Why don't planes have to travel at 1,000s of km an hour?

Question

Why don't planes have to travel at 1,000s of kilometres an hour to even keep up with there global coordinates?

1: I'm talking millitairy.
2: I'm talking "what if" and not "How about".

Answer 1

When you jump in the air, do you have to jump several metres to one side just to land where you took off?

The surface of the Earth is a rotating frame of reference. Everything starts off with circular motion - the air around the Earth, the planes, and the airports. It doesn't feel to us like the Earth is moving. It's only when you get seriously high that fram-eof-reference effects like coriolis forces come into play.

Answer 2

Speed is measured relative to the ground below. The air is moving at (more or less) the same speed as the ground. The aircraft relative speed is therefore a few hundred knots (more for fast jets, less for small private planes).

The absolute speed, including the rotation of the earth, the movement of the earth around the sun, the movement of the sun around the galactic centre, the movement of the galaxy around the local cluster and so on is actually many millions of kilometers per hour.

But since all these factors apply to the air, the ground and the plane equally, the planes apparent, relative speed is much lower

basically everything withing the gravitational pull of the earth is travelling at the same speed as the earth, otherwise if you did the long jump from one side of the pit you would go a long way but if you did it from the opposite side of the pit you would in fact go backwards
all the best

Answer 3

Speed is measured relative to the ground below. The air is moving at (more or less) the same speed as the ground. The aircraft relative speed is therefore a few hundred knots (more for fast jets, less for small private planes).

The absolute speed, including the rotation of the earth, the movement of the earth around the sun, the movement of the sun around the galactic centre, the movement of the galaxy around the local cluster and so on is actually many millions of kilometers per hour.

But since all these factors apply to the air, the ground and the plane equally, the planes apparent, relative speed is much lower

Answer 4

Because a plane either on the ground or flying is moving with the earth as it turns, travels round the sun, moves around the galaxy with the sun etc etc. so it's speed in the air is only relative to the earth itself

Answer 5

When a plane takes off, it is already rotating with the Earth. So, if the Earth is moving at 900mph, then so is the plane, so is the air, the clouds, etc etc.

The extra speed that a plane has is to move faster than the air. It's all relative motion.

Answer 6

The earth revolves at 900 nautical miles per hour at the equator with the speed decreasing the further north or south you go.

The atmosphere revolves with the earth - if it didn't, the people living on the equator would have 900mph winds and the rest of us would be pretty gusty too!!

Answer 7

What would be the point of having a plane take off and fly 'just to maintain its global coordinate'? ~ if that is what you are meaning! ...though your question begs further questions as to exactly what you are talking about - re 'relative to what', exactly(!)

And - are you talking civil or military?

And - are you aware of the costs of such an activity? + the outcome of its payoff?

Sash.

Answer 8

For the same reason that when you jump up in the air, the earths surface does not spin round at 18,000 mph under your feet and the nearest house does not rush to smash into you.