How fast does the plane fly? What is the speed of the plane at takeoff, cruising altitude or landing?
Many of you have asked us about the speed of the plane at different stages of the flight. I noticed that accesses increased as a result of similar searches about the speed of the plane or how fast a commercial plane flies. Based on the above, I have prepared this article.
I begin with a brief introduction to the first take-off experience on a Boeing 737 KLM commercial aircraft. It happened more than 10 years ago. I will never forget the moment when the engines started to run at full speed, and the plane started to run on the runway of "put me in the seat". It was the flight that took the passion for airplanes to another level, resulting in Airlinestravel.ro. In fact, I started the project because I was looking for answers to many questions that came to my mind during the first flight.
Like you, I was curious to find out how fast the planes are flying, what is the take-off speed, what is the cruising altitude and how it is set, what is the fuel consumption and much more.
When it comes to the speed of an airplane, the situation can be confusing because there are several types of speed: ground speed and air speed.
The average speed of a commercial passenger plane is between 460 and 580 miles per hour / 400-500 knots / 800-850 kilometers per hour / Mach 0.75 - 0.85 when flying at 33000-36000 feet / 10000 - 11000 meters altitude . In general, the higher the plane, the faster it can travel.
As I mentioned, this is an average. In general, the flight speed is influenced by the wind speed, but also by other internal and external parameters. It matters if the plane is fully loaded or has only half the number of passengers that can be carried. In the same way, it matters whether the plane has cargo or not, it also matters the environment in which it flies - good weather / rain, blizzard conditions, etc.
Speed on the ground
If we refer to the time required for the plane to travel a certain distance to the ground, then we are talking about ground speed. Under these conditions, the speed of the plane can reach 900-1000 kilometers per hour. There have been cases when commercial passenger planes flew at 1200-1250 kilometers per hour ground speed. To be seen top of the fastest flights from the history of commercial aviation.
The plane can be helped by a strong back wind, as they are Jet Stream currents across the Atlantic, which leads to an increase in ground speed. At the same time, a strong headwind can lead to a decrease in ground speed.
Air speed
If we refer to air speed, here we have a few different variations. Pilots refer to the speed at which the plane flies through the air, not the ground speed. Including take-off and landing adjustments are based on air speed, not ground speed. If the plane has a takeoff speed of 140mph, but a wind of 20mph blows in front, then the plane can take off at 120mph.
The speed of the air passing over the wing dictates how much lift the wing produces, and this lift is what allows the aircraft to support its own weight and allow it to fly. In principle, if you had a forward wind of about 140 mph, the aircraft could rise from the ground without advancing!
It should be noted that the planes take off and land with wind from the front or side, very rarely with the wind from the back. The rear wind can be dangerous in the take-off and landing stages because the plane would no longer be controllable.
In terms of take-off speed, this is an average of 160-180 mph. While the landing speed is on average between 150-160 mph. It is natural that at landing it should be a lower speed than at take-off. It differs depending on the aircraft model and propulsion mode.
I hope I have been able to summarize the information for everyone to understand when it comes to the speed of the plane in flight and in relation to the ground.