In aircraft design and aviation, “Distance in Nautical Miles” typically refers to the measurement of the horizontal separation or travel between two points on the Earth’s surface. Nautical miles are commonly used in aviation for measuring distances due to their suitability for navigation over long distances. Here’s a definition and explanation:
Formula: The formula to calculate the Distance in Nautical Miles between two points on the Earth’s surface, given their latitude and longitude coordinates, uses the Haversine formula.
- Distance is the distance in nautical miles.R is the Earth’s radius (mean radius = 3,959 miles or 6,371 kilometers).
- Δlat is the difference in latitude between the two points.
- Δlon is the difference in longitude between the two points.
- lat1 and lat2 are the latitudes of the two points in radians.