Militaries from countries such as the US and Russia have planes and crews that are outfitted for the areas extreme cold. Whilst cosmic radiation should not be of concern to most passengers, it's an occupational hazard of the job for the crew. Flying over the poles isn't "over" or "under." Any route a plane takes is over the globe. Why is it difficult to fly over the North Pole? Let's dig into this concept a bit deeper. Seldom travelers may not get enough value to warrant the cost. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. I have no idea if this switch is operational in MSFS, or if so, whether it has the desired effect. Such as pilots and flight attendants. If anyone on our team wouldnt recommend it to a friend or a family member, we wouldnt recommend it on The Points Guy either. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) designates the North Pole as the common heritage of mankind, as part of the international seabed area. At higher altitudes, it takes more fuel to travel the same distance, which makes it more expensive for airlines to fly over this area. Also the cold temperatures can make it too dangerous for the pilot. All parties signatory to the agreement have agreed to respect this rule and avoid using the continent for any military purposes. Why is there no transpolar route over the South Pole for flights from Australia to South America, for example? Why Planes Fly Over The North Pole But Not The South Pole. A study by NASA found that polar flights during the solar storm of 2003 we exposed to 12% of the annual radiation limit recommended by the International Committee on Radiological Protection. However, the aircraft isnt stationary. While youre seated enjoying a glass of wine in a pleasant 70 degree Fahrenheit cabin, outside your window its bitterly cold, normally around minus 67 degrees Fahrenheit in temperate regions. These included flights to Los Angeles from Doha, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. John Cox is a retired airline captain with US Airways and runs his own aviation safety consulting company, Safety Operating Systems. As well quickly see, however, there are many logistical problems that can make flying over the polar regions difficult. Cold air masses may affect fuel temperatures, potentially taking them below the minimum allowed temperature. All 257 passengers and crew sadly perished, and flights there have never resumed. When temperatures get this low, a conventional fuel would freeze. Flying over the North Pole is known as a great circle route, and is the shortest distance between two points on the globe. The lack of infrastructure, such as airports, roads, or cities, make it difficult for humans to inhabit and survive in the harsh environment. Ice forms on a planes wings in extreme temperatures when small cloud droplets freeze over the planes wings. Flying over Antarctica is even more remote, and the demand is lower. Finally, there are additional regulations that airlines must adhere to when flying over the North Pole. It was the worst civil disaster in New Zealand's history! It's all around us and is, for the most part, unavoidable. There are numerous challenges to flying transpolar. We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. Instead of flying west over North America and the Pacific, the plane turns due north and arcs up and over the North Pole before descending down over Russia and China into Hong Kong. At and near the pole the lines of longitude converge so rapidly that simply flying in a straight line involves constantly changing the heading. It sampled 15 of the longest commercial flights in operation, including four of which flew over the Arctic. If you look at the image above, you'll see that the magnetic field is thickest at the equator and virtually nonexistent at the poles. No matter what route your flight takes, your pilots will ensure that you arrive safely at your destination -- leaving you blissfully unaware of the challenges such flying poses. Learn more. The image above shows the routes taken to Los Angeles by flights from the three Middle Eastern hubs and also the route from London for comparison. Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPGs editors and is not influenced by the card issuer. It is possible that, if flying for prolonged periods in extremely cold air masses, the fuel temperature could drop toward the freezing point. The wing material also has an effect on this chilling. Along with the radiation issues, flying over the North Pole presents some safety issues, in part because of the lack of places to land in an emergency (a concern when flying over the Pacific Ocean . At the very least, flying over the ocean provides improved sight and previous flight routes, allowing pilots to better understand where they are going. However, some days it then turns east, and some days it turns west. There have also been some extreme adventurers that have strapped on a wingsuit and chose to fly over the summit of Mount Everest. Fiji straddles the 180-degree line of longitude, and the most direct track passes directly over the North Pole - though because of the distance, over 10,000 miles, the payload would need to be . The primary reason why airlines avoid this route is the cold temperature at higher altitudes. Richard E. Byrd and Floyd Bennett are said to have flown over the North Pole in a Fokker F-VII in 1926, but this claim is challenged. We did everything we could to get her to medical care safely and quickly. Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings, which requires a minimum two-night stay, through American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card. These flights typically dont go much higher than 35,000 feet though, which is still well below the peak of Mount Everest which stands at 29,029 feet. The reasons for this are,1. Over the polar regions, due to inversions where cold air is trapped nearer to the surface, the air at lower altitudes may actually be colder than that at higher altitudes. World's longest nonstop flight: Tickets now on sale. Back in 1983, Finnair was the first airline to fly non-stop from Europe to Japan, flying over the North Pole - so operating in the polar region is not new to Finnair. This is all very interesting but what relevance does it have to commercial aviation? The magnetic field extends out thousands of miles into space where it acts as a shield against incoming radiation. 