How should a straight line be positioned on a Lambert chart to approximate a great circle?

On a Lambert chart, great circles are represented as curved lines due to the distortions inherent in the projection method. However, in regions that are close to the parallel of origin, the distortion is minimized. This means that if a straight line is drawn near the parallel of origin, it can more accurately approximate the path of a great circle.

The principle behind this is linked to the nature of the Lambert projection, which is designed for navigation and makes the parallels (lines of latitude) appear equidistant. Therefore, when a straight line is drawn near the parallel of origin, it aligns better with the actual geographic paths and reduces the curvature error associated with greater latitudes.

For this reason, positioning a straight line close to the parallel of origin on a Lambert chart will allow for a more precise representation of a great circle route when compared to other scenarios where the angles and distances would increasingly diverge from actual great circle paths.