Why 000-179 ... and not 001-180??

Since 000 is not a real direction... (North is 360) ..., is there some
significant history why easterly/westerly cruising altitudes were chosen on
the basis of: 000-179 --- 180-359
as opposed to the more intuitive: 001-180 --- 181-360 ???

On Fri, 24 Sep 2004 18:36:21 GMT, "Icebound"
wrote:


Since 000 is not a real direction... (North is 360) ..., is there some
significant history why easterly/westerly cruising altitudes were chosen on
the basis of: 000-179 --- 180-359
as opposed to the more intuitive: 001-180 --- 181-360 ???

Don't know why it was set up this way, but it's always been a good
memory aid for me. Headings beginning with 0 remind me of O (the
letter "o") which makles me think "Odd thousands + 500"

-- Bryan

"Icebound" wrote in message
.rogers.com...

Since 000 is not a real direction... (North is 360) ..., is there some
significant history why easterly/westerly cruising altitudes were chosen
on
the basis of: 000-179 --- 180-359
as opposed to the more intuitive: 001-180 --- 181-360 ???

Invented by a C-programmer perhaps? :-)

More likely invented by someone who proposed odd altitudes 000 track =
180 and even tracks for 180 track = 360, and overruled by an ICAO
committee that didn't understand the difference between an integer and a
real.

Julian Scarfe

"Icebound" wrote in message
.rogers.com...

Since 000 is not a real direction... (North is 360) ...,


360 and 0 are used interchangeably for North.

"Icebound" wrote in message

Since 000 is not a real direction... (North is 360) ..., is there some
significant history why easterly/westerly cruising altitudes were chosen
on

Of course it is a real direction - its the same direction as 360. Its
merely a piece of terminology that is no longer in use for one reason or
another. If you understand the information and concept being conveyed, then
the communication has been successful. I don't see one mode as more or less
'intuitive' than the other.

"John Gaquin" wrote in message
...

"Icebound" wrote in message

Since 000 is not a real direction... (North is 360) ..., is there some
significant history why easterly/westerly cruising altitudes were
chosen on


Of course it is a real direction - its the same direction as 360. Its
merely a piece of terminology that is no longer in use for one reason or
another.


Zero is no longer in use for north? Is it not the marine standard for
north?

"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote in message
k.net...

"Icebound" wrote in message
.rogers.com...

Since 000 is not a real direction... (North is 360) ...,


360 and 0 are used interchangeably for North.



Well, yes and no. They mean the same thing, of course... but they are not
really "used interchangeably".

Direction 000 in a METAR is used to represent calm wind, not North wind.

I have never seen "00" painted on a runway.

Computer routines for calculating direction will often expect input and
normalize results into the 1-360 range, not 0-359.

Very rarely do you hear "... heading is 000" as opposed to "... heading is
360"

etc....

"Icebound" wrote in message
ble.rogers.com...

Well, yes and no. They mean the same thing, of course... but they are not
really "used interchangeably".


Well, how can they mean the same thing if one of them "is not a real
direction"?



Direction 000 in a METAR is used to represent calm wind, not North wind.

I have never seen "00" painted on a runway.

Computer routines for calculating direction will often expect input and
normalize results into the 1-360 range, not 0-359.

Very rarely do you hear "... heading is 000" as opposed to "... heading is
360"


You'll find more compasses with 0 for north than with 360.

"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote in message
ink.net...

"Icebound" wrote in message
ble.rogers.com...

Well, yes and no. They mean the same thing, of course... but they are
not
really "used interchangeably".


Well, how can they mean the same thing if one of them "is not a real
direction"?


"... is not used as a direction". I will admit to semantic sloppiness.



Direction 000 in a METAR is used to represent calm wind, not North wind.

I have never seen "00" painted on a runway.

Computer routines for calculating direction will often expect input and
normalize results into the 1-360 range, not 0-359.

Very rarely do you hear "... heading is 000" as opposed to "... heading
is
360"


You'll find more compasses with 0 for north than with 360.



I thought about that, but when I went looking, almost all compasses I could
find had a big fat "N" there, and no number at all.

On Fri, 24 Sep 2004, Steven P. McNicoll wrote:
Very rarely do you hear "... heading is 000" as opposed to "... heading is
360"


You'll find more compasses with 0 for north than with 360.

But more runways with "36/18" on the ends, rather than "00/18".

Seems pretty interchangable to me...

Brian.