Why do airplanes take longer routes?

The takeaway is this: A route that looks longer on the map is because of the distortion created with map projections like the Mercator projection. In navigation, pilots often use great circles (geodesic) as the shortest distance flight.

What does route of flight mean?

A route is a description of the path followed by an aircraft when flying between airports.

Why do flights go over North Pole?

Thank science: In order to prevent the aircraft’s fuel from reaching its freezing point of around -50 degrees Fahrenheit, transpolar flights occasionally descend to a lower altitude over the Arctic, sometimes by as much as 10,000 feet, to an altitude ever so slightly warmer for the fuel—and ever more picturesque for …

Why are there so many SIDs and STARs in an airport?

Typically, each runway will have a number of SIDs and STARs to ensure that air traffic is not unnecessarily delayed by deviation from the direct route from or to the aerodrome. The SID or STAR which a pilot intends to use is usually included in the ATC flight plan.

What are SIDs and STARs?

SIDs and STARs A SID is sometimes called a Departure Procedure (DP). SIDs are unique to the associated airport. A STAR, or Standard Terminal Arrival Route, (‘Standard Instrument Arrival’ in the UK) defines a pathway into an airport from the airway structure.

What were the routes of the planes hijacked on September 11?

The routes of the four U.S. planes hijacked during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. American Airlines flight 11 departs from Boston ’s Logan International Airport, bound for Los Angeles. Aboard are 11 crew members and 81 passengers, including 5 hijackers. United Airlines flight 175 takes off from Boston, headed for Los Angeles.

What kind of plane was used in the United Airlines hijacking?

The aircraft involved in the hijacking was a Boeing 757-222, registration N591UA, delivered to United Airlines in June 1996.

What happened to Flight 11?

Flight 11 has its final routine communication with air traffic controllers. Sixteen seconds later, controllers instruct the pilot to increase the plane’s altitude. However, there is no response, and all subsequent messages are unanswered. Investigators believe the plane is hijacked around this time.

What happened to Flight 77?

American Airlines flight 77 departs from Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C., bound for Los Angeles. The plane is carrying 6 crew members and 58 passengers, including 5 hijackers. Before boarding, three of the terrorists had set off the metal detectors when going through security, but all passed subsequent inspections.