imagine you are flyingfrom seattle to san francisco,which is almost exactly due south of seattle.shoud the pilot set a course due south? explain your answer.

Answer 1

No, because there will be a prevailing jetsteam wind from west to east of typically 80 mph. (The speed and direction vary with weather patterns)The plane should be "aimed" west of south by an angle of about arcsin 80/550 = 8 degrees

550 mph is a typical jet air speed.

Answer 2

yes