Birdwatching From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 3573 posts, RR: 52 Posted (3 years 9 months 1 week 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 2733 times:
Studying for my Geography final exams about the pacific ocean, I noticed that parts of New Zealand are exactly halfway around the earth from Spain. I went on to read a bit about antipodes, and I started wondering which 2 antipodes on earth you could travel between in the least amount of time. I found some great resources, including a map: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0d/Antipodes_rect2160.png
Through Google Maps, I found that the antipode of Madrid Barajas Airport is in New Zealand at 4h 11 min. driving distance from Wellington International Airport. The quickest flight connection from Madrid to Wellington seems to be 31:05 hours, on Qantas through Frankfurt and Sydney. Now if you start your clock right when the airplane takes off at MAD, and assuming you need about 45 minutes to deplane at Wellington and rent a car, you'd need EXACTLY 36 hours to travel between these two antipodes.
How much further can we cut down the time? I challenge you to come up with anything shorter than 36 hours, but you HAVE to consider the time to get to the exact spot, not just between airports, unless they are exactly antipodean.
Have fun!
Soren
All the things you probably hate about travelling are warm reminders that I'm home
Birdwatching From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 3573 posts, RR: 52 Reply 2, posted (3 years 9 months 1 week 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 2707 times:
Quoting Signol (Reply 1): Gibraltar -> Great Barrier Island, New Zealand.
Actually, the antipode to Gibraltar is at -36.151114, 174.651211, which is on the New Zealand mainland, or actually a few feet into the ocean. You must have done something wrong in your calculations?
Still, a drive from Auckland airport to the place takes 2:08, add 45 minutes for immigration and car rental, so your antipodes are 34:53 travel time apart, beating mine by over an hour. Let's see how much further we can get!
Soren
All the things you probably hate about travelling are warm reminders that I'm home
MadameConcorde From San Marino, joined Feb 2007, 10243 posts, RR: 40 Reply 4, posted (3 years 9 months 1 week 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 2698 times:
The Airbus A340 did make a non-stop flight from Paris to Auckland and then back over the Pacific non-stop Auckland to Paris, but it was completely empty and had everything stripped out and no passengers or freight. I seem to remember that they did it as a round the world and beat a time record but I can't remember what year it was.
There was a better way to fly it was called Concorde
Birdwatching From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 3573 posts, RR: 52 Reply 5, posted (3 years 9 months 1 week 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 2698 times:
Then you'll have traveled to 2 points EXACTLY opposite each other. Looks like a nice set of antipodes. I'd love to do this. Interestingly I've been exactly at that first of the 2 points.
Soren
[Edited 2009-08-15 05:25:11]
All the things you probably hate about travelling are warm reminders that I'm home
Comorin From United States of America, joined May 2005, 4675 posts, RR: 17 Reply 6, posted (3 years 9 months 1 week 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 2687 times:
You very well know that the fastest way to travel between two antipodes is to drill a tunnel (chord) between the two! Think of the fuel savings along the way...
ManuCH From Switzerland, joined Jun 2005, 2971 posts, RR: 51 Reply 8, posted (3 years 9 months 1 week 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 2673 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW HEAD MODERATOR
Quoting Comorin (Reply 6): You very well know that the fastest way to travel between two antipodes is to drill a tunnel (chord) between the two! Think of the fuel savings along the way...
Then we could discuss about what happens to gravity once you're in the center of the Earth (disregarding the problems caused by melting and/or burning up along the way)...
Nighthawk From UK - Scotland, joined Sep 2001, 4991 posts, RR: 38 Reply 9, posted (3 years 9 months 1 week 5 days 18 hours ago) and read 2634 times:
Quoting Birdwatching (Reply 5): ...then walk to the border, cross into England, and into the terminal (very short distance, 20 min. maybe), then continue as outlined above...
its a bloody long walk from Spain to england! I assume you mean walk to Gibraltar, which is not in england!
Comorin From United States of America, joined May 2005, 4675 posts, RR: 17 Reply 10, posted (3 years 9 months 1 week 5 days 18 hours ago) and read 2627 times:
Quoting ManuCH (Reply 8): Quoting Comorin (Reply 6):
You very well know that the fastest way to travel between two antipodes is to drill a tunnel (chord) between the two! Think of the fuel savings along the way...
Then we could discuss about what happens to gravity once you're in the center of the Earth (disregarding the problems caused by melting and/or burning up along the way)...
Just curious - If such a tunnel did exist, and you dropped a stone in it, would it accelerate all the way to the core, and then slow down to zero at the point it emerges (like a pendulum)?
BMI727 From United States of America, joined Feb 2009, 14352 posts, RR: 26 Reply 11, posted (3 years 9 months 1 week 5 days 18 hours ago) and read 2619 times:
Quoting Comorin (Reply 10): Just curious - If such a tunnel did exist, and you dropped a stone in it, would it accelerate all the way to the core, and then slow down to zero at the point it emerges (like a pendulum)?
