Winds over the Atlantic today 18/3

[Timpsi]

Didn't really know where to place this topic, so feel free to move it if this is the wrong section.

Was looking around the NY area today on Flightradar and saw plenty of flights with a flight time of around 7:30-7:45 hrs from Europe. This is a pretty short flight from Europe, aside from UK and west of Europe. And this is flying west FROM Europe, not the other way. The winds must be pretty favorable today. Is this common? What is the record time for an Atlantic crossing westbound, not including the Concorde?

[Dannyboy39]

A Norwegian 787 broke the record a few weeks ago; not linked to the Beast from the East I might add but I guess that weather phenomenon sped up a few flights in the last couple of weeks.

[DaveReidUK]

A Norwegian 787 broke the record a few weeks ago; not linked to the Beast from the East I might add but I guess that weather phenomenon sped up a few flights in the last couple of weeks.

Norwegian certainly broke the eastbound record recently, are you saying that they have also set a new westbound one (which is what the OP was asking about) ?

[Hotel Tango]

Checking my pax log, the fastest (relative to point of dep and arr) oceanic westbound crossings I made over the past 40 years were FRA-JFK 7:51 (Lufthansa DC-10) and BRU-JFK 7:06 (Capitol DC-10). In contrast, my longest westbound from BRU to JFK was 8:36 also with Capitol but in a DC-8 (60 srs). However, as that particular flight was quite some time ago, I have no recollection if there was any holding or slowing right down over Boston involved).

[treadigraph]

Just looking at mine, 06:55 Heathrow-Newark, Virgin 747 in 2002; the return trip on a A340 was 05:45, 32 mins slower than the Norwegian. That's actual lift off to touch down rather than gate to gate, not sure how these things are recorded.

[DaveReidUK]

I suspect that because westbound flights are almost always slower than eastbound ones, it's going to be difficult, if not impossible, to find out what the westbound record is. But if anyone can help the OP, I'd be very interested to known the answer.

[Timpsi]

Thank you for your replies! Just found it a bit interesting and made me think of what the record for the westbound crossing could be, if there even is an official record.

How common are strong winds like these? Just out of curiosity because I'm not a pilot (yet).

[Hotel Tango]

Just for clarification my times were also actual flight times and not block times.

[wiedehopf]

if you want to check the winds aloft i'd recommend https://skyvector.com/

and to me these winds look rather uncommon also i don't check them too often :)

[TopBunk]

Checked my logbook while the weather is sh1t!

Quickest:
April 2008, BA, B747-400, G-BYGG, LHR-JFK, 6:56 block time, so if 20 minute taxi out and 10 minutes taxi in, just under 6:30 airborne

Longest:
March 2006. BA. B747-400. G-CIVR, LHR-JFK 8:35 block time (incl 15 minutes airborne holding)