Over the past three years, aircraft have flown across the ocean in record time. Scientists have figured out that the cause is jet airflow. It is gaining traction, possibly due to climate change, and the planes that travel through it are flying faster than ever before. This is good, but there is also a downside to the coin.
On February 8, British Airways flight 112 (BA 112) flew from New York to London in just 4 hours 56 minutes, traveling faster than 825 mph at one point.
This is good news because planes flying in a jet stream absorb significantly less cosmic radiation.
Researchers have long known that air travelers are exposed to cosmic rays. At typical cruising altitudes, passengers absorb 50 to 100 times more radiation than at sea level. This led to the classification of pilots and flight attendants as professional radiation workers by the International Commission on Radiological Protection.
Jet stream can reduce this impact. Moving BA 112 passengers across the Atlantic at a record speed, the jet stream reduced their radiation dose by about 30%. Two Virgin Atlantic flights following British Airways' Boeing 747s had similar results.
But there is also a bad side - the jet stream can cause trouble. The active, fast-moving jet stream is often filled with turbulence, making flights dangerous for passengers. Aircraft avoiding high-speed flow can increase their flight time by increasing the exposure of cosmic rays instead of decreasing it.
Passengers returning to New York from London must cross the Atlantic against the jet stream. Their flights will be slower, increasing the exposure time.
Experts calculated the radiation exposure for British Airways Flight 177 on February 8, which flew in the opposite direction from London to New York. Passengers on board this aircraft received a double dose of 34.4 uSv (London-New York) instead of 17.7 uSv (New York-London) received by passengers on flight BA 112 earlier in the day.