The starting time of a weft thread insertion in a jet loom is automatically adapted to a change in the speed of the main loom drive shaft, in order to assure that the leading end of the weft thread always arrives at the same time at a weft stop motion device at an exit end of a weft insertion channel through the loom shed. For this purpose, the starting time of the weft insertion is advanced when the loom drive shaft rpm is increased and delayed when the rpm is decreased. The advance or delay has reference to a weaving cycle that begins with the opening of a shed and ends when the shed is fully closed. The flight time .DELTA.t.sub.F of a weft thread through the shed is constant. The adaptation is performed in response to measuring the rotational drive shaft angle .alpha..sub.AR at which a weft thread arrives at the weft stop motion device and determining the starting time in such a way that the weft arrival time (t.sub.2, t.sub.4, t.sub.6) always takes place at substantially the same rotational drive shaft angle .alpha..sub.AR.