Originally Posted by
g46r
It's actually northbound over the pole. Depending on how the wind alot is blowing on that day, the initial heading out of EWR is often slightly to the east. (Wind aloft between 40N-65N lattitude can be very strong west to east, particularly in the winter months).
That's a beautiful image. My wife the space physicist adds a note that they will adjust the polar route depending on the space weather forecast. (Too much solar wind activity of the wrong type could lead to crew being unable to legally fly for the rest of the year.)