Planes fly over Greenland because it's the shortest distance for many flight paths, not for emergency purposes.
Many people might assume that airplanes fly over Greenland to remain close to land in case of an emergency. In actuality, this is incorrect; flying over Greenland is about efficiency and saving time. Due to the curvature of the Earth, a straight line on a flat map appears curved on the globe. This means the shortest path between many destinations in North America, Europe, and Asia often involves flying over the Arctic region, including Greenland.
Understanding Great Circle Routes
The principle behind this is called the "Great Circle Route." A great circle is the largest circle that can be drawn on a sphere (like Earth). The shortest distance between two points on a sphere is always along a great circle path.
Key Aspects of Great Circle Routes:
- Shortest Distance: Great circle routes provide the shortest path between two points on the globe.
- Curved Appearance: These routes appear as curves on flat maps, which can be counter-intuitive.
- Arctic Advantage: Often, these paths take aircraft over the Arctic and areas like Greenland.
Misconceptions About Emergency Landings
The primary reason planes fly over Greenland is not to be closer to land in case of an emergency. The misconception is that these routes are chosen to be near airports, however, this is incorrect.
- Not for Emergency Landings: Although there are some airports in Greenland, these are not the primary reason for choosing these flight paths.
- Efficiency: It is more efficient and cheaper to fly the shortest distance, thus reducing fuel consumption and saving time.
- Route Optimization: Modern flight planning systems calculate the great circle route to maximize efficiency for air travel.
Practical Example
For instance, a flight from New York to London would appear more direct if you traveled east along a horizontal line on a map. In reality, the great circle route takes the plane north and over the Atlantic, past Greenland. This is the most efficient path.
| Route | Apparent Route on Flat Map | Actual Path (Great Circle Route) |
|---|---|---|
| New York to London | Horizontal, eastward | North and over Greenland |
Conclusion
Flying over Greenland is purely a matter of flight path optimization, using the principles of Great Circle navigation to fly the shortest path possible. It has nothing to do with the availability of emergency landing locations.
