Is the flight time affected by the earth’s rotation if we go East- vs. Westward?

Question

Let’s assume we are flying at the same speed of let’s say 600 mp/h eastward and with 600 mp/h back westward: Will there be a difference in flight time?

Please ignore other factors like jetstream/windspeeds etc. for the main part and and only focus on the rotation

Now i don’t know how the speed of an Aircraft is measured/calculated but if the speeds are the same the destination should be coming closer to us and therefore we’d be faster to reach our destination, right?

Or do i have to imagine it in a sense that we are not “detached” from the earth’s movement, even while we are mid-air and are always moving at a constant speed with it and therefore it won’t matter?

Will it be easier to accelerate in one or the other direction? Will going 600 mp/h east take the same power as 600 mp/h going west?

I am so confused and i can’t even pinpoint as to why.

Thanks in advance

In: 3

Answer 1

The atmosphere rotates together with the planet so if you take off from any point in any direction you achieve the same ground speed (speed relative to the earth surface).

This said, ITL there are strong winds high up and some are repetitive in time, so air routes tend to exploit this and, for example, fly east trying to stick to an area where the altitude wind blows east, when practical. Sometimes it can get funny as you fly at 800kmh in the air but 1000 relative to ground as you are riding the wind. And this can save you time.

Then you can land in a different time zone and that’s why sometime it seems you travel back in time or forward.