Red...
Understand that point, but thinking it through, I still disagree.
Ve= Earths speed around its orbit
Va= Aircraft speed around earth
The 2 aircraft are launched from Greenwich and fly around the world at the same latitude in the same time. Greenwich at the time of launch is facing the sun. It is also facing the sun at time of landing.
Rough relative speeds (avoiding all the calculus) to a person at a point fixed in space.
Aircraft A at greenwich: Ve + Va
Aircraft A over date line: Ve - Va
Aircraft B at Greenwich: Ve - Va
Aircraft B over date line: Ve + Va
So the aircraft relative to a fixed point in space are actually covering the same distance at the same speeds (albeit in different order).
Maybe the error came up because Greenwhich was not in the same position relative to the fixed point in space when the aircraft finished their journeys?
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Those who restrain desire do so because theirs is weak enough to be restrained.
William Blake
[This message has been edited by compressor stall (edited 04 February 2001).]