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Great Circle Route

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PDH

PDH

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 30, 2005
Posts
162
Can someone, in simple terms (for us simple people), explain the great circle route. I'm still having trouble grasping why you have to fly over northern Alaska to get to China. Is it because the earth rotates towards you while you fly?
 
It's because a flat map distorts a round world.

You can prove to yourself quite simply that a great circle route really does look like what you describe. Get a string, and a globe. Stretch the string between any two points on the globe to discover the shortest route between those two points.

A GC route to Asia from the middle of the U.S. does in fact fly over alaska or the Arctic.

The Earth's rotation does nothing, as the atmosphere (and the aircraft) are rotating all together.
 
Easiest way to picture it is put a string on a globe. First go straight point to point then go via great circle. The earth has a smaller circumference further north you go, taking advantage of this makes it shorter
 
The earth is an oblate spheroid. Unforrtunately, so is my wife's ass.
 
Not to be confused with a prolate spheroid- which is the shape of my girlfriend's **********.
 
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A great circle route is the shortest distance between two points on the surface of the Earth. To figure out what this route this is, just draw a straight line on a sectional or other navigation chart. (Or any chart that is a Lambert Conformal Conic Projection, I think most aviation charts are.)

Another way to think of it is this. If you want to fly from New York to Zurich, imagine slicing the Earth in half so that this slice goes through both New York and Zurich. This is the great circle route. Also, every line of longitude is a great circle route.

Just a start, someone else with more knowledge or more motivation to actually look stuff up may be able to chime in with more info.
 
PDH said:
Can someone, in simple terms (for us simple people), explain the great circle route. I'm still having trouble grasping why you have to fly over northern Alaska to get to China. Is it because the earth rotates towards you while you fly?
Click to expand...

did u grajuate high SKOOL?
 
PDH said:
No, but I am a pilot...
Click to expand...

well we have one thing in common, and I do have a diploma! No offense dude, but use google or something, I wouldn't ever admit I didn't understand a great circle route.

HAve you ever looked at a globe?
 
Metro752 said:
well we have one thing in common, and I do have a diploma! No offense dude, but use google or something, I wouldn't ever admit I didn't understand a great circle route.

HAve you ever looked at a globe?
Click to expand...

One flight academy made it seem harder than explained on the forum through mathematical equations. Oh, and pardon me for interrupting all of the amazing dialog that goes on here that expands to the far reaches of human thought and emotion. I use this forum as a tool as I would use google as a tool. I have no intention of using this as a social networking site so that I may be graded on my intellect and my ability to post whitty comments based on perceptions. Congrats on your diploma--my degree has served me well.
 
Metro752 said:
did u grajuate high SKOOL?
Click to expand...

Don't be such an idiot, dude.

He's asking a question that has at least stimulated some thought around here. Geeeeez...

Maybe he thought of getting an answer from another pilot rather than F**king Google. Geeeez...
 
One only needs to read Metro's post to see why there's a new pay forum.

Don't be afraid to ask questions PDH. There are no stupid questions, just stupid people trying to give you smart assed answers.
 
Asking about a great circle route is a stupid question. Go pay your $10. Not knowing what a great circle route is or why it is shorter than a "direct line" on a flat map is like being an illiterate moron.


Brett Hull, lol
 
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Do you plan on contributing anything constructive or just insulting people?
 
PDH,

Good post, its actually nice to see someone learning somthing on here, and starting an informative discussion.
 
Metro,

I went back through many of your posts and came to a definitive conclusion. You really do not seem to add anything to this forum for the most part. Most of your replies and comments are riddled with sarcasm and vitriol directed at innocent bystanders and those seeking to use this as a learning tool and a source of meaningful communication. Your insensitivities are particulary evident towards those who may be different than you (i.e. more educated, more experienced, etc.). I find it interesting that there are many respected people in this industry that you blatantly disrespect on this forum. Some of these guys will rid more knowledge in a morning stool session than you may ever hope to even understand. That makes you and so many of us different on many levels. We learn from other's mistakes. Their insights are forged from many years of accomplishing what you dream to accomplish.

Say something meaningful every so often and you will probably erode the perception among other users that you lack a depth of knowledge. Maybe the website owners should make a room where people can get together and insult each other all day. I am certain you can be moderator. Lastly, try not to overcome your "shortcomings" by lashing out at people who respect this forum and its purpose.
 
How is Great Circle Route a good question? I can understand it being a good question from like a 14 year old.

Why can't you all tell him what he wanted to hear, because the Earth Rotates towards us!

Why is there a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and not a keg of beer?
 
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All direct lines between two points on the surface a sphere have a degree of curve to match the curvature of the spherical surface. If viewed from overhead in two dimensions, it would appear as a straight line provided the line on the surface of the sphere was defined by the intersection of surface and a plane passing through the center of the sphere. Better know as a great circle. All lines of longitude are great circles; the equator is the only latitude line that defines a great circle.
 
PDH said:
Metro,

I went back through many of your posts and came to a definitive conclusion. You really do not seem to add anything to this forum for the most part. Most of your replies and comments are riddled with sarcasm and vitriol directed at innocent bystanders and those seeking to use this as a learning tool and a source of meaningful communication. Your insensitivities are particulary evident towards those who may be different than you (i.e. more educated, more experienced, etc.). I find it interesting that there are many respected people in this industry that you blatantly disrespect on this forum. Some of these guys will rid more knowledge in a morning stool session than you may ever hope to even understand. That makes you and so many of us different on many levels. We learn from other's mistakes. Their insights are forged from many years of accomplishing what you dream to accomplish.

Say something meaningful every so often and you will probably erode the perception among other users that you lack a depth of knowledge. Maybe the website owners should make a room where people can get together and insult each other all day. I am certain you can be moderator. Lastly, try not to overcome your "shortcomings" by lashing out at people who respect this forum and its purpose.
Click to expand...

PDH,

Congratulations, you've summarized Metro pretty accurately. He's one of those who really add nothing of value to this forum. Ignore him, I think that most others do.
 
Metro,

The reason it is not a stupid question is because the answer is not apparent when looking at maps. Maps necessarily give us a distorted view of the world, and unless someone has gone thourh the string and globe exercise, a polar route usually looks like going the long way to a destination.

Are you planning to grow up any time soon?
 
G21Agoose said:
The earth is an oblate spheroid. Unforrtunately, so is my wife's ass.
Click to expand...

There is also a certain "pear shape" to the earth, the southern hemisphere bulges slightly when compared to the northern hemisphere, do we still have a match with your wife?


If the earth were the size of a billiard ball, you'd probably need a micrometer to tell it wasn't a sphere. Proportionately, the flattening would be less than 0.001".
 
Metro you such a tool. I most societies that people couldn't hide behind a ficticous sceen name, you would have been voted off the island a long time ago. Someday when you reach puberty and don't need a step ladder to piss in the urinal, go to the library and get a book on acting decent. And while your at it, take you boyfriend too.:erm:

PDH your post asked the most intelligent question seen on here in a long time.

Don't let Metro's soup line manners get to you.
 
Asking what a great circle route is, and then admitting you think it has something to do with the earths rotation proves you are an ignoramous.

V1cuts, whats your name?

IT IS A STUPID QUESTION. An uneducated STUPID question.

PDH said:
Can someone, in simple terms (for us simple people), explain the great circle route. I'm still having trouble grasping why you have to fly over northern Alaska to get to China. Is it because the earth rotates towards you while you fly?
Click to expand...

THERE IS SUCH a thing as a STUPID question.

Are lines of longitude longer, and that is why they are called that?
 
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