Tranatlantic routing?
Two weeks ago I travelled Manchester - Chicago on American flight 55. The outbound route was (off 06L) immediate turn onto approx westerly (LH downwind) heading, out across Irish sea north of Liverpool, and right across Ireland. We coasted in over St Johns, Newfoundland (all visible both out the window and on the occasional cabin displays). The return, a week later was the reciprocal - out over the great lakes, in over Ireland coasting into UK south of Southport for 24R at Manch.
I'd have though a great circle, Manchester to Chicago, would have routed much further north than that? Out of interest, I listened to todays AA55 departure from Manch. This was off 24L and the aeroplane turned right after take off onto pretty much a downwind (easterly) heading. In fact ATC gave him a radar heading of 040 which he was on for about 10 minutes, before giving him a heading of 350. That's a completely different routing to the day I flew on it, and seems more appropriate for a great circle.
Why the difference in deprture routings, and why was the routing on the day I flew so far south?
SSD