<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by JS:
I think we should only count a route that crosses the equator (e.g., JFK-LHR-SYD-LAX-JFK).
Otherwise, you could fly any old plane in a little circle around the north pole or south pole in just 10 minutes. 
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Shouldn't it also cover mileage equivalent to the circumference of the earth (~24,902 miles)?