Category: Travel > Supersonic
One fascinating aspect of modern air travel is its relationship to the speed of sound, known as Mach 1, which is approximately 767 miles per hour (1,235 kilometers per hour) at sea level. Commercial jetliners, such as the Boeing 747, typically cruise at speeds around Mach 0.85, meaning they fly at about 85% of the speed of sound. This ability to travel at such high speeds allows passengers to traverse continents in mere hours instead of days, fundamentally altering the way we perceive distance and time. Interestingly, the Concorde, which was retired in 2003, was capable of flying at speeds exceeding Mach 2, allowing it to complete transatlantic flights in about half the time of conventional aircraft. This remarkable speed not only revolutionized air travel but also raised questions about the sonic boom created when an aircraft breaks the sound barrier, leading to regulations that limit supersonic travel over land to minimize noise pollution.