Overview

• Multiple flights from the DC area to London exceeded 800 mph, arriving up to 45 minutes early.
• The powerful jet stream winds, reaching speeds up to 265 mph, were the second-strongest recorded in DC-area history.
• Despite exceeding the speed of sound, the planes did not break the sound barrier due to the nature of airspeed.
• The unusual wind conditions were caused by a pronounced boundary between cold and warm air masses.
• This phenomenon led to some of the highest recorded ground speeds for commercial flights.