# Earth rotation effect on flights

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-rotation-effect-on-flights/417034>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 27, 2007, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-rotation-effect-on-flights/417034 "2007-08-27T00:35:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2007, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-rotation-effect-on-flights/417034/21 "2007-08-27T17:43:43Z")

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[QUOTE=1920s Style “Death Ray”]  
If it wasn’t for the rotation of the Earth, the winds would be more north/south in keeping with the temperature gradient at the surface.  
[/QUOTE]

One thing that would change is our greetings, we would all wish each other a nice diurnal anomaly.

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**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-rotation-effect-on-flights/417034/22 "2007-08-29T22:07:24Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Putting the cart before the horse. He didn’t move back in time because the rotation was reversed; the rotation appeared reversed because he was going back in time.

Wait… What? I took it the way **Colophon** did. Otherwise, why was Superman even flying around the Earth? And how did he go backwards in time if it wasn’t by, ummm, “rewinding” the Earth?

And why am I even bothering asking these questions?

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**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-rotation-effect-on-flights/417034/23 "2007-08-30T01:07:24Z")

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[QUOTE=Colophon]  
But it’s amazing how many people do seem to think that the only reason the Earth has gravity is that it’s rotating. Oh and of course, if you rotate it the other way a la Superman, then time goes backwards. 🙂  
[/QUOTE]

Ooooh! Thread idea!  
[Things we (should) know are scientifically false, but say anyway](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=8930515#post8930515)

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