Pendulums are in the atmosphere and feel the effect of earths rotation.

The space shuttle moves beyond the atmosphere and benefits from earths rotation

Airplanes do not.

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[–] 36 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 child)

They do, actually. The direct effects of the earths rotation on an aircraft are much smaller than the effects of localized aerodynamic forces: winds, updrafts, etc. You mentioned pendulums: the pendulums you're talking about are swinging indoors, protected from the wind. Imagine trying to observe the rotational effects of the earth on a pendulum exposed to hurricane-force winds. Such winds will have a far greater effect on the motion of the pendulum, masking any rotational influence. It still exists, technically, but it's a relatively minor effect.

However, indirectly, the earths rotation causes "Coriolis effects" on air masses moving toward or away from the poles. This influences weather patterns at all scales, which has massive influence on air travel.

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  • [–] 7 points 3 weeks ago*

    Coriolis effects

    In old-school navigation, the Coriolis effect was something the pilots had to manually account for. Snipers must account for the effect in their extreme long range work.

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