# How long would it take a super sonic jet to get from LA to NYC? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 19, 2001, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-take-a-super-sonic-jet-to-get-from-la-to-nyc/94128 "2001-11-19T00:56:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-take-a-super-sonic-jet-to-get-from-la-to-nyc/94128/1 "2001-11-19T00:56:52Z")
Simple Question, maybe maybe not. How long would it take a Jet, lets say an F-16 to get from LA to NYC going MACH 3? is that the top end speed one can go. Can they go that fast. ---
**Author:** ![geepee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ebca7d/32.png) [@geepee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/geepee)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-take-a-super-sonic-jet-to-get-from-la-to-nyc/94128/2 "2001-11-19T01:05:11Z")
Er F-16s can’t go Mach3 more like Mach 2 clean configuration Sr-71s and Mig25Rs can though (and the mig can only handle 9 minutes at mach 3.2) but @ mach 3 with the basic speed of sound being 330 metres per second and the distance of NYC to LA = 3961 km = 3961000 metres mach 3 = 990metres --\> 3961000metres / 990metres 4001.something seconds = 66-67 minutes assuming it could reach top speed instantly and didn’t have to stop for gas which it would have to ---
**Author:** ![geepee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ebca7d/32.png) [@geepee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/geepee)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-take-a-super-sonic-jet-to-get-from-la-to-nyc/94128/3 "2001-11-19T01:12:41Z")
I’m also taking speed of sound as 330 metres a second since its the figure i used to use in high school speed of sound can vary with altitude and medium oh and [http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/f-16.htm](http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/f-16.htm) for F-16 info ---
**Author:** ![WEW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8edcca/32.png) [@WEW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WEW)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-take-a-super-sonic-jet-to-get-from-la-to-nyc/94128/4 "2001-11-19T01:21:59Z")
I love the internet. I know the question has already been answered, but I’m not gonna waste my searches. [Speed of sound](http://library.thinkquest.org/19537/Physics4.html) At freezing (0º Celcius), sound travels through air at 331 meters per second (about 740 mph). [Distance from NY to LA](http://www.zipmath.com/zipmath.cgi?ZIPS) The distance between 10001 New York, NY USA and 90001 Los Angeles, CA USA is 2448.381702 miles. [Top speed of a faclon](http://www.af.mil/news/factsheets/F_16_Fighting_Falcon.html)Speed: Mach 2 at altitude Flight time of about 100 min. Assuming, as **geepee** said, it did not need fuel etc. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-take-a-super-sonic-jet-to-get-from-la-to-nyc/94128/5 "2001-11-19T01:27:08Z")
I believe the SR-71 made just such a trip for its last offical USAF mission before it was retired (and that it set a new speed record in the process). ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-take-a-super-sonic-jet-to-get-from-la-to-nyc/94128/6 "2001-11-19T01:50:56Z")
Hijack How long would it take to get from NYC to LA in the Concorde? ---
**Author:** ![geepee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ebca7d/32.png) [@geepee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/geepee)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-take-a-super-sonic-jet-to-get-from-la-to-nyc/94128/7 "2001-11-19T01:54:39Z")
Concord is mach 2 aircraft so 100 minutes with no refueling needed since London to NYC is further than NY to LA , but it can’t be done since Mach 1+ flight causes a sonic boom which damages property and scares animals .A guy down south got concorde to slow down while it passed over his house and it reduced the flight time by 3 seconds but kept his green house and live stock happy.Its why the only super sonic routes are over oceans and charters over the desert/sparsly populated areas ---
**Author:** ![geepee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ebca7d/32.png) [@geepee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/geepee)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-take-a-super-sonic-jet-to-get-from-la-to-nyc/94128/8 "2001-11-19T01:57:03Z")
Er make that a bit longer since it has to accelerate slowly and decelerate when it approaches the destination. ---
**Author:** ![WEW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8edcca/32.png) [@WEW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WEW)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-take-a-super-sonic-jet-to-get-from-la-to-nyc/94128/9 "2001-11-19T02:00:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Markxxx \* > \*\*Hijack > > How long would it take to get from NYC to LA in the Concorde? \*\* [Maximum Operating Cruise Speed Mach 2.01 : 1350MPH](http://www.concordesst.com/performance.html) About the same as the F 16 but due to hightened security, we reccomend arriving at the airport at least 2 hours before your scheduled flight time. