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Old 2nd Feb 2017, 06:38
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DaveReidUK
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Reading, UK
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Originally Posted by wiggy
Correct, but for most purposes and shorter ranges that difference is generally ignored.
Yes, 50,000 ft is approximately 15 km, compared to the Earth's radius of just under 6,400 km, so travelling anywhere at that altitude adds about 0.2% to the equivalent sea level distance

But the extra distance is massively outweighed by the fuel saved.
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