<p>This question belongs to physics. Objects tend to keep their velocity (direction and speed). So, if you're standing on the surface of the Earth, you're already traveling with the surface. When you take off on a hot air balloon, you keep that extra velocity due to the rotation of the Earth. The surface won't rotate underneath the balloon in flight.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-24T21:12:36.763Z
Why the downvote? This is correct.
Isopycnal Oscillation
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2015-12-25T15:02:09.240Z
And when you move to different latitudes: [Coriolis effect](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriolis_effect)!
Stephen
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2015-12-24T11:05:46.527Z
2015-12-24T11:05:46.527Z
tinyyy
<p>I just wonder why, if we ourselves could stay still in the air (or just float in the air using something such as a hot air balloon). Why doesn't the world rotate around us, allowing us to travel around the world in 24 hours?</p>

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2015-12-24T15:28:37.087Z
I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it belongs in http://physics.stackexchange.com/
arkaia
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2015-12-24T15:28:55.283Z
The answer is inertia, anyway. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gNkgj9h2oM
arkaia
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-27T09:17:02.657Z
Since latitude of circumnavigation is not specified, the question is underconditioned. E.g. a North or South Pole will give you a trivial "Round the world" trip. Same for jet stream travel.
Deer Hunter
<geophysics>
If we could stay still in the air. Would we be travel around the entire world in 24 hours?
LashBack
# If we could stay still in the air. Would we be travel around the entire world in 24 hours?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-12-24)

I just wonder why, if we ourselves could stay still in the air (or just float in the air using something such as a hot air balloon). Why doesn't the world rotate around us, allowing us to travel around the world in 24 hours?

**Tags:** geophysics

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it belongs in http://physics.stackexchange.com/  
> **username_1**: The answer is inertia, anyway. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gNkgj9h2oM  
> **username_2**: Since latitude of circumnavigation is not specified, the question is underconditioned. E.g. a North or South Pole will give you a trivial "Round the world" trip. Same for jet stream travel.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-12-24. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

This question belongs to physics. Objects tend to keep their velocity (direction and speed). So, if you're standing on the surface of the Earth, you're already traveling with the surface. When you take off on a hot air balloon, you keep that extra velocity due to the rotation of the Earth. The surface won't rotate underneath the balloon in flight.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: Why the downvote? This is correct.  
> **username_5**: And when you move to different latitudes: [Coriolis effect](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriolis_effect)!  

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