4 ms·
Actually this is quite possible in a light aircraft. If you're flying into a fast wind, you can maintain lift while also not generating enough thrust to negate
by ilovecaching 9y ago
Actually this is quite possible in a light aircraft. If you're flying into a fast wind, you can maintain lift while also not generating enough thrust to negate the speed of the wind, leaving you hovering over a spot, or moving backwards.
- mikeash 9y agoObviously, but how often do they actually do that?
- lb1lf 9y agoI once sat in a commercial aircraft (only barely - a Do228!) which, landing straight into the wind, appeared to stand still and just touch down vertically. Now, I know that this is impossible (no way the stall speed, even with full flaps, sensible AoA and near empty plane is lower than the wind speed at which the airport closes!) - but it definitely felt and looked as we simply gently dropped out of the sky, helicopter style. The pilot suggested this was not uncommon practice when I asked him after we'd parked on the apron - fast, steady wind was what they encountered every day landing on these northern Norwegian islands.
- bitwize 9y agoFairly often, given a light enough aircraft and strong enough winds. My grandfather used to like to tell the story of flying backwards (over ground) in a Luscombe 8A or 8B.