this non-flying logistical “overhead” is a smaller proportion of the flight, making point-to-point speed more efficient.

Same thing with the issue of acceleration and climb-to-altitude and deceleration prior to landing, the lower speed part of the flight. Both examples have the same lower speed “overhead” to achieve cruising altitude and velocity and to decelerate.

Combined, these standard logistic “overhead” issues give longer flights better average speeds, therefore better distance per time numbers.