Travelling via Earth's rotation?

Question

Why isn't it possible to travel from say Bangkok to India in a helicopter by flying vertically above the point of take-off and staying in mid-air for say 5 hours and when you land back down, you'd be in India because of the Earth's rotation?

Answer 1

Inertia. Bodies at rest tend to stay at rest, and bodies in motion tend to stay in motion. Thailand and India are travelling at approximately 1000 miles per hour toward the east around the Earth's axis, but are motionless in relationship to each other. Leaving the ground in a helicopter doesn't slow you down. You are still traveling at 1000 miles per hour in relationship to the earth's axis, but are traveling at the same speed as the ground beneath you in Thailand, and India; zero. You're going nowhere. You would have to travel to the west at 1000 miles per hour in order to remain "motionless" in relationship to the earth's axis and have India come to you.

I wondered the same thing when I was a kid. It sounds like a great idea.

Answer 2

The helicopter moves with the Earths rotation because the atmosphere is moving with the Earths rotation aswell.

Think of a fly that flies into a car,I doesnt get squashed by the back window because the air inside the car is travelling at the same speed as the car.

Answer 3

Not if you are flying at the same speed. The tricky thing about this question is, your speed is relative tot he surface of the Earth. It would make better snese to ask which direction would use more fuel. Still, think about it, the aircraft never escapes the atmosphere, which rotates with the Earth (otherwise there would be 1000mph winds perpetually at the equator). There is however, something else you should consider. Any spacecraft launch is typically from a location close to the equator, and the direction the spacecraft lifts off is EAST, (sometimes SE or NE, depending on a lot of other factors). There is a very good reason for this, and I am sure you can figure it out.

Answer 4

To do this you would have to go above the earth‘s atmosphere,
which causes drag, and at a point where gravitation=centrifugal
force, otherwise gravitation would also cause a drag force, and
bring you down. Also at higher altitudes the atmosphere is less
dense and the propellers would have to spin a lot faster which
would make them spin off the craft. Better take a parachute and
pay for a large sum for life insurance if you have a family. Have a
chat with Sir Richard Branson, he might have better ideas.

Answer 5

Everything on earth, even the air, has momentum carrying roughly maintaining its speed. In combination with the earth's gravity and frictional forces against the earth's surface, the helicopter travels with everything else.

A far more significant influence would be wind direction.

Answer 6

Because the helicopter and air around it are moving at the same speed as the Earth.

Answer 7

Even better , why not just make a very slippy path from Bangkok to India, all on the level. Just step on to the path, watch it slide under your feet as the earth rotates under you, voila!

Answer 8

The idea is used for intercontinental travel, it *is* quicker to go east than west by aeroplane.
But if you started in Bangkok you would go the wrong way to get to India ?

Answer 9

Same thing happens in trains,,it's doing 70mph,you jump as high as you can,,but when you land you haven't moved towards the back of the carriage,,mind you we cannot test this theory,,coz we have yet to get a decent train networks that could manage to run their train that fast or even on time or uncrowded and dirty,,

Answer 10

Think of it, the Earth is turning to behind you. There is a tree in front of you. Try jumping, will you be smashed into the tree?