#explainer
5 posts · all posts →
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The International Date Line, explained from a window seat
A jagged zigzag in the Pacific that is worth a whole day. What actually happens when your flight turns Wednesday into Thursday — or the other way around.
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The jet stream — why your return flight always takes an hour longer
An invisible river of air at cruise altitude that decides how long your transatlantic takes. How it works and why it dictates your itinerary.
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Why planes cruise at 35,000 feet — and not higher
Cruise altitude is not arbitrary. It is the optimum between fuel efficiency, engine power, and the height at which weather stays below you. Honest version.
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MSL, AGL, WGS84: three altitudes you'll see at 35 000 feet
The number on the seat-back display, the GPS altitude in your phone, and your height above the ground are all different — sometimes by hundreds of meters. Here's how to read them.
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Why GPS still works in airplane mode (and how Skyty uses that)
GPS receivers don't transmit anything — they only listen. Here's why your iPhone keeps tracking position the moment you flip airplane mode on, and how Skyty turns that into a flight tracker.