Planes traveling between Seattle and Tokyo often go near Alaska because
A)there is less air traffic to contend with.
B)planes travel faster in cooler air.
C)the distance is shorter.
D)the plane can stay over the safety of land for longer.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The shortest route between two points on the Earth's surface is a great circle route. Due to the spherical shape of the Earth, flying a great circle route from Seattle to Tokyo involves going over or near Alaska, making the distance shorter than flying directly over the Pacific Ocean.

Planes Traveling Between Seattle and Tokyo Often Go near Alaska