Do/can ANY airplanes fly in a parabola?

Question

I was doing a project for my Algebra 2 class, and we had to give examples of parabolas in real life. So, I thought a long time, and the only thing that I could come up with was the flight path of an airplane.

I made it work with the plane reaching an altitude of 32,000 feet and covered a distance of like 250 miles. So I did all of the math and made the presentation look nice.

Then, after I turned it in, I get the rubric back and my teacher took off major points because she said that planes don't fly in parabolas.

Can someone supply me with either website(s) that prove that I am right? Or if you are in the field of aviation could you please give an explantaion of why or why not a plane could fly in a parabola (explain how you work in the aviation field please)? Anything to help boost my grade would be nice! (***Hint: Zero Gravity flights don't work.)

Thanks!

Answer 1

Are you talking about take off then landing?

I think your case of 250 would be the only time this would work.  For any other distance, it would be gradual ascent, a long time at a level altitude, then a gradual descent.  I think I understand what you were trying to do, but I don't think that's a "real life" scenario.  Sorry.

Answer 2

Bigt,

Many aircraft fly in parabolas. Long distance aircraft fly great circle routes, which are parabolas. It just depends on your frame of reference. Also, many space craft fly in  parabolas.

Your teacher needs to remember that there is more that one way to look at things. You see, there is no difference between a parabola and a great circle, if the slice of the cone is parallel to the base.

Regards,

Dan

PS Good luck with this.