That straight line is the yellow flight path here drawn by the NTSB:
https://www.facebook.com/178566888854999/photos/pcb.740971779281171/740971732614509/?type=1&theater
It’s not that far for the sphere to significantly come into play. But you can recheck the numbers here:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gccalc.shtml
It’s either autopilot or Inmarsat arcs — it can’t be both.
It’s not that far for the sphere to significantly come into play. But you can recheck the numbers here:
+++++
4 hours. 500 miles per hour. 2000 miles. 2000/24000 = 1/12
1/12 * 360 = 30 degrees. I don’t think a 30 degree arc on a globe would look as straight as the plot.
But maybe the are using some transformation that plots arcs as straight lines. If that is possible.
You are right. Something doesn’t look right.