[kanawa]

"Using imperial units and making adjustments for mixing units, the straight line of sight distance d in miles to the true horizon on earth is approximately...

d=(1.50h)^.5

where d is the distance to the horizon (in miles) and h is the height above ground or sea level (in feet) of the eye of the observer."

For a 6' tall person the horizon is about 3 miles.

The photo at the start of the thread is taken from an elevated postion...say for argument... 1000'
in that case the horizon is about at 39 miles distance.

Given that the plane is at 37,000 feet it would appear above the horizon at a greater distance than say a ocean going vehicle.

The aircraft approaches the observer while maintaining a constant altitude, 37000', above sea level,
the observer though sees an increase in the planes azimuth with respect to the horizon as it approaches.

[TXnMA]

Don't confuse these "missile zoomies" with analytic geometry. I already tried that -- and they stuck with their tinfoil hats... See

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2625055/posts?page=39#39

and

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2625055/posts?page=42#42

and

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2625055/posts?page=55#55

There is no way that logic, mathematics and personal observation can overcome these XXXXXX (use your own synonym for "willfully deceived mental pygmies") are going to give up their fervent hope that they have stumbled onto something significant and scary...

They even refuse to consider that the movie was taken from a moving helicopter -- with a long lens that kept zooming in and out...

Hopeless "Missul Troofers"... :-(