Why do planes not fly directly over the Atlantic Ocean?
—submitted by reader John, Parrish, Fla. Answer: It is shorter to fly the Great Circle route than a straight line due to the circumference of the earth being so much greater at the equator than near the poles. Q: Captain, I often follow trans-Atlantic flights between Europe and the USA.
Do planes travel over the poles?
Yes, planes can fly over the North Pole. Many flights from North America to Europe and North America to Asia, and vice versa, cross the North Pole in an effort to cut flight time and save fuel. Furthermore, less people live in the southern hemisphere, meaning fewer flights and less demand for polar routes.
Why does no aircraft cross directly over the North Pole?
This article from AA (titled “Over the Top” by Gerard J. Arpey) says, By the way, because of the limitations of older navigation systems, none of the polar routes we fly crosses exactly over the North Pole.
Can a plane fly over the South Pole?
Pan Am flight 50, using a Boeing 747SP, also flew over both poles. No scheduled commercial flights over fly the South Pole since there are no great circle routes in use which do so. Flights from New Zealand to South Africa would fly over Antarctica but no airline currently flies that route. As to problems with the compass,…
Can a twin engine plane fly over the North Pole?
Until recently, regulators have insisted that twin-engine jets must always be within three hours of a suitable place to land. This is because the failure of one engine on such a plane is potentially far more serious than for one with three or four. However, commercial flights do fly over the North Pole.
Is it illegal to fly over the North Pole?
Yes, planes can fly over the North Pole. Many flights from North America to Europe and North America to Asia, and vice versa, cross the North Pole in an effort to cut flight time and save fuel. Is flying over Antarctica illegal? Flying over Antarctica is not illegal.