I could be wrong, but I think that it would fall and then oscillate back and forth, before settling at the midpoint of the tunnel (if there is any friction) since theoretically, gravity would pull it back into the tunnel at the other end.
Why do Aerospace Engineering students have to turn things in on time?
Comorin From United States of America, joined May 2005, 4675 posts, RR: 17 Reply 12, posted (3 years 9 months 1 week 5 days 17 hours ago) and read 2607 times:
Quoting BMI727 (Reply 11): Quoting Comorin (Reply 10):
Just curious - If such a tunnel did exist, and you dropped a stone in it, would it accelerate all the way to the core, and then slow down to zero at the point it emerges (like a pendulum)?
I could be wrong, but I think that it would fall and then oscillate back and forth, before settling at the midpoint of the tunnel (if there is any friction) since theoretically, gravity would pull it back into the tunnel at the other end.
Assuming no friction, you could consider it a cheap way to travel!
At the exact center of the earth, gravity gets cancelled out... the value of 'g' drops as you drop don this hole, unlike surface drops. Anyway, must be pretty hot down there!
BMI727 From United States of America, joined Feb 2009, 14352 posts, RR: 26 Reply 13, posted (3 years 9 months 1 week 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 2549 times:
Quoting Comorin (Reply 12): At the exact center of the earth, gravity gets cancelled out... the value of 'g' drops as you drop don this hole, unlike surface drops.
Right, and since there would be momentum built up as the object falls and the force of gravity mirrors itself on the opposite side of the center the objects speed should reach 0 on the exact other side, before falling back the other way.
Why do Aerospace Engineering students have to turn things in on time?
* 02:10 PM + 2 days
* Perth , WA (PER), Australia , Perth terminal 1
Total Travel Time: 31h00.. but yes there is the change of airport in London... and it isn't "perfect" either... but maybe start in a speedboat to BDA and make it in 32.5 hours total?
[Edited 2009-08-16 07:40:30]
Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
NorthStarDC4M From Canada, joined Apr 2000, 2804 posts, RR: 40 Reply 15, posted (3 years 9 months 1 week 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 2460 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW CHAT OPERATOR
slightly more precise and closest to being both ends on land...
Latitude: -32.268119997781575
(32o16'5.232'' S)
Longitude: 115.68689346313477
(115o41'12.816'' E)
Peron Point, near Rockingham, about 38 mi road miles from PER
to
Latitude: 32.268119997781575
(32o16'5.232'' N)
Longitude: -64.31310653686523
(64o18'47.184'' W)
About 16mi from BDA Terminal
Perth/Dubai EK421 Flight duration: 11h 15
Emirates Emirates
Departure
* 10:30 PM
* Perth , WA (PER), Australia , Perth terminal 1
Arrival
* 05:45 AM
* Dubai (DXB), United Arab Emirates , Dubai terminal 3
Francoflier From France, joined Oct 2001, 3196 posts, RR: 10 Reply 16, posted (3 years 9 months 1 week 4 days 1 hour ago) and read 2375 times:
That antipodal chart is simply amazing...
I never imagined there were so few actual antipodal land surfaces. All of Europe, Africa and most of Asia sits in the Pacific (which shows how vast it is) and Australia fits nicely in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. North America is floating in the middle of the Idian ocean.
The only way to make the kind of Journey the OP posted is between NZ and Spain or South East Asia and South America.
Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit posting...
Birdwatching From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 3573 posts, RR: 52 Reply 17, posted (3 years 9 months 1 week 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 2310 times:
OK, I have another one. Xian, China to Santiago de Chile. If you start inside Xian's terminal, and take a flight that takes 32:50 through Beijing and Toronto on Air Canada, then rent a car at SCL and drive the roughly 3:10 to the antipode near Rancagua, you'll be at about 36 hours plus whatever you need at the airport. Not better than the options above, but it's a whole new area. Seems like the magic number is the lower 30s of hours.
Soren
All the things you probably hate about travelling are warm reminders that I'm home
Birdwatching From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 3573 posts, RR: 52 Reply 18, posted (3 years 9 months 1 week 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 2301 times:
I found an even better one! Start off inside Shanghai's PVG terminal. Take an 28:35 flight to Buenos Aires EZE on Shanghai Airlines PVG-ORD, then US Airways ORD-IAD-EZE. At EZE, rent a car and head north to the antipode near Salto, 5:36 driving time. Total time with immigration about 35 hours. Maybe I could cut that time by including a domestic flight in Argentina, I'd have to look it up.
Soren
All the things you probably hate about travelling are warm reminders that I'm home
USAIRWAYS321 From United States of America, joined Jul 2001, 1806 posts, RR: 10 Reply 19, posted (3 years 9 months 1 week 3 days 4 hours ago) and read 2243 times:
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Shows not to trust wikipedia implicitly!
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