Airplanes and Crosswinds
Airplanes and Crosswinds
Airplanes fly in the atmosphere, so the direction and speed an airplane has in the air might not be the path and speed that appear on the ground. This Demonstration illustrates the effects that winds can have on an airplane's path relative to the ground. Calculating corrections for heading and ground speed are part of a pilot's planning for cross-country flights. Knots are the standard unit of speed for aviation in the United States; 100 knots = 115 mph = 185 km/hr.