Why don't planes fly in a straight line?

The reason for this is that the earth revolves on its axis, forcing the middle to bulge out slightly. The curvature of the earth and its extra equatorial width mean that curving towards the poles is a shorter distance than flying in a straight line.

Why do planes not fly straight across the Pacific?

Flying over the Pacific Ocean is avoided by most airlines for most flights because it usually doesn't make sense to fly over it when shorter and safer routes exist. The Pacific Ocean is also more remote and less safe than the Indian and Atlantic Oceans to fly over, resulting in a higher chance of a plane crashing.

Do planes move in a straight line?

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.

Why do planes fly in a curved line?

Airplanes fly in a curve to get to their destination in the shortest time. A curved flight path accounts for the shape of the Earth and can look confusing on a two-dimensional map. Flying in a curved direction is calculated using the Great Circle Route and is also used in sailing.

Why do planes not fly over Antarctica?

No, planes don't fly over Antarctica because it is too remote and ETOPS regulation requires that aircraft are within a certain distance of a diversion airport at all times in case there are engine problems. As there are no diversion airports in Antarctica, routes must stay closer to other continents.

Why Planes Don't Fly Straight

Why don't planes fly over the Atlantic?

Early aircraft engines did not have the reliability needed for the crossing, nor the power to lift the required fuel. There are difficulties navigating over featureless expanses of water for thousands of miles, and the weather, especially in the North Atlantic, is unpredictable.

Why can't you fly the other way to Australia?

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.

Why do planes fly north to Europe?

It's simply the shortest distance. Between continents, airplanes follow what are called “great circle” routes, accounting for the earth's curvature.

Why do planes fly at 35000 feet?

A balance between operating costs and fuel efficiency is achieved somewhere around 35,000 feet, which is why commercial airplanes usually fly at that altitude. Commercial airplanes can climb to 42,000 feet, but going beyond that can be precarious, as the air starts to become too thin for optimum flight of the airplane.

Do pilots sleep on long flights?

The simple answer is yes, pilots do and are allowed to sleep during flight but there are strict rules controlling this practice. Pilots would only normally sleep on long haul flights, although sleep on short haul flights is permitted to avoid the effects of fatigue.

Why do pilots say Roger?

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) officially defines the word "roger" to mean "I have received all of your transmission." For example, a pilot would say "roger" in response to an advisory from Air Traffic Control.

Why can we not fly over the North Pole?

Things only get more challenging from there. The polar regions have special navigation concerns in the form of the magnetic fields which permeate them. These can make it difficult for planes to navigate because the polar areas interfere with magnetic navigational tools.

What happens if a plane flies too high?

If a passenger jet flies too high, it reaches a point called 'Coffin Corner'. This is the point at which the aircraft's low speed stall and high-speed buffet meet and the plane can no longer maintain its altitude which forces it to descend.

Do planes fly over Mount Everest?

Tim Morgan, a commercial pilot writing for Quora says aircraft can fly above 40,000 feet, and hence it is possible to fly over Mount Everest which stands at 29,031.69 feet. However, typical flight routes do not travel above Mount Everest as the mountains create unforgiving weather.

Why do planes cruise so high?

One reason that planes cruise above the clouds is so they can fly fast. The higher airplanes climb, the thinner the air gets, and the more efficiently they can fly because of less resistance in the atmosphere, according to Ryan Jorgenson, an aviation data analyst.

Do planes ever fly over Antarctica?

Because there are no flights over Antarctica, it is difficult to get "route-specific training" for routes that don't exist.

Why do planes circle before landing?

Circling. Generally, planes will circle above airports for the same reasons planes sometimes need to perform go-arounds. This could be anything from weather to an incident on the runway. Pilots have to weigh their options between circling for a little while or turning back to land at a different airport.

Why do flights to USA go over Greenland?

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. And this is why pilots often fly over Greenland.

What do pilots see when flying?

Pilots have a unique viewpoint while flying private or commercial aircraft. They get an unobstructed view of stunning natural sights, such as pink lakes and rectangular-shaped icebergs. Some have reported seeing UFOs, while others have flown over swirling hurricanes.

Why do planes don't fly over Tibet?

The leading reason for aircraft avoiding the region is the high average height of the terrain. This is over 14,000 feet. Aircraft, of course, cruise much higher than this. But the procedure in the event of an emergency such as cabin depressurization is to descend to 10,000 feet before diverting to an airport.

Do planes fly over North Korea?

The US prohibits flights across all North Korean airspace, including the oceanic part of the ZKKP/Pyongyang FIR over the Sea of Japan. Several other countries have airspace warnings in place which advise caution due to the risk posed by unannounced rocket launches.

Why is New York to London so turbulent?

One of the most popular routes which experience turbulence is flying from New York to London (and also London to New York). This is mainly due to the disruption from the jet stream, although most pilots will do their best to fly north or south around it, even if it means a longer flight time.

What is the longest flight in the world?

The longest flight in the world by distance is New York (JFK) to Singapore (SIN) on Singapore Airlines clocking in at 9,537 miles.

What happens if both engines fail on a plane over the Atlantic?

If all of an airplane's engines fail simultaneously, the pilot will perform an emergency landing. As the airplane descends and decelerates, the pilot will begin to search for a safe area to perform an emergency landing. Ideally, the pilot will land on a nearby landing.

Can you break a plane window?

Even though it is considered a rare case, it has happened multiple times during commercial airline history. Breaking a window in an airplane is something that might seams not dangerous to many, but in reality, it is.