Polar Flights - how close can you go?

[Ray Proudfoot 8,999]

I'm contemplating a flight from UUEE (Moscow Sheremetyevo) to PANC (Anchorage). A straight-line route would take you very close to the North Pole. Perhaps too close. I always remember a flight I did in Concorde in FS9 where I just flew sideways at Mach 2 presumably orbiting the Pole.

 

I know FSX has a round world - mostly - so I'm curious how close I can get.

[simmerhead 885]

Just try it

 

Seriously though, the FSX terrain model does have increasingly serious issues when you come close to the poles, so I'm sure it will be an exciting experiment.

 

I think Aerosoft has solved some issues on the South Pole with their scenery. Worth checking out: http://www.aerosoft.com/cgi-local/us/iboshop.cgi?showd,,12123

[Ray Proudfoot 8,999]

I could just try it but I don't want to waste time if someone has already determined what the highest latitude is.

 

As for Antarctica - no thanks. Rarely fly in the southern hemisphere and I certainly wouldn't venture that far south.

[simmerhead 885]

I was unable to reach the North Pole, but managed to get there only by slewing (Y). It was a bizzare experience of Bermuda Triangle like circumstances. See picture here: http://simmerhead.wordpress.com/

[Ray Proudfoot 8,999]

Interesting picture. But I'm not interested in slewing except maybe if no-one can come up with a definitive latitude beyond which navigation is impossible.

 

So many reads for this topic but only you have replied simmerhead so I'm guessing few have even tried it. I will try slewing there tomorrow and see how far I can go. Funny, I would have thought this might be in the FSX FAQ if I could find one.

[BuboBubo 35]

I could just try it but I don't want to waste time if someone has already determined what the highest latitude is.

 

As for Antarctica - no thanks. Rarely fly in the southern hemisphere and I certainly wouldn't venture that far south.

 

Just start at NZSP and fly around in small Cessna or etc. for a while.

 

However as simmerhead says, FSX cant handle the 90°0′0″S 0°0′0″W coordinates thing so the graphics is quite messed up.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,999]

Just start at NZSP and fly around in small Cessna or etc. for a while.

 

However as simmerhead says, FSX cant handle the 90°0′0″S 0°0′0″W coordinates thing so the graphics is quite messed up.

 

I wouldn't expect to be able to fly directly over the poles but I'll try your suggestion and slew outwards until the compass works - thanks. The same rule should apply at both poles.

[gman1986 14]

I've flown a polar flight before and all went well, I think the graphics just go a bit funny as you reach the pole but sort themselves out after.

[simmerhead 885]

Interesting picture. But I'm not interested in slewing except maybe if no-one can come up with a definitive latitude beyond which navigation is impossible.

 

Slewing doesn't interest me either, but the point is, you can't reach the pole in regular flight. Your plane will be shifted away when you start to come close.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,999]

I've flown a polar flight before and all went well, I think the graphics just go a bit funny as you reach the pole but sort themselves out after.

 

The key question is did you actually reach 90N? I'm not sure that's possible. 85N is not over the pole but may be the limit where navigation is possible.

Slewing doesn't interest me either, but the point is, you can't reach the pole in regular flight. Your plane will be shifted away when you start to come close.

 

That's what I've always believed but the last time I tried it was with FS9. But in that version the earth was flat. FSX is different in that the earth is a globe but with a flattened area around the poles. Finding out how large that flattened area is is key.

[BuboBubo 35]

The key question is did you actually reach 90N? I'm not sure that's possible. 85N is not over the pole but may be the limit where navigation is possible.

 

That's what I've always believed but the last time I tried it was with FS9. But in that version the earth was flat. FSX is different in that the earth is a globe but

with a flattened area around the poles. Finding out how large that flattened area is is key.

 

That is also how the real earth is like so that is correct from FSX.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,999]

I've just flown right over the North Pole and nothing untoward happened. Here is a rather bland image flying away from the tip of a triangle that represents the pole.

 

 

Having established it's possible to directly over the poles my next test is to create a plan that includes waypoints either side of it. That will take a little longer.

 

Bubo, correct but a simulated world can behave quite differently from the real one.

[simmerhead 885]

Wow, you're a better pilot than I am!  

 

I was never able to reach ~90 degress North. How dod you do it? Did you make a flightplan, fly manually or with autopilot. What aircraft? (I can't see the image you've posted - it's just a red X)

[Ray Proudfoot 8,999]

I started at the world's most northerly airport - ENSB. Loaded the Cessna, slewed to 3,000ft and headed north on 000 degrees adjusting the heading as required to keep the latitude readout (Shift+Z) moving quickly. You can slew at up to 32000mph so you do cover the distance very quickly.

 

Once I reached 89.55N I exited slew mode and with the engine running switched to the default 737-800 and used the a/p heading to keep the latitude reading counting down.

 

As you get very close to the pole the singe rectangle of scenery below the aircraft starts to taper towards a point. At that point is the pole so you have a visual representation of it.

 

Not sure why you can't see the posted image (png file) as it was uploaded to dropbox. Try a refresh.

 

But although I can fly an aircraft around the pole I'm still unsure how a flight plan would be treated. I created one with PFPX from UUEE-PANC but it never took me further than 73N. I've asked the question why on their forum. Waiting for an answer.

[willultra99 8]

I have flown many flights close to the north pole.  usually CYYZ-VHHH.  this has been done mostly with PMDG products  ie 777 and 747 FSX.  I have never had any issues with it. I am not at my computer the whole time but I do check on it regularly.  I know for sure I have come as close as 8800.0 N and I may have come closer than that.  I have had no issues with the plane or really bad graphics.  nothing any more out of the ordinary than any other time I use FSX.

 

Hope this helps