Note: Assume constant travel time and does not take account of prevailing winds
and technical stops (refueling, crew change).Flight Times by Piston and Jet Engines from New YorkThe jet engine, introduced at the end of the 1950s,
revolutionized
international air transportation. With a piston engine, an airplane
leaving New York can service North American destinations within 10 hours. Europe and
the bulk of South America can be reached within 15-24 hours (with
refueling stops), while East
Asia is still at least 40 hours away. With a jet engine, a plane leaving
New York reaches Europe and the bulk of South America within 10 hours
and East Asia within 17 hours (with refueling stops before the
introduction of very long range aircraft in the 1990s). Every part of the world can be serviced
in less than 24 hours. Jet aircraft were not only much faster (about
twice as much) but also
produced much less cabin vibration and were far easier to maintain than
the last generation of piston engines.
