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Posted by Aurora on 10/25/2008, 7:55 pm, in reply to "Re: n739pa"
66.235.44.54
Paul,
The Shortest distance between two points on our globe is naturally a straight line, which in the world of aerial or maritime navigation is called a "Great Circle Route." If you laid a piece of string on a globe between LHR and JFK you would notice that it would follow the curviture of the earth. This would be called a "Great circle route" or no wind route. There is always a wind but it will vary in strength and direction. Winds have an affect on the path of an aircraft's track across the ground and potential time in the air. Aircraft are dispatched to take advantage of any tailwinds or atleast try to minmize headwind because this saves fuel. This would be called a minimum time track flight plan. You have probably seen on television weather forecast how the jet streams snake around, especially across the North Pacific and over the U.S. then across the North Atlantic. This also happens in the southern hemisphere. Winds at upper altitudes near the equator are usually quite weak about 10 to 15 knots and squirly in direction. It is not unusal to be dispatched on a more northerly course than a "Great circle route" in order to take advantage of these jet streams or minimize a head wind. As you know fuel cost are high and any savings that can be made helps the airline. Another factor that probably played a part of Flight 103 route determination was east bound air traffic from North America which starts in evening or late afternoon so as to arrive in Europe in the morning.
Aurora
--Previous Message--
: The answer comes from my university. Due to
: the shape of the globe, many airlines flying
: to and from JFK international airport use
: the northern route. One reasons is fuel
: consomption.
:
: Have a great day,
: Mark Bermudez
: Embry Riddle Aeronautical University
: graduate & alumni
: Aviation research historian
: Plane spotter
: FAA Certified Aircraft Mechanic
:
:
:
: --Previous Message--
: Can some one with some flying knowlege
: please
: tell me why this plane was flying so far
: north.
: To get from LHR to JFK the most usual route
: is
: over the middle of Ireland.I have flown as a
: passenger on this route a few times and it
: has
: always taken me over Ireland,then on to nova
: scotia.One time on a trip to LAX I did fly
: a more northerly route out of LHR but this
: took
: me just north of Nortern Ireland then on to
: Canada,Regina,Montana,then on to Lax.
: Thanks
:
:
:
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