23 Flight Time Is Cut When Routed Over The North Pole. The discovery was of an active, subglacial lake, now known as Lake Mercer. Robert's articles have been published in major publications, including Insider, Trip Savvy, ZDNet, and Bored Panda. Some people believe there are undiscovered forms of life living in subglacial lakes and caverns, but no scientific evidence has ever been found that supports this. Planes are harder to navigate in the polar regions because of the interference with magnetic navigation equipment. (Enrollment required for select benefits.). The most popular way to fly to Antarctica is the Fly-Cruise option, which is popular with tourists. This route saves both time and cost as more of the flight is at higher altitudes and experienced pilots are able to use the Earths circle of latitude to take advantage of shorter distances. This also happens in the Arctic, but winds surrounding the North Pole are not as strong. In short, even before we get into the scientific limitations, the logistics and logic of a polar flight already work against it being a common occurrence for commercial airplanes. American Express has expanded The Centurion Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. To Reduce Flight Hours Flying over the North Pole is known as the geodesic, or great circle route, and it is the shortest route between two far away locations, like Oslo in Norway to Toronto in Canada. In addition, pilots need to undergo specific training for the routes they take and the weather patterns they are likely to face. Sixteen hours on a plane may sound like a nightmare for many, but for passengers on Cathay Pacifics non-stop flight from New York to Hong Kong, this route, one of the worlds longest, is also among the most scenic. When renowned explorer Richard E. Byrd returned from the first-ever flight to the North Pole in 1926, he sparked a controversy that remains today. When flying in the vicinity of the North Pole, that switch needs to be set to TRUE to change the heading reference from magnetic north to true north. It is in effect the "top" of the earth. The Jet A-1 powering the engines has a freezing point of minus 52 degrees Fahrenheit, so why doesnt the fuel freeze when its minus 67 degrees Fahrenheit outside? It is the first lake of its kind to be discovered in Antarctica since Lake Vostok was found in 2013. This is the temperature youd feel if you were stood on a passing cloud. The Arctic pole is generally considered to be colder than the Antarctic pole. It takes off and heads north over the polar cap. Q: How often are transpolar routes utilized today, and why were they a big deal when first introduced? How a flying cadet graduates to a fully qualified pilot. In the case of an emergency landing, you will have no assistance from anybody or anything as with the established flight paths. The fact that it is melting can be even more of a reason not to visit the North Pole. As the charged incoming particles hit the magnetic field, they are deflected away and are prevented from coming into contact with the atmosphere. However, if you find yourself regularly flying between the Middle East and North America, you may want to give this some thought. Why would aircraft need to be flying by the North Pole anyway? Our fact-checkers review each article to ensure that all the information presented is accurate, relevant and up-to-date. Either fly faster to increase the heating effect of the air or descend into warmer air. Antarctica is the coldest continent on Earth, with an average temperature around -56 C in the winter. Planes can fly over the Arctic, however they do not tend to fly over the pole, primarily due to the pole having the ability to interfere with navigation systems which can cause technological problems. On the other hand, these severe limitations can make it feel that way. Last edited by Shreyans_Jain : 18th August 2019 at 14: . Yes, planes could fly over the south pole just as more than 5,000 flights pass over the north pole each year. Be sure to grab a window seat if youre flying from Los Angeles or San Francisco to Dubai or Abu Dhabi, as its not only travelers to East Asia who are privy to Arctic sights; routes to the Middle East from the West Coast also often pass over the area near the North Pole. The first verified flight over the North Pole was completed on the 12th of May 1926 by Ronald Amundsen and Umberto Nobile. Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Hence, flying over the North Pole reduces flight time. For example, the Iconic Polar route flies over both poles, encompassing the North Pole, Greenland, Arctic Russia and the South Pole before arriving at its destination in Sydney, Australia. This is because "the Himalayas have mountains higher than 20,000 feet, including Mt Everest standing at 29,035 feet. Planes are using gyrocompasses which in fact are unable to follow true north about poles. Whats more, it could also be a huge benefit for any airline companies making that trip. Furthermore, with military activity being sensitive in these regions, aircraft flying there would have to deal with the added scrutiny that comes with that. It is in effect the "top" of the earth. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. As airlines became more experienced, these challenges became more routine. But geodesics can be confusing when you're looking at a 2-dimensional map as they follow quite the odd flight path. These restrictions make travel to Antarctica difficult and the majority of people are unable to fly there. Then there is the fact that, while it may seem like a short distance on a globe, the distance covered over the polar regions are more vast than you might think. Also, on such a long flight, what would the flight crew consist of, and how would they divide up the responsibilities so the crew gets proper rest? A celebration will ensue, including champagne toasts, photographs to document your arrival and a call home from the top of the world. In response to this, the FAA has introduced certain requirements for flying over the North Pole. Yet, flying directly over the North Pole is extremely difficult and uncommon due to the dangerous climate conditions in the North Pole, and the region's complete lack of infrastructure. Planes flying in the North Pole, thus, need to have equipment that can compensate for this as best as possible. Conspiracy theorists assert that explorers have seen the inner Earth first hand when flying over the pole. New Zealand is relatively close to the continent, and so the thinking went that short flights could take off from and land back there. Because we do not live there, and because it looks white and smooth on a map or globe, we tend to stereotype the polar regions as being as such. For example, trips to Antarctica once seemed like they had the potential to become another popular tourist destination. $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. However, at least flying over a sea or ocean typically has far better visibility and prior flight paths, giving pilots a sense of where to go via maps. Best card for premium perks while traveling, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, The Business Platinum Card from American Express, Fly round trip to London for as low as $431, Did Norwegian Cruise Line make its new ships too small? There are commercial airlines that fly at high altitudes that go over Mount Everest, specifically on the route between Lhasa, Tibet and Kathmandu, Nepal. Learn more. . TPG values it at $1,600. The lack of such an infrastructure can make flying over Antarctica like flying over the sea. So, flying geodesic flights result in shorter travel distances than if a flight went over the Atlantic Ocean. Much has been made of these regions as danger zones for planes but are they really? Routes from the East Coast and Midwest to Southeast Asia and China typically fly this way for the time and fuel savings; its just that the most beautiful hours of flight, when opening the window shade yields views of vast sheets of sparkling ice, happen when passengers are fast asleep. The effects of non-ionizing radiation, such as ultraviolet light, radio waves and microwaves, very much depend on the intensity of the radiation received. There are also other major reasons why flying over Antarctica is dangerous: Antarctica has a very hostile climate that makes it unsuitable for human activities, including flight. Despite training and equipment, no permanent human settlement or infrastructure is possible on Antarctica, so aircraft mostly fly over Antarctica instead of landing there. 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