Post on 24-Dec-2015
Minimum-time route location islinked to the jet stream
Eastbound: New York - London fly in the jet stream
Westbound: London - New York avoid the jet stream
1Irvine et al., 2013, Meteorological Applications
Winter weather types are characterised by the jet stream
Eastbound Westbound
Irvine et al., 2013, Met. Apps.
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W1. strong zonal jet
W2. Strong tilted jet
W4. Confined jet
Pressure pattern at flight level (black) and jet stream (red). Daily minimum-time routes between London and New York (blue).
FL300 FL340 FL390
W1. Zonal jet
W2. Tilted jet
W4. Confined jet
Eastbound routes Westbound routes
tropopause
Contrail formation regions are linked to the weather pattern
Jet stream location is related to the North Atlantic Oscillation
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Diagrams from: http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/res/pi/NAO/
Positive NAOjet stream further north
Negative NAOjet stream further south