The top speed for commercial planes is generally around Mach 0.85, which is about 650 miles per hour.
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The top speed of the Boeing 747 itself is about 570 mph, and this flight maxed out at 825 mph. The difference between ?ground speed? (zero bonus) and ?air speed? (200+ mph bonus) is also why this speed, while technically faster than the speed of sound, didn't ever go supersonic.
This means pilots could opt to go above the speed to make up time, although this burns more fuel - not just costing more, but affecting the environment. So pilots will likely only do it if the costs mean they can avoid other expensive issues, such as missed flight connections.
Examples of Specific Aircraft SpeedsPassenger planes like the Boeing 747 or the Airbus A380 usually fly at 500 to 600 mph. They're capable of going a bit faster but it's more efficient to cruise at these speeds.
On Tuesday, during a placid evening in central Pennsylvania, a Boeing 787-9 jet was shooting through the air at one of the fastest speeds ever achieved by a commercial airliner.
The biggest reason for flying at higher altitudes lies in fuel efficiency. The thin air creates less drag on the aircraft, which means the plane can use less fuel in order to maintain speed. Less wind resistance, more power, less effort, so to speak.
According to USA Today, the common cruising altitude for most commercial airplanes is between 33,000 and 42,000 feet, or between about six and nearly eight miles above sea level. Typically, aircraft fly around 35,000 or 36,000 feet in the air. To put that in perspective, the peak of Mount Everest measures 29,029 feet.
Fifty years ago, the federal government banned all civilian supersonic flights over land. The rule prohibits non-military aircraft from flying faster than sound so their resulting sonic booms won't startle the public below or concern them about potential property damage.
Under Part 117, the part of the federal law that covers flight duty limitations and rest requirements for airline pilots, pilots are limited to 100 hours per month and 1,000 hours per year, in addition to daily restrictions.
In the United States, the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) limit pilots to 36 flight hours in a week, 100 hours in 672 hours (28 days), and 1,000 hours in a 365-day calendar period. As a hard answer, the maximum number of hours a pilot can fly in a year is 1,000 hours.
Airplanes are fast and efficient because they can operate in a low friction environment. There are no wheels (at least in flight) that have to be constantly be rolled over the ground, and at higher altitude the air is thinner which reduces air drag dramatically.
At the equator, the Earth spins about twice as fast as a commercial jet can fly. That rate slows the closer you get to the poles, but regardless, it's always going to be faster than a plane.