Flight Paths are Curved

Okay flat earthers, explain this one to me:

Why is it that when you fly in a plane, the shortest distance from one side of the world to the other side is a curved line?
 
Example:

You want to fly from a place that rests at say, 30° latitude North/100° longitude West (approximatly Texas) to a place that rests at 30° latitude North/100° longitude East (central China).  Airlines don't follow the latitude line straight across.  You will not pass through Morocco or Egypt (which are directly on the 30° latitude line), but rather you will pass either slightly above or slightly below them in an arc.

Could it be that the earth is really ROUND and the shortest distance on a curved plane is not exactly horizontal??  Hmmmmm......

Let the conspiracy theories commence: 

...conspiracy theory commencing.

How do you know that aircraft follow a curved path? Because they tell you so?

That is due to the fact that lines of latitude are not the shortest distance between two points.  It's just a coordinate system. 

...conspiracy theory commencing.

How do you know that aircraft follow a curved path? Because they tell you so?

Well, um...... since my father's an airline pilot and I've seen the maps he studies, yeah.

Besides that, it's just simple logic.  Why else, other than to save money on jet fuel, would airlines pass through certain layover stops that are not directly on a latitudinal line?  Do they do this for fun?  Have you ever flown across seas before?  Because I have and I can say with absolute certainty that I've passed through countries that are not directly east or west, but rather slightly north or south.

So let me answer your conspiracy theory with another question;

How do you 'know' that your skull has a brain in it?  Because people just tell you so? For all you know, there's just a giant gray piece of play-doh up there.  I mean, you've never cut open yours or anyone else's head and seen first-hand what a brain looks like, but you don't go around touting that it's incorrect simply because you have never had subjective experience of seeing your own brain.  You kinda trust what other's say in certain circumstances based on a variety of information about your belief systems.

You can have conspiracy theories about anything in the entire world because there's no way that you could possible experience first-hand everything that you are told about.  Sometimes, it simply makes sense.... and unless you believe that everyone else around you is a programmed robot, trusting what others say can be beneficial. 

This is ridiculously elementary.       

...conspiracy theory commencing.

How do you know that aircraft follow a curved path? Because they tell you so?

The planes I flew in to and from France had a gps screen that I could watch.  I also could of used my bros GPS had I had it with me.  They would of matched. 

Besides that, it's just simple logic.  Why else, other than to save money on jet fuel, would airlines pass through certain layover stops that are not directly on a latitudinal line?  Do they do this for fun?       

They do it for economics.

WHAT? 

Yeah, so wasting jet fuel is suddenly a beneficial thing?

Having flights to places where there is a demand for air travel is.

The demand for air travel has nothing to do with it because these flight paths do not necessarily involve stops.  Hell, even a non-stop flight across the U.S. is curved.

Why else, other than to save money on jet fuel, would airlines pass through certain layover stops that are not directly on a latitudinal line?       

I thought you wanted an answer to this question.

Hold on, let's get this straight (no pun intended): 

I am a firm round-earth proponent.

My question was rhetorical.  The answer is implicit in my phrasing of the question. 

I absolutely love the fact that no one dares to engage in this conversation other than you (I must say, I commend you on your confidence).

Are there any flat earther's that can dispute my contention???

Please, it would really make my day to see the looks on your faces when you realize how utterly wrong and backwards your thinking is.

I absolutely love the fact that no one dares to engage in this conversation other than you

You don't like me?   

I just want a challenge, that's all.   

Airlines don't follow the latitude line straight across.  You will not pass through Morocco or Egypt (which are directly on the 30° latitude line), but rather you will pass either slightly above or slightly below them in an arc.

Could it be that the earth is really ROUND and the shortest distance on a curved plane is not exactly horizontal??  Hmmmmm......

That is due to the fact that lines of latitude are not the shortest distance between two points.  It's just a coordinate system. 

Your whole idea is flawed.  You're just confusing an arbitrary convention of common map making with reality. 

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING INTELLIGENT TO OFFER TO THIS THREAD???

