If the world is round, then a plane leaving London should land upside down in Australia?

Question

This is not a question posed by me, the gorgeous fluffpot, but by Mr. GorgeousFluffpot who is sitting next to me looking perplexed. He is sitting with a toy plane and a football trying to work it out, and still can't figure it out. Help please!!!

Answer 1

There is no "upside down" as far as the universe is concerned. We think of things in relation to "bottom" and "top" but those are relative terms.

Answer 2

Nope... because the plane keeps it's underside facing towards the ground as it goes round the World. This is because "down", i.e. the pull of gravity, is towards the centre of the earth (or football in this case) at all times and "up" is away from the earth (football).

Get Mr. G. Fluffpot to try the same thing with a toy car driving around the world... at no point will it flip over (unless he lets go of it... )... well, it's just the same with the plane except that it's higher off the ground!

[this could get more complicated if Mr. G swapped the football for a rugby ball... but we won't go into that at the moment ;-) ]

Answer 3

Upside down is a term connected to Gravity. Our gravity comes from the core of the earth. So, if you circle the earth with a plane, the bottom of the plane is always facing the earth, therefore when you land and takeoff at no point are you upside down, unless the plane flips over so the bottom of the plane is facing the atmosphere.

Hope that helps.

Answer 4

Of course it would land upside down, but we all know that airplanes can not land upside down so the pilots have a little routine that they do when they cross to the other side. When halfway there they simply flip the plane like the Blue Angels do so when they land they are right side up (or upside down if you are still in London). Either that or the world is flat.

Answer 5

Yup, gravity i the culprit. Things have a center of gravity, which is the point which gravity acts on the most. As the plane flies around the planet, gravity always pulls towards the center, keeping the plane constantly level with the ground. Our planet is so large, the change is imperceptible, even at high speeds. The plane and the ground will always be parallel.

Answer 6

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Gorgeous Fluffpot, on departure, the plain, no matter where it leaves from, is in a position paralel to the Earth's surface. The plane continues to travel paralel to the Earth's surface and of course, on landing, it will still be in that position, therefore, the plain could never land upside down. I hope my answer is ok for you.

Answer 7

Because the planet is a sphere if we walked in a straight line to the other side we would not be aware that it is round because of gravity and we have walked on a flat surface this is the case with the plane it flys in a line so is still the same way up as we would be.

Answer 8

get him to hold the plane still and make the football go round, like the earth does, maybe that way he'll understand. he has got a point though, the plane will be upside down in relation to the place it took off from

Answer 9

The problem is at the start of the question: the world is in fact flat, you see.

Take away his football and give him a dinner plate. He will find the plane lands the right way up every time.

The only mystery remaining to me is when Columbus will discover the American sense of humour.

Answer 10

Poor old Mr. GorgeousFluffpot!!! The plane does a special turn in the air to compensate for flying upside down, thus renering everything normal once more.

Answer 11

technically it would be "upside down". but then a plane leaving australia and landing in london would also be "upside down" to the pair of aussies who are sitting down there wondering the same thing..lol. If i could drill straight through the earth from where i am and install a camera wouldn't i be looking at people from the ground up?..in other words, they would be "upside down" to me....