Answer: It is shorter to fly the Great Circle route than a straight line due to the circumference of the earth being so much greater at the equator than near the poles.
Why do airlines fly curved routes?
Planes travel along the shortest route in 3-dimensional space. This route is called a geodesic or great circle. While map projections distort these routes confusing passengers, the great circle path is the shortest path between two far locations. This is why pilots fly polar routes saving time and distance.
Why do planes avoid flying over the Atlantic Ocean?
Airlines prefer flying over “curved” routes over land instead of traversing oceans. Curved routes over land are generally shorter than straight routes over the ocean.
Why do planes not fly in a straight line to their destination?
Despite what some theories suggest, the Earth is not flat, and so curvature becomes an incredibly important factor in routes aircraft take. Similar to the Earth itself, aircraft, therefore, take flight routes that also appear to be a curved line, tracing the Earth’s shape.
Is it turbulent over the Atlantic?
Is turbulence bad over the Atlantic? Air and wind over the Atlantic is usually calm, providing some of the least turbulent routes. However, if flying in certain areas such as near the equator or north near the jetstream, you may encounter turbulence.
Why do planes don’t fly over the Pacific Ocean?
The Pacific Ocean is a massive body of water that will require an extremely large amount of fuel to fly across. Rather than flying directly across the Pacific Ocean, most commercial flights take curved routes because they are actually shorter than shooting straight across a distance.
Why don’t planes fly east from Australia to America?
The primary reason airplanes don’t fly over the Pacific Ocean is because curved routes are shorter than straight routes. Flat maps are somewhat confusing because the Earth itself isn’t flat. Rather, it’s spherical. As a result, straight routes don’t offer the shortest distance between two locations.
What is the longest flight over water?
The longest over water route in the world is the stretch between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii. Even between Hawaii and Tokyo there are alternate airports available, such as Midway Island (hence the name “Midway”). Going across the North Atlantic, alternates include Iceland and Greenland.
What happens if a plane crashes in the ocean?
Most of the world’s oceans are very cold, so you will likely succumb to hypothermia if you manage to get out of the plane alive. Add to this that most people are average swimmers at best, so drowning becomes more likely. This becomes even more likely with the stress of the crash and the energy expended to stay afloat.
Is turbulence worse over the ocean?
Flights Over Calm Waters and Oceans
If the waters over a particular patch of ocean are calm, therefore, the flight has a better chance of being turbulence-free. This is yet one more reason why weather reports are so important for flight crews.
Why do planes avoid flying over the South Pole?
The polar regions interfere with magnetic navigational equipment, making it harder for planes to navigate. It can also be difficult for planes to connect with flight controllers because of the location’s isolation.
How safe is flying over the ocean?
However, because of lessons learned from its history and the improvements in aircraft and engine reliability, crossing the oceans is deemed as safe as flying over land. With the rules of ETOPS flying in place, the crew of an aircraft will always know where the nearest diversion airfield is.
Why is there no row 13 or 14 on planes?
There is a long-held belief in many cultures that the number 13 is unlucky. And many airlines have responded to this by simply missing row 13 in their seat numbering. The rows jump straight from 12 to 14. This may seem strange to make such a change in the cabin based on a superstitious belief.
Can turbulence bring down a plane?
The short answer is no, and rest assured that the pilots know how uncomfortable turbulence can make passengers feel. And know that no aircraft has ever crashed because of turbulence. “Turbulence has not caused an airplane to crash,” Biddle said. “Airplanes are built very sturdily.
Can pilots avoid turbulence?
Ordinarily, this can be avoided by flight at higher altitudes. When the larger convection currents form cumulus clouds, the pilot will invariably find smooth air above the cloud level. Avoiding turbulence caused by convection currents by flying above the cloud level.
Are pilots afraid of turbulence?
In short, pilots are not worried about turbulence – avoiding it is for convenience and comfort rather than safety. In the best circumstances, pilots can forecast where turbulence is and steer clear of it.
What is a ghost flight?
A “ghost flight” occurs when airlines continue to fly routes despite having no passengers on board. A lot has been heard about these flights, both during and even before the pandemic, but why exactly do they happen?
Is it true that planes cant fly over the North Pole?
It is technically possible to fly directly over the North Pole, and there have been verified flights over the North Pole, too. There are even FAA regulations for flying over the North Pole for pilots who want to fly over the region.
Why are planes not allowed to fly over the North Pole?
North Pole FAA Flight Requirements
Adding to the problems are the fact that being so near the North Pole can interfere with navigation systems that rely on magnetism. Planes flying in the North Pole, thus, need to have equipment that can compensate for this as best as possible.
Why do planes not fly over the Gulf of Mexico?
The reason is that there are regulations governing when planes can fly over large bodies of water, and many charter or personal aircraft don’t have the equipment to make the crossing.
What happens if a plane engine fails over the ocean?
Before a certain speed – the so-called decision speed or V1 speed – the takeoff would be aborted and the aircraft would be brought to a stop. If an engine fails after reaching V1 speed, the aircraft will continue its take-off roll and get safely airborne on one engine before returning to the airport.