Steve Varsano explains how upper-level winds affect business jets. Flying east with a 50-75 knot tailwind at 35,000 feet extends range, but flying west into the same headwind makes long routes impossible for a G280. Wind-aware planning determines which intercontinental trips are actually feasible.
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You can make it to South Africa. However, this is with no wind. So now, this was the winds last week at 35,000 feet. We're going to put a 50-knot wind. And normally you could see that the winds around the world generally go from west to east. So even though they're not a straight line, you have high pressure, low pressures, and things like that. But generally, you can see how the winds are always going this way. So what this means is that you're going to be able to fly faster when you're going east, and you're not going to be able to go as far on range, or it's going to take you longer when you're going west. Because the wind is pushing against you. So, you can see that here, you can make Singapore with all these airplanes. You can make Manila with these airplanes. And you can easily make London. But if you were to start now in Singapore, you are just barely— matter of fact, if the winds get a little bit worse and get to 75 knots average, you're not going to make it back in that G280.
If you don't mind putting it as a— I do plan on returning back to London in the next few years. I'm also just buying another house in Cape Town at the moment. So, I'd like to see from London to Cape Town.
Okay, so, from London, you won't make Cape Town. I'll tell you, if you wanted to make Cape Town,
