Why is it important for airplanes to fly using great-cycle routes?

Question

Why is it important for airplanes to fly using great-cycle routes?

please..?

Answer 1

I think you meant "Great Circle" routes. The great circle route is a straight line between two points that looks curved when drawn on a flat map. go to gc.kls2.com and type in your two favorite airports. They have some examples.

In fact, in many cases, especially in commercial aviation there is no such thing as a straight line. Many routes into popular areas actually begins hundreds of miles away from the airports. West coast traffic flying into the New York metro airports (JFK, Newark and LaGuardia among others) starts to line up over Michigan and Ohio in order to be funneled into those airports.

Depending on the direction the wind is blowing when you get to your destination airport, you may actually have to fly past it and then turn around and come back so that you can land pointing into the wind.

Hope this helps.

John, FAA Licensed Dispatcher

Answer 2

in theory it's the shortest route but in practice we cant fly exact great circle routes because of the route structure of airways. also sometimes it's better to fly off a great circle route and utilise the wind (jetstream) as they can increase our speed by 100kts and more. Conversely, if we're flying the opposite direction then we avoid the jetstream.

Answer 3

The great circle route is the shortest surface distance between two points on the globe. The only way to make the trip shorter is to go underground, and that is usually slower than flying.

(A great circle is one which is on a plane which intersects the center of the earth.) The Equator and all Meridians are great circles.

Answer 4

It's important because it's the shortest distance between two points on the earth.

and it's called a great-circle route. :-)

Answer 5

you get there quicker on a great circle route than you would on a great cycle route. sorry, couldnt help myself.