ATPL NAV Q?- Great Circles & Rhumb Lines
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ATPL NAV Q?- Great Circles & Rhumb Lines
Hi guys,
I'm currently studying for the JAA ATPL exams through a distance learning course. Anyone got any advice on Great Circles and Rhumb lines?? The penny is droping, but, slowly! Links and advice is apprciated
Cheers,
KOMN
I'm currently studying for the JAA ATPL exams through a distance learning course. Anyone got any advice on Great Circles and Rhumb lines?? The penny is droping, but, slowly! Links and advice is apprciated
Cheers,
KOMN
Join Date: Feb 2000
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Can you be more specific as to what info you need Komn?
As for definitions Great circles are circles whose diameter and centre is that of the earth itslf. I.E. The equator and any line of longitude. If you cut the earth perfectly in half each circumference would be a great circle. Apart from the equator no line of latitude is a great circle.
Rhumb lines are straight lines which cross lines of lontitude at the same angle. Great circle lines cross each successive lines of long. at different angles and is the shortest distance between 2 points on earth
If you bang it into any search engine you'll get links to sites which explain it better than me.
Thats what I rememeber anyway. Shoot me down folks as my memory aint what it used to be
As for definitions Great circles are circles whose diameter and centre is that of the earth itslf. I.E. The equator and any line of longitude. If you cut the earth perfectly in half each circumference would be a great circle. Apart from the equator no line of latitude is a great circle.
Rhumb lines are straight lines which cross lines of lontitude at the same angle. Great circle lines cross each successive lines of long. at different angles and is the shortest distance between 2 points on earth
If you bang it into any search engine you'll get links to sites which explain it better than me.
Thats what I rememeber anyway. Shoot me down folks as my memory aint what it used to be
Join Date: Mar 2000
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Easy peasy..........
Firstly, go out and buy a green pen and a red pen.
Use the Green pen for a great circle.
Use the Red pen for a rhumb line.
Now all you have to remember that the great circle will always be shorter than the rhumb line and hence will always be closer to the pole......
Northern Hemisphere - Rhumb Line = Smiley Face & Great Cricle = Sad face
Southern Hemisp`here - Swop em around
All the best.
Tunny
Firstly, go out and buy a green pen and a red pen.
Use the Green pen for a great circle.
Use the Red pen for a rhumb line.
Now all you have to remember that the great circle will always be shorter than the rhumb line and hence will always be closer to the pole......
Northern Hemisphere - Rhumb Line = Smiley Face & Great Cricle = Sad face
Southern Hemisp`here - Swop em around
All the best.
Tunny
Join Date: Jan 2001
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a good way of thinking about 'rhumb lines' vs 'great circles' is to think of the earth as an orange. If you slice the orange through the middle and get 2 equal halves then you sliced a great circle. If you don't slice through the middle and get one big bit and one smaller bit then you sliced a rhumb line....it doesn't matter what angle...or where on the orange you slice...the principle is the same.
