Naked Science Forum

General Science => General Science => Topic started by: neilep on 11/11/2007 02:13:09

Title: Plane flight times from North to South Versus East To West
Post by: neilep on 11/11/2007 02:13:09
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 ?
Title: Plane flight times from North to South Versus East To West
Post by: paul.fr on 11/11/2007 02:17:42
If you are flying from london to paris, it would be quicker to go south rather than north [;)] sorry.
Title: Plane flight times from North to South Versus East To West
Post by: JimBob on 11/11/2007 02:35:50
Are you asking a time zone question or great circle question?
Title: Plane flight times from North to South Versus East To West
Post by: neilep on 11/11/2007 02:50:56
Quote from: paul.fr on 11/11/2007 02:17:42
If you are flying from london to paris, it would be quicker to go south rather than north [;)] sorry.

grrrr !!!..Hugs the Paul !!
Title: Plane flight times from North to South Versus East To West
Post by: neilep on 11/11/2007 02:51:46
Quote from: JimBob on 11/11/2007 02:35:50
Are you asking a time zone question or great circle question?


Yep, forget about time zones...I'm asking regarding the great circle !!
Title: Plane flight times from North to South Versus East To West
Post by: ukmicky on 11/11/2007 23:41:34
Quote from: neilep on 11/11/2007 02:51:46
Quote from: JimBob on 11/11/2007 02:35:50
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.
Title: Plane flight times from North to South Versus East To West
Post by: lyner on 12/11/2007 10:03:51
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.
Title: Plane flight times from North to South Versus East To West
Post by: Alandriel on 12/11/2007 20:47:13
Quote from: sophie
..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..... )

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pilotmall.com%2Fimages%2Fgraphics%2F00000001%2F0071375724_tn.jpg&hash=ce9da98e8475e1a81ab6cda482f73350)

 [;D]
Title: Plane flight times from North to South Versus East To West
Post by: JimBob on 13/11/2007 00:59:04
Lord, Alandriel, That includes some spherical trigonometry! All I can say is HELP! I had better luck with calculus.