Plane autopilots (A question)

Dewey

Minimalistic
If I was to set the autopilot of an airplane to a heading of exactly North, what would happen when it reaches the North Pole?

As the system is set on a priority to reach North, would the plane inevitably nose-dive and collide with the North Pole?

Or is it a case that the aircraft will at speed keep passing the North Pole and will keep turning itself around so it is always heading for North. Would this continue until the fuel runs out?
 

arach

New member
I don't believe that "North" is an option with an autopilot system. I assume that it works with vectors or coordinates.

But if it would, I guess it would calculate a straight route course north, but it wouldnt stop at north pole, it would continue flying in the same direction, and finally orbit earth till the fuel is empty. I assume that, because I don't think that an autopilot system works like a normal compass with the magnetic field around earth, rather being navigated by a GPS satellite system. If thats the case, it would head north ("north" would be "north" from the point the plane starts, it won't stop being north just because of the nordpole.) North would be a direction and not a point on earth. So it's easy to say.
 
Top