Flying a rhumb line track

[Tim Zukas]

If you're assuming a spherical earth, then 45 S - 0 E to 58 N 136.0758804 E will do the job. Initial great-circle track same as rhumb-line track, 48.10543 degrees.

[Old Smokey]

BOAC, After gazillions of posts where we agree, we finally reach a point of disagreement.....

I said, "Of Course, if you have the facility to fly TRUE Tracks and/or Headings, it would be a piece of cake!"

And you said, "- but you would still 'miss' unless you live on a flat earth
"

Ummm, a Rhumb line is a constant TRUE TRACK n'est ce pas?

If the aircraft has the facility to fly True Tracks, with TRK SEL available and used, a continuous True Track would be flown, the perfect Rhumb line! (The B777 that I fly has this facility, and I'm sure that many other aircraft do too.

Ironically, your reference to "flat earth" is somewhat akin to the intent of the original mercator charts, where the earth was mathematically "flattened". (Meridional Parts and all that). And, of course, a straight line on a Mercator chart is a Rhumb line, i.e. a constant True Track.

Regards,

Old Smokey

[BOAC]

I quite agree with those points, OS, but I think we have lost sight of the O Q which was to fly the initial G/C track heading and maintain it as a R/L heading? There are only a few examples where that will 'hit the target'.

[Old Smokey]

Hello BOAC,

It seems that we do agree after all. I think that the O Q refers to a "loxodrome", which will NOT get you to the destination. I stand by to be corrected on my understanding of the loxodrome, t'was part of my Flight Navigator syllabus 40 years ago, and never had any practical application for it.........

Regards,

Old Smokey

[Old Smokey]

Whoops! A loxodrome is a Rhumb Line, I should have checked before posting.

Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!!!

Regards,

Old Smokey