Sage-Tips

How do planes land if Earth is spinning?

If you fly in the opposite direction that earth is spinning, basically flying against the spin, the earth is moving toward you with the spin at the speed of 1000 miles per hour. Flying west it decreases its speed relative to the surface of the Earth, and the Earth slips by.

What is happening if the airplane is flying at constant altitude?

constant airspeed, thrust and drag must remain equal, just as lift and weight must be equal to maintain a constant altitude. If in level flight, the engine power is reduced, the thrust is lessened, and the aircraft slows down. As long as the thrust is less than the drag, the aircraft continues to decelerate.

How far above Earth do planes fly?

The average commercial passenger jet aircraft cruises at an altitude between 30,000 and 42,000 feet (ft) (9,000 – 13,000 meters). This means that aeroplanes usually fly between 5 to 7 miles up in the air. It typically takes around 15 to 30 minutes after take-off for the aeroplane to reach this altitude.

Why do airplanes fly as much as 10 km above the Earth’s surface?

The higher the better One of the central reasons behind aircraft altitude is that, as the air gets thinner with every foot climbed, planes can travel more easily and therefore move faster and burn less fuel, saving money.

What is the speed of a plane flying against the Earth?

If you fly in the opposite direction that earth is spinning, basically flying against the spin, the earth is moving toward you with the spin at the speed of 1000 miles per hour. Assuming the plane is flying at 500 mph on its own, why are you not flying toward your destination at the speed of 1500mph?

Why do planes fly at 150 km/h relative to the ground?

So if the plane is coming it to land at 150 km/hr that is 150 km/hr relative to the ground. If a plane needs to travel due North then it does have to compensate for the rotation of the Earth and so must fly on a heading which is West of due North to arrive at a location where the speed of the Earth’s rotation is less than 1000 km/hr.

What happens to a plane when it takes off?

When it takes off, it still has speed from sitting on the ground. In order to fly east, the plane increases its speed relative to the surface of the Earth and begins to overtake it. Flying west it decreases its speed relative to the surface of the Earth, and the Earth slips by.

How fast does the Earth rotate?

The earth was rotating at 1000mph (at the equator, slower where you are). The fact is, it’s really relative speed that counts. When you jump off the chair you and the Earth are already moving. When the plane is flying it and the air are also in movement around the Earth.