3 comments to “Why is it quicker to travel by air from London to Alaska via the North pole than via Canada?”

1. Sue E wrote:
   20. October 2008 at 1:27 pm :

   The shortest distance between two places on the Earth’s surface is along the Great Circle arc between these places.
   A Great Circle is any circle whose radius is the radius of the Earth ie a circle whose centre lies right at the centre of the Earth.
   The Great Circle between London and Alaska lies across the North Pole.

   You can check this for yourself. Get a globe of the world and a piece of string. Find the shortest route between the two places.
   Between ALaska and London it will go over the pole.

2. Nick W wrote:
   22. October 2008 at 7:58 am :

   As well as the answer above, it is also shorter because the Earth isn’t completely round. Due to the rotation of the Earth, it is longer around the equator than from pole to pole.

3. Tyler wrote:
   23. October 2008 at 5:41 pm :

   because well, its easier to over the earth rather than around it… if that makes sense…

   really all ya need to to is get a globe and look at it, its kinda lik a short cut

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