[tom-tom]

Ships have  been using the Great Circle Route for centuries. Airplanes more recently but with much greater effect. On a flat earth we would travel, say due east, on  a globe we travel in a straight line. The Great Circle Route would be a waste of time and fuel on  a flat earth.

[tom-tom]

happy new year !!!

this FE thing is so fascinating. that a subject which led to a death sentence (earth as planet revolving around the  sun etc.) 500 years ago, and then seemingly refuted by physics and telescopes and such, would be again disputed by the forces of a so-called god AND the new paradigm of communication in this modern time. i too am interrested, obviously or i wouldn't be here. are people are fed up with being told how to think, especially when part is true (the pursuit of science) and part is complete falsehood (that the rich don't despise you). at this point maybe we should first examine our motivation for being part of this, can we call it a phenomenem.

thanks, tom-tom

[Dr David Thork]

Ships have not been sailing great circles for centuries. Where to people get this nonsense from and why do they decide to bring it to our hallowed forums?


Ships for centuries used this thing called wind. And so they sailed routes that gave them the best angle to utilise the wind. That depended on the direction of the wind, not the shape of the earth.

Now depending on the types of sails they had, they'd then pick a direction to best use it. IE they tacked. So, if you had large square sails, you can sail very well with the wind at your back (running with the wind), and trade route ships (that followed the trade winds, not the great circle) would sail with the wind right behind them. If you had a sloop, barque or other triangular shaped rigged vessel, you could sail into the wind effectively and very close to the wind, but if you had a galleon, you'd be sailing 45 degrees away from the wind to stand a chance of going anywhere upwind. This is one of the reasons pirates chose small boats with triangular sails. They could just turn into the wind and escape any large square sailed ship with ease. Pirates wouldn't sail downwind with a Frigate behind them because a frigate has a longer hull length and therefore likely a higher top speed and they'd get caught. (hull speed)
http://www.wavetrain.net/boats-a-gear/74-crunching-numbers-why-longer-is-faster

If you'd like to know more about sailing or pirates, please feel free to ask in the non-flat earth part of the forum.

[douglips]

Baby Thork is right.

Even after the invention of steam powered ships, great circle routes would not necessarily be wise due to things like icebergs.

Airplanes, being able to travel over land and sea, are where great circle routes really came into use.

Note that you also wouldn't travel due east or west on a flat earth if it is arranged with a pole at the center - straight lines on this type of map approximate great circle routes on a globe earth for travelers in one hemisphere (usually the northern hemisphere as most maps seem to have the north pole at the center.)

Unfortunately for flat earth theory the southern hemisphere causes a great deal of problems with great circle routes that don't match up with anything on any flat earth maps, like non stop flights from Sydney to Johannesburg.