When flying from Australia to Canada, wouldn’t it be closer in terms of distance (looking at a map) to fly in an easterly direction, than the more commonly taken western route via Hong Kong? Let me just start out by saying that Mercator Projection type maps are not usually the best way to judge distances between far away places.
Those maps tend to skew distances wildly, especially as you go closer and closer to the poles. But that being said, let’s take a closer look at the question: When flying from Australia to Canada, wouldn’t it be closer in terms of distance (looking at a map) to fly in an easterly direction, than the more commonly taken western route via Hong Kong?
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Distance and Route
To answer this question, we need to take a closer look at the map and the globe. If you look at a flat map, it may seem like flying east from Australia to Canada would be shorter than flying west via Hong Kong. However, the earth is not flat, and the shortest distance between two points on a sphere is not a straight line.
The earth is a globe, and the shortest distance between two points on a globe is called a great circle route. The great circle route between Sydney, Australia, and Vancouver, Canada, passes over the Pacific Ocean, and it is indeed to the west of Sydney. Therefore, flying from Australia to Canada via Hong Kong is the more commonly taken route because it follows the great circle route.
See Related: What is the cheapest route to fly from Australia (Sydney, Melbourne) to Canada (Toronto)?
Factors to Consider
While flying east from Australia to Canada might seem like a shorter route on a flat map, there are several factors to consider when it comes to air travel. For example, the winds and weather patterns can greatly affect the length of a flight.
If you were to fly east from Australia to Canada, you would be flying against the prevailing winds, which would make the flight longer and more difficult. On the other hand, flying west from Australia to Canada via Hong Kong takes advantage of the prevailing winds, making the flight shorter and more efficient.
Additionally, there are other factors to consider, such as the availability of flights, layovers, and airline routes. Flying from Australia to Canada via Hong Kong is a popular route, and there are many airlines that offer flights along this route.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while it may seem like flying east from Australia to Canada would be a shorter route on a flat map, the great circle route actually passes over the Pacific Ocean.
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