I was once sitting on the ramp in Brussels with a bit of time on my hands. We were about to fly back to Memphis and I had already entered the flight plan in the Inertial Nav system (long since replaced by GPS!). I wondered what the direct distance might be. (Pilots like to sleep and having to turn the plane every few minutes/hours cuts into that time!) After a few button pushes, I had an answer. Still waiting for things, I decided to see what the distance direct to Anchorage might be. Fortunately, I was already sitting, as the number that came up was exactly, to the mile, as the direct distance to Memphis!! There are only two places on earth where that same number could be and I was in one of them! The other is probably in the south Pacific and not on dry land!!
Although I knew the distances were the same, I decided to proceed to Memphis, anyway. I had no idea what the winds might be like going to Anchorage and that could require a big adjustment in the fuel load. Besides, I was not sure where, along this route we might be intercepted and "requested" to land.
The rest of the crew really wanted to get back home, also.
