Questions and Answers

I am sure this has been asked and answered by why do so many flights take such an indirect route? Is it just congestion int he skies? For example have been looking at DFW to NRT for my upcoming trip and seems like the planes go well North through Alaska then come down. Just was wondering Thx

[QUOTE=”Mikewarren1000, post: 65721, member: 5445″]I am sure this has been asked and answered by why do so many flights take such an indirect route? Is it just congestion int he skies? For example have been looking at DFW to NRT for my upcoming trip and seems like the planes go well North through Alaska then come down. Just was wondering Thx[/QUOTE]

It is usually the most direct route. Our linear (flat?) depiction of maps distorts distances and sizes of landmasses. Grab a globe and a piece of string. Measure the distance between Dallas and Tokyo – the shortest distance is NNW over Canada / Alaska.

[URL]https://gisgeography.com/great-circle-geodesic-line-shortest-flight-path/[/URL]

provides a good explanation.

[QUOTE=”OCTinPHL, post: 65724, member: 4556″]It is usually the most direct route. Our linear (flat?) depiction of maps distorts distances and sizes of landmasses. Grab a globe and a piece of string. Measure the distance between Dallas and Tokyo – the shortest distance is NNW over Canada / Alaska.[/QUOTE]

That’s crazy I didn’t know that. I still don’t quite get it cause isn’t a straight line fastest way from point A to B but the land mass distortion thing I didn’t take into consideration. I need to find a globe and string

[QUOTE=”Mikewarren1000, post: 65728, member: 5445″]That’s crazy I didn’t know that. I still don’t quite get it cause isn’t a straight line fastest way from point A to B but the land mass distortion thing I didn’t take into consideration. I need to find a globe and string[/QUOTE]
Just saw your 2nd post with the link. Thats awesome. Thanks

[USER=5445]@Mikewarren1000[/USER] A straight line is fastest, yes, but a “straight line” is different on a flat surface than it it is on a sphere. Also the Earth isn’t a perfect sphere – it’s wider around the equator

Ya just read some good stuff on this. Very cool. Didnt really realize this or understand it. So i see now like looking at a Johanssburg to Sydney route why a plane could take the Polar route. That terminology always confused me but i see its just taking a curved route that crosses the Arctic circle..

Does a plane every fly completely over the Arctic? Like if you were I dunno say in Buenos Aires going to like the northern most part of say Finland, would the plane actually fly South, going over the entire Arctic

However, in reality you would fly North from Buenos aires and just connect somewhere in southern europe depending on your carrier and then connect onto Helsinki.

Well flying south you’d go over the Antarctic but yes, there are flights that fly a polar route. Of course this is not an exact thing. Flights generally will follow a great circle but there might adjustments for winds, airspace closures, ETOPS issues etc.