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-take-a-super-sonic-jet-to-get-from-la-to-nyc/94128/10 "2001-11-19T02:03:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hail Ants \* > \*\*I believe the SR-71 made just such a trip for its last offical USAF mission before it was retired (and that it set a new speed record in the process). \*\* The closest I found was a flight on March 6, 1990 by SR-71A #64-17972: **Los Angeles to East Coast of USA** Coast to Coast Distance: 2,086 miles Time: 1 hr 07 min 53.69 secs Average Speed: 2,124.5 mph **Los Angeles To Washington D.C.** Distance: 1,998 miles Time: 1 hr 04 min 19.89 secs Average Speed: 2,144.83 mph Source: [http://www.wvi.com/~lelandh/972record1.htm](http://www.wvi.com/~lelandh/972record1.htm) [http://www.wvi.com/~lelandh/srrcd~1.htm](http://www.wvi.com/~lelandh/srrcd~1.htm) ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-take-a-super-sonic-jet-to-get-from-la-to-nyc/94128/11 "2001-11-19T02:15:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by geepee \* > \*\*Its why the only super sonic routes are over oceans and charters over the desert/sparsly populated areas \*\* Actually, I believe that it’s not an issue if the plane is high enough in altitude. From this site: [http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/SRbooms/srbooms.html](http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/SRbooms/srbooms.html) > [@](#): > > The aircraft were too high in altitude at these Mach numbers for the sonic booms to reach the ground, only the acoustical portion did, much like distant thunder. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by geepee \* > \*\*Er make that a bit longer since it has to accelerate slowly and decelerate when it approaches the destination. \*\* True enough, though in the case of the SR-71 speed runs, if you look at the route taken (linked in my previous post), the aircraft took off from LA, headed west over the Pacific, then looped back to reach its starting “gate” at high speed and altitude. ---
**Author:** ![Drake\_Christensen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/96bed5/32.png) [@Drake\_Christensen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drake_Christensen)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-take-a-super-sonic-jet-to-get-from-la-to-nyc/94128/12 "2001-11-19T02:19:35Z")
[SR-71 records info](http://www.wvi.com/~lelandh/srrcd~1.htm) One flight was from LA to the East Coast of the US, just under 68 minutes. From London to LA in just under 3 hours 48 minutes, including at least two in-air refuelings. If I remember rightly, it spent over one hour subsonic while getting refueled. BTW, note that the F-16 doesn’t have enough range to fly from NYC to LA without in-flight refueling. It’s ferry range is just barely enough to make that trip. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-take-a-super-sonic-jet-to-get-from-la-to-nyc/94128/13 "2001-11-19T02:24:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Drake Christensen \* > \*\*[SR-71 records info](http://www.wvi.com/~lelandh/srrcd~1.htm) > > One flight was from LA to the East Coast of the US, just under 68 minutes.\*\* Been there, done that, **Drake**. 🙂 (See same link earlier in the thread.) ---
**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-take-a-super-sonic-jet-to-get-from-la-to-nyc/94128/14 "2001-11-19T02:26:23Z")
“The record time from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. is 68 min. 17 sec. (…) aboard the SR-71 Blackbird spyplane during its retirement flight on 7 Mar. 1990. The Blackbird was refueled over the Pacific Ocean at 60,000 ft before heading east from the California coastline and crossing the finish line near Salisbury, MD. The plane flew at 2,153.24 mph between Los Angeles and Washington.” ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-take-a-super-sonic-jet-to-get-from-la-to-nyc/94128/15 "2001-11-19T03:29:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by omni-not \* > \*\*“The record time from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. is 68 min. 17 sec. (…) aboard the SR-71 Blackbird spyplane during its retirement flight on 7 Mar. 1990. The Blackbird was refueled over the Pacific Ocean at 60,000 ft before heading east from the California coastline and crossing the finish line near Salisbury, MD. The plane flew at 2,153.24 mph between Los Angeles and Washington.” \*\* So apparently, not only did Guiness get the date wrong, but the time as well (for LA to DC). 😛 The time they cited for that flight was for “West Coast to East Coast.” Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. was only 64 minutes. (See above certified stats linked previously.) [sub]Man, I’m really nit-picking today… ☹ Please don’t take it personally, folks.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Drake\_Christensen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/96bed5/32.png) [@Drake\_Christensen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drake_Christensen)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-take-a-super-sonic-jet-to-get-from-la-to-nyc/94128/16 "2001-11-19T03:34:53Z")
Robby, the pizza came while I was typing my reply. So it was a simul-post 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-take-a-super-sonic-jet-to-get-from-la-to-nyc/94128/17 "2001-11-19T04:28:36Z")
> [@](#): > > The Blackbird was refueled over the Pacific Ocean at 60,000 ft … I wasn’t aware that U.S. military fuel planes can cruise at 60,000 feet. Considering that they are essentially modified civilian airliners–and I thought their max altitude is lower, even given FAA regs–can this be true?