Why planes fly clockwise to America and not anti-clockwise ?

Answer 1

I think he might mean "when plotting a transatlantic route, why does the route appear to deviate below a direct line ("line of constant bearing") between the two points on an atlas using Mercator projection"?

- primary reason is the great circle path is not a line of constant bearing
- secondary reason is headwinds or crosswinds.

Answer 2

Umm yes. If both planes had the range to fly the circumfrence of the earth, it would depend on the upper level winds they encouter along the way as to which would make it back first. Get a good tail wind, and it will speed you up, run into a strong headwind, and it slows you down. Winds also mess with fuel consumption if you are flying into a headwind, you will use more fuel. It's generally planned for by the pilots when they do the calculations for how much fuel will be needed to fly the route they will be flying given the current/forecast conditions.

Answer 3

The shortest distance between any two points on the earth follows a great circle (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_circle). Such routes look like a curve on many maps. Air routes are planned to take the shortest practical route between the starting and ending locations. Any appearance of clockwise or anticlockwise (counterclockwise in the US) curves is a result of how the route appears on non-mercator (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercator_projection) maps.

Answer 4

THe reason is there aresome things called jet streams thart are in the higher altidudes. if we try to go in a direction opposite to it you would be pushed many km behind. so planes to USA always fly anti clockwise.

Answer 5

Check out the following link on Air routes,it might help
http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-airroutes-map.htm

Answer 6

I am not sure exactly what you mean, but planes from to the US come from both east and west

Answer 7

Its a law set by some aviation authority in US of A. Think its the FAA