I'm beginning to think you FLAT EARTHERS have nothing to say about this.  This is probably due to the fact that none of you lame brains have ever even traveled in an airplane.

Except I'm a pilot.

Perhaps you fly a silly little plane like a Cessna (in which case you only need to be 15 to get a license for......that proves nothing of your capabilities).  Not to mention those planes are not allowed to fly above a certain altitude. 

My father, on the other hand, flies Boeing-747's,777s and MD-80's (which travel at about 45,000 ft) for a popular airline.  When he was in the military, he flew T-38's and T-37's (which are authorized to fly well above 50,000ft  - High enough to see the fucking curvature of the earth)

If you were a pilot for a living and not for a hobby, i seriously doubt you would have the time to be moderating a website such as this. 

Now you are restricting the type of aircraft we can travel in?  That's not very fair.

Is a Citation X silly?  'Cause I would say a 747 is silly in comparison.

As a matter of fact, it is silly. 

Have you read this yet?  Do you know that "horizontal" means absolutely nothing in this case?  You have no idea what you are asking. 

Your thread has nothing intelligent enough to demand an intelligent response. 

Quote from: Perspective on April 02, 2007, 11:06:48 AM

Airlines don't follow the latitude line straight across.  You will not pass through Morocco or Egypt (which are directly on the 30° latitude line), but rather you will pass either slightly above or slightly below them in an arc.

Could it be that the earth is really ROUND and the shortest distance on a curved plane is not exactly horizontal??  Hmmmmm......

Quote from: EvilToothpaste on April 02, 2007, 12:17:16 PM

That is due to the fact that lines of latitude are not the shortest distance between two points.  It's just a coordinate system. 

Your whole idea is flawed.  You're just confusing an arbitrary convention of common map making with reality. 

What do you mean, "horizontal" means nothing?

Look, my use of the term "horizontal" was merely for analogical purposes.  Vertical, Horizontal, Diagonal.....use whatever you directional vector you want.....that had absolutely nothing to do whatsoever with the point of my thread.

Your trivial observations of a supposed flaw in my thread based on the relativity of 'horizontal' barely scratch the surface of any meaningful, intelligent, depth-filled understanding of what I'm talking about. 

Okay, since you FE's tend to be completely and utterly incapable of comprehending the substance of any argument and would rather point out random semantical error, let me make it simpler for you:

Look at a CD.

Draw a line from one point to another.

THAT IS THE SHORTEST DISTANCE BETWEEN THOSE POINTS.

Now, look at a tennis ball.

THE SHORTEST DISTANCE BETWEEN TWO POINTS WILL BE CURVED. 

I understand that very well, but that is not what you originally said. 

As a matter of fact, it is silly. 

Care to elaborate?

Not really.  Kind of like I don't care to explain algebra to a monkey.

You think the Citation X is 'silly', yet you don't know why?

I didn't say "I don't know why".  CAN YOU READ?? 

Do you know what an analogy is?
 
That's     a-n-a-l-o-g-y.  Let's say it together.... aaaaah -naaaaal-uh-geeeeeeee.   Good job!

I said that I don't give a shit about explaining the inferiority of a Cessna air craft compared to an airliner to someone who has the comparative intellect of a monkey when it comes to understanding algebra.  If you don't already know the immense difference between the two, then you're not a fucking pilot anyway.  Hence, I'll be on my way now without looking back.

RE'ers are so angry.  And oblivious. 

I didn't say "I don't know why".  CAN YOU READ?? 

Do you know what an analogy is?
 
That's     a-n-a-l-o-g-y.  Let's say it together.... aaaaah -naaaaal-uh-geeeeeeee.   Good job!

I said that I don't give a shit about explaining the inferiority of a Cessna air craft compared to an airliner to someone who has the comparative intellect of a monkey when it comes to understanding algebra.  If you don't already know the immense difference between the two, then you're not a fucking pilot anyway.  Hence, I'll be on my way now without looking back.

So, basically, you have no reason to believe that the Citation X is inferior to a 747.  Or maybe, you spoke before you thought?