FlatAtlas

Flat Earth flight calculator: distance and speed on both maps

Free tool · Updated · Schedules checked 24 October 2026

Pick a real flight or build your own route, with stopovers. FlatAtlas draws it on the flat Earth map (Gleason’s north-polar map of 1892) and on a standard world map, and compares the distance on each with the scheduled flight time, so you can see the average speed each map would need.

Astronomy and geodesy describe the Earth as a slightly flattened sphere about 12,742 km across, with the Sun about 150 million km away (NASA: Earth facts). FlatAtlas shows the published flat-Earth models next to that, so you can compare both with what you see.

Route

Real routes

    Flat-Earth map (north-polar, Gleason 1892)

    Flat-Earth map with the route
    Here the flat-map route is a straight line. The globe route bends because this map stretches the south.

    Standard world map

    World map with the route
    Here the globe route is the shortest path. The flat-map route looks curved because this map is drawn for a globe.

    Distance and speed on each map

    Distance on the flat map and on the globe for each leg, scheduled time and the average speed each needs
    LegFlat mapGlobeScheduled timeSpeed needed, flat mapSpeed needed, globe
    SYD → SCL25,660 km11,340 km12 h 30 min2,050 km/h910 km/h
    Typical airliner cruiseabout 900 km/h

    Speed needed = distance ÷ scheduled flight time; the white tick marks a typical airliner cruise of about 900 km/h. Both columns use the same scheduled time, which includes taxiing, so the speed in the air is a little higher. Real flights vary with winds and routing, and airline schedules are public, so you can check the times yourself.

    How does the flat Earth flight calculator work?

    Each stop is placed by its latitude and longitude. On the flat Earth map, the distance from the North Pole is (90° − latitude) ÷ 180 × 20,000 km, as on Gleason’s 40,000 km map, and the route is a straight line across the map. On the globe, the route is a great circle on a sphere of radius 6,371 km. With stopovers, each leg is added up. The speed is the distance divided by the airline’s scheduled time.

    How far is Sydney to Santiago on a flat Earth map?

    About 25,660 km in a straight line across Gleason’s north-polar map, against 11,340 km on the globe. Qantas QF27 is scheduled at about 12 h 30 min, so the flat map would need an average of about 2,050 km/h and the globe about 910 km/h, close to an airliner’s usual cruise of about 900 km/h.

    Why are southern routes longer on the flat Earth map?

    On a north-polar azimuthal equidistant map, every distance from the North Pole is true, but east–west distances grow south of the Equator. One degree of longitude at 45° S is about 262 km wide on the map and about 79 km on the globe. Routes between southern continents therefore become two to two and a half times longer, while northern routes change little. Read more about the flat Earth map.

    Real southern routes on both maps

    Scheduled nonstop flights, with block times (gate to gate) from the filed airline schedules, checked 24 October 2026. Times vary by season and wind. Perth–London is a northern comparison.

    RouteFlightFlat mapGlobeRatioScheduledSpeed, flat mapSpeed, globe
    Sydney–Santiago (SYD–SCL)QF2725,660 km11,340 km2.26×12 h 30 min2,050 km/h910 km/h
    Sydney–Johannesburg (SYD–JNB)QF6323,440 km11,020 km2.13×14 h 40 min1,600 km/h750 km/h
    Perth–Johannesburg (PER–JNB)QF6518,340 km8,310 km2.21×11 h 15 min1,630 km/h740 km/h
    Auckland–Santiago (AKL–SCL)LA80023,390 km9,650 km2.42×11 h 00 min2,130 km/h880 km/h
    Auckland–Buenos Aires (AKL–EZE)MU74525,010 km10,310 km2.42×11 h 50 min2,110 km/h870 km/h
    Johannesburg–São Paulo (JNB–GRU)SA22215,480 km7,440 km2.08×10 h 20 min1,500 km/h720 km/h
    Perth–London (PER–LHR)QF915,920 km14,510 km1.1×17 h 40 min900 km/h820 km/h

    Download the table: flat-earth-flight-distances.csv (CC BY 4.0, cite as “FlatAtlas (2026), flat Earth flight distances”).

    What speed would a plane need on each map?

    Speed needed is the distance divided by the scheduled time. Long-haul airliners usually cruise at about 900 km/h (Mach 0.85 at about 11 km), and wind adds or removes roughly 100 to 300 km/h of ground speed. The scheduled time includes taxiing, so the speed in the air is slightly higher than the figure shown. Flight trackers publish measured ground speeds, so you can compare.

    How does the Flat Earth Society explain these flights?

    The Flat Earth Wiki says flight data is hard to use as evidence: “The shortest geographical route is often not taken, and changes by the day. Non-stop flights are not necessarily always non-stop”, and listed flight times “are purposely skewed by large amounts”. For direct southern flights, it suggests they “may be taking advantage of jet streams and abnormal wind conditions that are known to exist in the South”. It also notes that in its Bi-Polar model, southern distances “converge” rather than spread apart. Read the full comparison in flights in the southern hemisphere on a flat Earth.

    Frequently asked questions

    Is the flat Earth flight calculator free?

    Yes. There is no account and no Pro feature, and it runs in your browser.

    Which flat Earth map does it use?

    The north-polar azimuthal equidistant map, the layout of Gleason’s New Standard Map of the World (1892), 40,000 km across. The Flat Earth Society calls its map “a proposed, but certainly not definitive, Flat Earth”; its Bi-Polar model would give other southern distances.

    Does the calculator include wind?

    No. The scheduled times already include the typical winds of each route. The calculator shows the average speed each map would need over the scheduled time.

    Do northern flights differ between the maps?

    Much less. Perth–London is 15,920 km on the flat map and 14,510 km on the globe (1.1×). The big differences appear between southern continents.

    Can I add stopovers?

    Yes, up to 8 stops in order. Each leg is calculated on both maps and added up, and you can enter a scheduled time for every leg.

    Open the 3D flat Earth map

    Sources