We often get asked if a private jet can fly as far as a commercial plane can, and in most cases, yes they can! However, there are very few aircraft that can cross the Pacific Ocean.
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No problem. Anyone brave enough to teach me to fly should have no qualms about ferrying a 150 across the Atlantic and down the length of Africa.
Jet streams, which are a system of air currents that circle the Earth many miles above the planet's surface, are another reason why aircraft don't fly over the Pacific Ocean. Due to Earth's rotation, these air currents often move from West to East.
Most flights are intended to spend as little time as possible over water, since storms are more common over the ocean than on land. An aircraft would not be safe to fly over the Pacific Ocean due to the stormy weather and frequent lightning strikes that occur there.
Planes do not fly in a straight line directly over the Atlantic Ocean because of the curvature of the Earth. The shortest distance between two points on Earth follows a curve called an ellipse. Planes can also encounter strong winds that would push them off course.
Why do private jets fly at higher altitudes than commercial jets? Private jets fly at higher altitudes to avoid air traffic congestion and unfavorable weather conditions. Flying at higher altitudes also provides a smoother and more comfortable ride for passengers.
Currently, some of the most popular routes for private jets flying from the U.S. to Europe are: New York to London, 7 hours 10 minutes. Miami to London, 8 hours 30 minutes. New York to Paris, 7 hours 10 minutes.
There are no specific regulations governing civil aircraft operations beyond the altitude of 60,000 feet. Nevertheless, certain exceptional aircraft like the Concorde and the Tupolev Tu-144 have managed to ascend to altitudes of FL600 (equivalent to 60,000 feet).
A Cessna 172 Skyhawk has a range of about 800 miles on a full tank of fuel; that's about the same distance from New York City to Detroit (in Michigan), Columbus (in Ohio), or Windsor (in Ontario, Canada).