What is the relationship between statute miles and nautical miles?

The relationship between statute miles (SM) and nautical miles (NM) is based on the different measurements used for distances on land versus distances over water. One nautical mile is defined as being equal to one minute of latitude, which translates to approximately 1.15078 statute miles. Therefore, when converting nautical miles to statute miles, the calculation involves multiplying the number of nautical miles by the conversion factor of approximately 1.15.

By using the factor of 1.15, you can accurately determine how many statute miles are represented by a given number of nautical miles, which is essential for navigation and understanding distances during flight. This relationship is key in aviation where pilots need to be familiar with both units of measure, as flight plans and various navigational charts often use nautical miles while driving directions are in statute miles.

The multiplication factor clearly shows that nautical miles are longer than statute miles, as there are approximately 1.15 statute miles in a nautical mile.