3 ms·
Someone has to ask: Why do you have more headwinds than tailwinds?
by billforsternz 10y ago
Someone has to ask: Why do you have more headwinds than tailwinds?
- sokoloff 10y agoSimplest explanation: Take a 100 mph airplane and fly 100 miles in 25 mph winds, then fly 100 miles back. You'll fly upwind for 80 minutes at 75 mph groundspeed and downwind for 48 minutes at 125 mph groundspeed. Your overall average speed will be 93.75 mph. Additional factor: even a "pure" crosswind will turn partially into a headwind, as you need to crab (angle the nose) into the wind to make your desired ground track, meaning your downrange distance becomes the cosine of the crab angle, making (1 - cosine[angle]) * airspeed the effective/induced headwind.
- billforsternz 10y agoThanks. A bit like how a 10% investment loss in year one followed by a 10% gain in year two leaves you worse than even.