Instructions

• 1). Write down the latitudes and longitudes in degrees of the two places. If both places are in the same hemisphere, calculate the difference between the latitudes and longitudes. If they are in different hemispheres, they must be added together.
  
  Latitude
  
  Example 1. Place A 25 degrees North Place B 52 degrees North, difference = 27 degrees
  
  Example 2. Place A 25 degrees North Place B 52 degrees South, difference = 77 degrees
  
  Longitude
  
  Example 1. Place A 50 degrees West Place B 120 degrees West, difference = 70 degrees
  
  Example 2. Place A 50 degrees West Place B 120 degrees East, difference = 170 degrees
  
  
• 2). Use a calculator to calculate the square of the difference in latitude and the square of the difference in longitude and add them together. Calculate the square root of this product and multiply by 60. This will give you the distance in nautical miles between the two places. To convert this distance into statute miles, multiply the result by 1.15
  
  
• 3). Using the figures in example 1 we have 27 squared plus 70 squared giving a result of 729 + 4,900, or 5,629. The square root of this figure is 75. When multiplied by 60 the result is 4,500 nautical miles or 5,175 statute miles.