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Topic starter
20/11/2024 12:23 pm
"Why are airplane routes curved and not straight?
Airplane flights do not follow a straight line but rather a curved path, and this choice goes beyond any technical issue—it is an adaptation to the curvature of the planet itself. In geometry, we learn that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but this principle applies only to flat surfaces, like a sheet of paper. When considering the spherical shape of the Earth, the shortest distance between two points becomes a curve known as a geodesic.
This concept originates from Riemannian geometry, which is better suited to curved surfaces. Flight planners use this approach to map out the shortest routes to save time and fuel. These geodesic paths represent the most efficient routes on a sphere. Instead of flying in a "straight line" as it appears on a flat map, airplanes follow a curved trajectory that is, in three-dimensional reality, the shortest path.
These air routes are a fascinating testament to the Earth's curvature. Every flight follows a course that might seem counterintuitive, but in fact, represents the shortest distance and least effort on our spherical planet."
Credits: Curiosidades da Terra
John Kuvakas
Warrenton, VA
20/11/2024 1:22 pm
Yes I did.
John Bono
North Jersey
20/11/2024 1:56 pm
On the surface we call them great circle routes. ⚓️
Frank Reed
Chesapeake, VA
20/11/2024 2:27 pm
I guess I'm a geodesic dumb. Up until now I had no idea. I still thought the world was flat - that's why I have panicked on all of our cruises!! 
20/11/2024 2:35 pm
20/11/2024 2:54 pm
Lord knows I'm not the sharpest cheddar in the storage room, but I did know this. Like very long suspension bridges, the curvature of the earth must be taken into account. Seems kind of obvious, even to a dumb*** like me.
..... knowing John K's propensity for urbane wit, I wonder if we're all missing something in his post. Is it really a joke? 🤔 🤨 🤔
20/11/2024 3:14 pm
Good grief. I didn't realise that bridge even existed!
Thank goodness our esteemed Moderator has a scientific bent (so to speak).
Graeme.M. Ogg
London U.K.
20/11/2024 5:45 pm
Hopefully it isn't a toll-bridge.
Ralf Buyer
Wiesbaden, Germany
20/11/2024 9:05 pm
I think this whole curved bridge thing is a tad premature and financially reckless. To my knowledge, as a Certificate Of Attendance Level 7 grad, there's no conclusive proof the earth isn't flat.
Topic starter
20/11/2024 11:11 pm
I hate it when the smarty pants guys show up!
John Kuvakas
Warrenton, VA
21/11/2024 5:35 am
Me too. Fortunately there's no sign of them yet. They may well decide to stay well out of it.
Graeme.M. Ogg
London U.K.
21/11/2024 10:41 am
I didn't know and refuse to venture an opinion to remove all doubt about my acumen.
21/11/2024 11:25 am
On the same principle, I remember being taught at school that India and Greenland are similar sizes, but seen on a flat map the distortion is stark, when compared to a segmented map. I have found this endless fun over the years.........
John Kuvakas and Tony Perrone reacted
21/11/2024 11:37 am
21/11/2024 11:41 am
@perrone1 Thank-you Tony, though I think we'd best keep this kind of detail quiet for fear of hyperventilating our flat-earth friends 
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