29 days, 10 hours

[berelinde]

For a lighthearted laugh, go to Google.com

 

Google>maps>"get directions"

First field "New York", second field "London"

Look at item 23

[Guest Guest]

I like that.

[Grand_Dracolich]

ROFL !!!! I'm amazed no one at Google Maps picked that up.

 

Ack, second time I had to edit a post because of the wrong emoticon .

[BigRob]

Ah, that's beautiful... I suspect that's a deliberate dig by the software writing team.

[Miloch]

Funny though, it does the same for almost any trans-Atlantic route. Rather an indirect path to take if you were going to swim across to, say, Lisbon.

[Eleima]

Funny though, it does the same for almost any trans-Atlantic route. Rather an indirect path to take if you were going to swim across to, say, Lisbon.

 

What a riot, thanks Berelinde!

 

 

@Miloch: I'm maybe totally off here, and I'm no airline pilot, but I was told that they follow these parallel canals that follow the same direction. It's valid only when going from the US to Europe though, and it's because of the winds, if I remember correctly. When going from Europe to US, to avoid contrary winds, you have to fly much more to the north, over Greenland, so it takes two extra hours.

 

Sorry, guess I rambled there.

 

 

EDIT: Another thing: if you're going to swim across the Atlantic ocean, why make landfall in France and bother with the Channel Tunnel? Why not just make landfall in Portsmouth or something? *chuckle*

[Guest Guest]

@Miloch: I'm maybe totally off here, and I'm no airline pilot, but I was told that they follow these parallel canals that follow the same direction. It's valid only when going from the US to Europe though, and it's because of the winds, if I remember correctly. When going from Europe to US, to avoid contrary winds, you have to fly much more to the north, over Greenland, so it takes two extra hours.

Hmm yeah... planes do tend to follow jet streams rather than straight lines, but I've flown from the US to Lisbon and don't recall going that far north... except the time I connected through Amsterdam maybe...

 

But a plane flying direct from, say, London to Los Angeles would fly over Greenland - even if it flew the course in a straight line (aka "great circle" route). Kind of hard to visualise without a globe, but type in "LHR-LAX" in the Paths box and hit Display Map on this page. Winds aren't as favourable for westbound flights in those latitudes though, so it does take longer.

 

Though if I were swimming, I'd probably be more concerned about taking the shorter (or perhaps warmer) route. And maybe trying to hitch a ride on a yacht or something .

[Kulyok]

When I was doing my Moscow-New York regular tours, I was told by an Aeroflot stewardess that they are following this route (Scandinavia, Greenland, Canada - in other words, all over mainland/islands as opposed to the sea/ocean), because of safety measures: the plane shouldn't fly over water for too long. Though, frankly, I do not see the point: if we fall, we die, no matter where it happens. It'll just be easier to retrieve the bodies if the plane falls somewhere in Greenland than in the Atlantic Ocean.

[Eleima]

Though if I were swimming, I'd probably be more concerned about taking the shorter (or perhaps warmer) route. And maybe trying to hitch a ride on a yacht or something .

Too true! Too true... Although, of course, then you'd be swimming against the current, if I recall correctly...

[Miloch]

It has actually been done, by a Frenchman. Kind of hard to believe (that fact that it's been done... not that a Frenchman did it ). Though he stopped a week in the Azores... maybe that's cheating.

[the bigg]

When I was doing my Moscow-New York regular tours, I was told by an Aeroflot stewardess that they are following this route (Scandinavia, Greenland, Canada - in other words, all over mainland/islands as opposed to the sea/ocean), because of safety measures: the plane shouldn't fly over water for too long. Though, frankly, I do not see the point: if we fall, we die, no matter where it happens. It'll just be easier to retrieve the bodies if the plane falls somewhere in Greenland than in the Atlantic Ocean.

If somebody is coughing or accidentally flushes his iPod in the toilet, the plane can land more easily for anti-terrorism checks in Canada rather than in the Atlantic.

[Kulyok]

That's just sick and humiliating. I have a chronical cold and I can just imagine what I'd feel if they'd done it to me. I hope the girl who had a coughing fit and her parents will sue the company and the pilot naked.

[EiriktheScald]

Funny though, it does the same for almost any trans-Atlantic route. Rather an indirect path to take if you were going to swim across to, say, Lisbon.

Guess I'm going to have to find another map service

We could not calculate driving directions between new york and singapore

[Guest Guest]

Refuses to give me directions New York - Reykjavik as well. Ought to be easy, "turn left at the mid-atlantic ridge"

[Cornmarket]

Another thing: if you're going to swim across the Atlantic ocean, why make landfall in France and bother with the Channel Tunnel? Why not just make landfall in Portsmouth or something? *chuckle*

 

Have you seen the water at Portsmouth? Yeurrk. I'll take my chances at Le Havre... even though it apparently involves crossing a number of major shipping lanes to get there.

 

Safe.

 

Cheers though berelinde, this is a wonderful find. Really needed a good chuckle.

 

Regarding the aeroplanes-flying-over-land thingy (for anyone who might be interested): regulations require aeroplanes to always be within a certain distance of an emergency landing strip. The distance depends on how far that plane can fly with one engine out. Here's a little light reading on Extended Twin-engine Operations

 

I'll be honest with you; it's not at all exciting.