[spollen]

I can't believe in a flat earth theory for the following reason.

When I fly from NYC to India. I can go home one of two ways. I can go West back to NYC. Or I can continue East and I will wind up in NYC that way as well. The latter option would not be possible if the earth was flat.

And by the way, if you believe the earth is flat, where can one go to see the "edge" of it? I've never heard of such a place, and the world is pretty well traveled by now.

In my example above I should have flown right off the edge into open space! But I don't! I "wrap around". Clearly I'm on something spherical if I go one way and wind up back where I started. I don't think there's any room for doubt here and maybe this forum should close down as a result of this post.

If I'm wrong please tell me where I'm wrong but this is my current view love it or leave it.


P.S. If it's a "disc". With countries on both sides. You are essentially saying there's no curvature. Except at a certain point there's LOTS of STEEP curvature and then no curvature again. This would be noticeable when flying on a plane. The pilot would essentially need to change directions when he hit the curvature point. He'd have to nosedive 45 degrees every time he flew over that curvature point and I know of no place on earth where such a maneuver is necessary. If you think it's a disc, you should know which countries are on the curvature and it should be very easy to see from there a boat losing sight of it, over a very short space. Nobody has found such a location on earth.

[Boots]

Most common FE map:



Another model:

[LuggerSailor]

Most common FE map:

Useless for navigation.

Another model:

Even more useless than the one above.

Using any of your maps, let's see you plot a course that'll take you from Sydney to Santiago (or it's nearest port Valparaiso) 

[geckothegeek]

Most common FE map:



Another model:

I wouldn't worry about it.
The maps are just well known projections of the globe with the obvious distortions. Look at Australia on The Bipolar Azimuthal Equidistant Projection (bottom of the 2 maps). Australia is larger than South America !
This  website is for discussions about  "IF" the earth was flat.
There is a vast  Round Earth Conspiracy to hide the fact that the earth is flat.
The Conspiracy has programmed aircraft (and ships) to make it look like you are going in a straight line around the world when you are really going around in a circle.
Antarctica is an "Ice Ring" around the earth. NASA has armed guards to keep people from seeing it and falling off the edge and into outer space.
Trouble is that there aren't any accurate flat earth maps.

The reason should be obvious. LOL.
Just ask an Officer in the U.S.Navy (or any sailor)  if the earth is "flat" or "round" and what kind of charts and maps they use for navigation. They know. They use them every day. 24/7. But they are just liars, satanists, satan worshippers and members of the vast Round Earth Conspiracy to hide the fact that the earth is flat. (That is ......In the eyes of The Flat Earth Society.)

According to The Flat Earth Society you can't believe anyone but The Flat Earth Society them self who are the only holders of "The Truth." 

[juner]

This  website is for "IF" the earth was flat.

No, it isn't.

[geckothegeek]

This  website is for "IF" the earth was flat.

No, it isn't.

If it isn't, what is it ?

[spollen]

Thank you all for your responses. Please respond to me one more time.

 I realize this is problem for both camps. But in the FE model, the pilot would need to constantly adjust the positioning of the plane so it's going slightly left or right so it looks like it's going straight but it's really going AROUND the circle. If you are a globe-earth person it seems to me the pilot would constantly need to adjust the plane DOWNWARDS slightly as a straight plane would fly further and further away from earth as it curves downward. Any comments?

[Boots]

Most common FE map:

Useless for navigation.

Another model:

Even more useless than the one above.

Using any of your maps, let's see you plot a course that'll take you from Sydney to Santiago (or it's nearest port Valparaiso)

I'm not sure how to plot a course exactly. I suspect it could be done but the distances probably wouldn't match reality. I don't know what the explanation for that is. Also, in the bipolar map I suspect you would get a complicated set of points of longitude/latitude that don't match reality. If you plot the course on the Globe map I will use your example as a pattern and try it on one or both of the flat earth models.

[Pete Svarrior]

If it isn't, what is it ?

You'd think someone with your "credentials" would be able to read the "About" section of the homepage, but here you go:

This is the home of the world-famous Flat Earth Society, a place for free thinkers and the intellectual exchange of ideas. This website hosts information and serves as an archive for Flat Earth Theory. It also offers an opportunity to discuss this with the Flat Earth community on our forums.

You've already made your "[...] if [...]" suggestion, and we politely told you where to shove it. Don't mislead newcomers into thinking that your fantasies hold any legitimacy around here.

[LuggerSailor]

I'm not sure how to plot a course exactly. I suspect it could be done but the distances probably wouldn't match reality. I don't know what the explanation for that is. Also, in the bipolar map I suspect you would get a complicated set of points of longitude/latitude that don't match reality. If you plot the course on the Globe map I will use your example as a pattern and try it on one or both of the flat earth models.

The simplest course is a Rhumb Line course. That is a course of a constant compass heading.
If I take a standard Mercator Projection chart which has parallel lines of Latitude and Longitude, draw a straight line from start to destination and measure the angle the line makes to the lines of Longitude. Adjusting this angle for compass variation (because the magnetic pole isn't located at the geographic pole) will result in the course to steer.
This is fairly easy for Sydney to Valparaiso, the course to steer is close to due East, they're both about 33° South and there's little change in Latitude for the duration of the voyage.



A Great Circle course which is the shortest route between Sydney and Valparaiso would take you down to 54° South.

[fliggs]

Thank you all for your responses. Please respond to me one more time.

 I realize this is problem for both camps. But in the FE model, the pilot would need to constantly adjust the positioning of the plane so it's going slightly left or right so it looks like it's going straight but it's really going AROUND the circle. If you are a globe-earth person it seems to me the pilot would constantly need to adjust the plane DOWNWARDS slightly as a straight plane would fly further and further away from earth as it curves downward. Any comments?

I think that gravity is quite capable of handling the 'downward' part of flying.

[Flatout]

Thank you all for your responses. Please respond to me one more time.

 I realize this is problem for both camps. But in the FE model, the pilot would need to constantly adjust the positioning of the plane so it's going slightly left or right so it looks like it's going straight but it's really going AROUND the circle. If you are a globe-earth person it seems to me the pilot would constantly need to adjust the plane DOWNWARDS slightly as a straight plane would fly further and further away from earth as it curves downward. Any comments?

The downwards "climb" would automatically happen with a plane that is in trim.   For a plane to move farther away from the earth you would have to add energy via increasing power. Do a little study on a plane in trim and will see that a plane can stay the same distance from the center of the earth, ie consistant elevation, on a spherical body without input from the pilot.  In really the pilot or auto-pilot is making lots of adjustments because of air turbulence.   The deviation of 8" in a given mile would be unnoticeable.   Some in the flat earth community is really fudging the math to make it seem like the downward trajectory is severe.  From the planes perspective there is never more than 8" in a mile.