[neilep (OP)]

Does the rotation of the Earth have an effect on a planes flight duration ?

Excluding weather/wind speed and assuming a constant speed......

Is it quicker one way than the other ?

West to East V East to West ?

North to South V South to North ?

[paul.fr]

If you are flying from london to paris, it would be quicker to go south rather than north [] sorry.

[JimBob]

Are you asking a time zone question or great circle question?

[neilep (OP)]

If you are flying from london to paris, it would be quicker to go south rather than north [] sorry.

grrrr !!!..Hugs the Paul !!

[neilep (OP)]

Are you asking a time zone question or great circle question?

Yep, forget about time zones...I'm asking regarding the great circle !!

[ukmicky]

Are you asking a time zone question or great circle question?

Yep, forget about time zones...I'm asking regarding the great circle !!

Well it was a lot quicker coming back home from the carribian ,but i suppose that may of had something to do with winds.

[lyner]

The geometry of using a great circle route (a long piece of string, stretched tight actoss the surface)  as opposed to a 'Rhumb line', which is on a constant bearing,  produces a significant advantage over some routes.  That's why planes go way up, near the North Pole from London to Vancouver  and not along a 50 degree latitude line.

I guess you would go a bit quicker on a short trip  (i.e. with everything else being the same) if you were to 'go with' the coriolis force, too.
Space launches always 'go with' the Earth's rotation - it's worth several hundred miles an hour of free speed - but that's not relevant flying from A to B on the surface.

[Alandriel]

..Space launches always 'go with' the Earth's rotation - it's worth several hundred miles an hour of free speed ...

Free speed... heheheh... c [8D] [8D]l


As to the original question - I have (as happens so often) not a clue













but


I think  I've just found *THE* book for ya, Neil (if you can stomach it that is..... )



 []

[JimBob]

Lord, Alandriel, That includes some spherical trigonometry! All I can say is HELP! I had better luck with calculus.