Eli5 Why do European flights flight paths to the U.S go via the UK and not just straight across the ocean?

Question

Eli5 Why do European flights flight paths to the U.S go via the UK and not just straight across the ocean?

In: Other

Answer 1

They do go straight over the ocean. But a flat projection of the world have to distort it so that what is straight on a globe can be a big curve on a flat projection.