"Fun" down south...

[beaky]

Been planning a RTW flight again, this time across both poles.

I understand all about how the world map in FS9 is cylindrical, etc., and compass anomalies are not the issue.... there's something else going on here, methinks:

I noticed that when I use FS9 flight planner to lay a course and estimate time and fuel for, say, Base Marambio (south of Tierra del Fuego) to McMurdo (roughly below NZ), the sim comes up with what looks like a weird, out-of-the-way loop between the two, staying north of 85 degrees.... but it checks out as about the same mileage as going over the pole in real life. Fine, then- except the airplane I've chosen doesn't have the "legs" to make that nonstop, and I don't want to modify it. Since there is a RL snow runway with a TACAN at the South Pole (at Amundsen-Scott S. Pole Station), I figured I'd make one with AFCAD and put it as close to the "latitude limit" as I could, because I need a point midway for refueling (yes, I know in RL they don't provide fuel for "adventurers" at Amundsen- let's pretend somebody there owes me a favor). This also lets me fly to the Pole itself, or ay least as close as one can get in FS9.
 I determined the location by placing the plane on the surface where I wanted it, moving my point north until things seemed stable (if you get too close to the poles, even a static airplane on the ground will slide east or west on its own).
About 83.55 S seemed alright, and the longitude I chose put it about halfway between  BM and McMurdo... I'm very green with AFCAD, but I made a simple snow runway and apron, based on real-life specs, and it turned out OK, except for one very odd thing.
In Spot view, as I move the view angle with the hat switch, everything moves. Plane and airport- they start sliding the other way. In the other views, after I take off from this runway, I can see the airport "following" me: the plane moves in relation to the runway, but very slowly. Meanwhile, the plane and the runway are zooming along the surface.

So... am I still too close to the Pole, or is this some kind of anomaly with AFCAD? Anybody??

[Travis]

This is all down to the cylinder issues.  So I wouldn't make the airport anywhere nearer than absolutely necessary to the poles.  In fact, if I were you, I would make it as close to the coastline as I could.  That way, you're not only minimizing the "spin" factor, you don't have to travel as far out of your way.

[beaky]

This is all down to the cylinder issues.  So I wouldn't make the airport anywhere nearer than absolutely necessary to the poles.  In fact, if I were you, I would make it as close to the coastline as I could.  That way, you're not only minimizing the "spin" factor, you don't have to travel as far out of your way.

That was my first thought, but I was trying to keep it as "real" as possible.

I think I'll move it north; that part of the trip will still be plenty long enough.
Thanks.