I never said the shortest route. a plane flying “in a straight line west to east” would show up as as a curve on the map was all I was trying to convey. It’s possible this plane’s bearing doesn’t drastically change throughout this flight. “Straight lines” get real messy when you convert a sphere into a 2d projection for maps.
Then a further addition that there are other reasons to not fly in a direct straight line anyway. “Shortest route direct A to B” is an ideal condition, and the world is an always an ideal place.
That’s misleading. The shortest route would be the “great circular” joining the two points, which lines of latitude definitely are not.
The only line of latitude which is a great circle is the equator.
I never said the shortest route. a plane flying “in a straight line west to east” would show up as as a curve on the map was all I was trying to convey. It’s possible this plane’s bearing doesn’t drastically change throughout this flight. “Straight lines” get real messy when you convert a sphere into a 2d projection for maps.
Then a further addition that there are other reasons to not fly in a direct straight line anyway. “Shortest route direct A to B” is an ideal condition, and the world is an always an ideal place.