Travel Bug top 10

[+Masher]

I've noticed that two travel bugs that I have handled recently, are now in the top 10 most travelled list: Oliver(1) and Pilgrim(5). I feel chuffed to think that I have helped to elevate them to their current status, but I am also wondering whether the mileage shown is a true reflection of the mileage actually travelled.

Taking the Pilgrim, as a for instance: I dropped him off in Singapore (6700 miles). He was then picked up and taken to the States (9000 miles, apparently). Now, it looks OK on the map on the TB page, but I would have thought that it would be quicker and cheaper to fly from Singapore to the USA "the other way" round the world. Surely a much shorter distance.

Am I right? If I am, then many of these international bugs will have a false mileage attributed to them.

 

Mark

----------------------

I was technical once

[Ben Pid]

Good point Masher.....

 

But on hinesight...Its still a blinking long way!

 

By plane, car, rowing, boat or Dingy!

 

Watch out its a Golfcourse... (Team Dan + Pid)

[+jeremyp]

The Equator is 26,000 miles. If it's 9,000 miles from Singapore to the US one way, I think unless both Singapore and the point in the US to which the TB was taken are near a pole, it's quite reasonable that the 9,000 mile route is the shortest.

 

Also, if I choose to go from Reading to Heathrow (a distance of 20 miles approx) the "longest way round" - 25,980 miles - it doesn't mean I didn't do the distance just because there's a shorter route

 

-------

jeremyp

The second ten million caches were the worst too.

http://www.jeremyp.net/geocaching

[+Tim & June]

A very similar question was raised in the dim distant past, and I cannot find it now to reference it here. The maps are only representative of travel and do not draw the actual lines of travel.

 

Now, a little stretching of what few brain cells I have left and hope that I have remembered correctly.

The distances calculated on the Travel Bug pages are done using the "Great Circle" formula (or similar). This formula takes two points on the surface of the planet and calculates the shortest SURFACE distance between them. I think the formula will work with any sphere of a known diameter.

 

The reason I asked about this subject was because of our traveller (www.gulliverbear.co.uk) was released before Travel Bugs were available in the UK, so we gave him a website to track his movements. I wanted his mileage to be recorded using the same method as Jeremy's TB's.

 

I believe there are several versions of the formula, each having it's own peculiarities. The one I use is HERE

 

In short, the mileage recorded is very unlikely to be anything near as far as the actual distance travelled.

 

For example, to fly between London and Auckland (New Zealand) involves a stopover at either Los Angeles or Singapore, both routes involve a distances of around 19,250 miles as the crow flies. If a bug is listed as having travelled directly from London to Auckland the distance will be recorded at around 18,330 miles.

 

Gulliver Bear has travelled over 22,000 miles. It would be nice to know if any other travellers have beat him.

 

Sorry for such a long winded post.

 

Tim & June (Winchester)

 

To cache, or not to cache. That is the question !

Oh to hell with the work.

[+Tim & June]

A very similar question was raised in the dim distant past, and I cannot find it now to reference it here. The maps are only representative of travel and do not draw the actual lines of travel.

 

Now, a little stretching of what few brain cells I have left and hope that I have remembered correctly.

The distances calculated on the Travel Bug pages are done using the "Great Circle" formula (or similar). This formula takes two points on the surface of the planet and calculates the shortest SURFACE distance between them. I think the formula will work with any sphere of a known diameter.

 

The reason I asked about this subject was because of our traveller (www.gulliverbear.co.uk) was released before Travel Bugs were available in the UK, so we gave him a website to track his movements. I wanted his mileage to be recorded using the same method as Jeremy's TB's.

 

I believe there are several versions of the formula, each having it's own peculiarities. The one I use is HERE

 

In short, the mileage recorded is very unlikely to be anything near as far as the actual distance travelled.

 

For example, to fly between London and Auckland (New Zealand) involves a stopover at either Los Angeles or Singapore, both routes involve a distances of around 19,250 miles as the crow flies. If a bug is listed as having travelled directly from London to Auckland the distance will be recorded at around 18,330 miles.

 

Gulliver Bear has travelled over 22,000 miles. It would be nice to know if any other travellers have beat him.

 

Sorry for such a long winded post.

 

Tim & June (Winchester)

 

To cache, or not to cache. That is the question !

Oh to hell with the work.

[+jeremyp]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tim & June:

 

For example, to fly between London and Auckland (New Zealand) involves a stopover at either Los Angeles or Singapore, both routes involve a distances of around 19,250 miles as the crow flies. If a bug is listed as having travelled directly from London to Auckland the distance will be recorded at around 18,330 miles.

---

 

London and Auckland are only about 11,000 miles apart on the great circle route. They are, however, 18,330 kilometres apart

 

-------

jeremyp

The second ten million caches were the worst too.

http://www.jeremyp.net/geocaching

[+jeremyp]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tim & June:

 

For example, to fly between London and Auckland (New Zealand) involves a stopover at either Los Angeles or Singapore, both routes involve a distances of around 19,250 miles as the crow flies. If a bug is listed as having travelled directly from London to Auckland the distance will be recorded at around 18,330 miles.

---

 

London and Auckland are only about 11,000 miles apart on the great circle route. They are, however, 18,330 kilometres apart

 

-------

jeremyp

The second ten million caches were the worst too.

http://www.jeremyp.net/geocaching

[+Tim & June]

Thanks for that Jeremy !

 

Hmm, dunno what happened there, just put it down to the fact that my last remaining two brain cells were arguing rather than working together as a team.

 

Perhaps just plain old thick would sum it up.

 

I wont go into the maths of it again, but the actual route taken is unlikely to be as the crow flies, therefore the actual miles travelled will be more than recorded on the bug page.

 

Sorry to have misled everyone.

 

Tim & June (Winchester)

 

To cache, or not to cache. That is the question !

Oh to hell with the work.

[+Tim & June]

Thanks for that Jeremy !

 

Hmm, dunno what happened there, just put it down to the fact that my last remaining two brain cells were arguing rather than working together as a team.

 

Perhaps just plain old thick would sum it up.

 

I wont go into the maths of it again, but the actual route taken is unlikely to be as the crow flies, therefore the actual miles travelled will be more than recorded on the bug page.

 

Sorry to have misled everyone.

 

Tim & June (Winchester)

 

To cache, or not to cache. That is the question !

Oh to hell with the work.

[+jeremyp]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tim & June:

Thanks for that Jeremy !

 

Hmm, dunno what happened there,

---

 

I used the same link as you to work it out, and in spite of it being an american site, the kilometres figure is given before the miles figure. You need to look quite closely to notice. Put it down to bad user interface

 

I agree, your general point still holds. For instance, when you fly across the Atlantic from New York to London, the aeroplane normally flies a long way South of the shortest (great circle) route to take advantage of the prevailing winds.

 

-------

jeremyp

The second ten million caches were the worst too.

http://www.jeremyp.net/geocaching

[+jeremyp]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tim & June:

Thanks for that Jeremy !

 

Hmm, dunno what happened there,

---

 

I used the same link as you to work it out, and in spite of it being an american site, the kilometres figure is given before the miles figure. You need to look quite closely to notice. Put it down to bad user interface

 

I agree, your general point still holds. For instance, when you fly across the Atlantic from New York to London, the aeroplane normally flies a long way South of the shortest (great circle) route to take advantage of the prevailing winds.

 

-------

jeremyp

The second ten million caches were the worst too.

http://www.jeremyp.net/geocaching