Flight distance calculation takes into account various factors such as the starting and ending points of the flight, the altitude and the speed of the aircraft. Due to the shape of the Earth, this distance is not always a straight line. It is necessary to calculate the curved distance between two points on the Earth's surface, taking into account the Earth's curvature.
To calculate flight distance, the latitude and longitude of the departure and arrival points must be known. This information is used to calculate the great circle distance which is then converted to a curved distance based on the curvature of the Earth.
DST or daylight saving time is another factor that affects flight distance calculation. DST is the practice of setting the clock forward by one hour during the summer months in order to extend the amount of daylight in the evenings. This means that during DST the time difference between two locations may change which affects flight distance calculation.
For example if a flight departs from New York City and arrives in London, the flight distance calculation must take into account the time difference between the two cities which is five hours during standard time and four hours during DST. This means that the flight distance calculation must take into account the additional hour of daylight during DST which can affect the estimated time required for the flight.
Kilometers, miles and nautical miles are all units of measurement used to measure distance. While they all measure distance they are not interchangeable and each has its own specific use case.
Kilometers (km) are the most common unit of distance used in the metric system. One kilometer is equal to 1000 meters. Kilometers are used throughout the world except in the United States and the United Kingdom. Kilometers are used to measure distance in most land-based travel such as driving or walking.
Miles (mi) are a unit of distance used in the United States and the United Kingdom. One mile is equal to 1.60934 kilometers. Miles are used to measure distance in land-based travel such as driving or walking in the United States and the United Kingdom. Miles are also used in aviation to measure distance but nautical miles are more commonly used.
Nautical miles (nm) are used primarily in maritime and aviation navigation. One nautical mile is equal to 1.852 kilometers or approximately 1.15078 miles. Nautical miles are used to measure distance between two points on the surface of the Earth or on a nautical chart.
When to Use Each Unit: When choosing which unit of measurement to use consider the context in which the measurement is being used. For example, if you are measuring the distance between two cities for a road trip, kilometers or miles would be appropriate. If you are measuring the distance between two points on a map or nautical chart, nautical miles would be more appropriate. In aviation, nautical miles are the most commonly used unit of measurement.