What is the difference between ground speed and air speed when you are in flight?

Answer 1

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At altitude air is thinner giving less resistance allowing you to go faster using the same energy.

Answer 2

Ground Speed Vs Air Speed

Answer 3

The speed an aircraft at which an aircraft travels is calculated by using 4 factors.
#1. Indicated airspeed (IAS) which is what the airpseed indicator registers (or speedometer indicate) while the aircraft is in the various stages of flight.
#2. Since the airspeed indicator operates on the rate of airflow throught the pitot system, it does not indicate the real speed of the aircraft because of the thinner, less dense airflow at high altitudes. Thererfore, the True Airspeed (TAS) is calculated using mathematical theory, in relation to aircraft weight, altitude, and the outside air temperature at the altitude at which the aircraft is flying.
#3. The next factor is the Calibrated True Airspeed (CTAS). Once the actual true airspeed (TAS) is determined, this is a final correction factor is applied to fine tune the actual True Airspeed of the aircraft, and this speed is used to determine groundspeeds of the aircraft.
#4. The last factor is the Groundspeed of the aircraft, which as others have explained, is the relative speed of an aircraft travelling over the ground. The ground speed is calculated when the wind direction and windspeed is obtained (usually from weather maps, or forecasted values issued by weather forecasters' offices), and applied against the CTAS of the aircraft.
To determine headwinds of tailwinds, it's a matter of mathematics and angles, based on the 360 points, or degrees of a compass. The nose of the aircraft, for argument sake, can be the top of the compass, at 360 degrees. If the angle of the wind direction is determined to be less than a 90 degree angle from the nose of the aircraft, (from either side of the aircraft), it will be pushing against the aircraft and you've got a headwind, therefore slowing the aircraft down in flight, and taking longer to get from point A to point B.
A tailwind is calculated using the tail of the aircraft, which would be the bottom of the compass, of 180 degrees. If the wind direction is determined to be less than a 90 degree angle from the tail of the aircraft,the wind therefore is pushing the aircraft forward, and increasing the speed of the aircraft, shortening the time between point A and point B.
If the wind is hitting the aircraft at a direct 90 degree angle, it is referred to as a direct crosswind. If the wind speed is light, the CTAS, and Groundspeed will most likely be the same, but significantly high crosswinds can also make a difference to the speed of an aircraft, as will create the equivilent of a headwind, slowing the aircraft as it becomes necessary for constant corrections to the aircraft's course to keep it on target.

Answer 4

Ground Speed is the distance the aircraft traverses on the ground in one hour.

Air Speed (Indicated) is the air flow which the aircraft is encountering during its flight in one hour.

With a head wind, and with the Indicated Airspeed remaining constant, the ground speed would be reduced by the factor of the head wind. In this case,conversely, a tail wind will increase the ground speed by the amount of tail wind.

Speeds are expressed in 'knots' (nautical miles per hour).

Answer 5

Ground speed is the speed of the aircraft in relationship to the ground. So if two airports are 100 miles apart and it takes you one hour of flight time, then your ground speed is 100mph (but we use knots and that's a different question).

Air speed is the speed of the aircraft in relationship to the surrounding air. Think about winds, the actual air mass is moving while you're flying in it.

Taking our example above, but you have a 30 mph headwind. Your groundspeed is still 100mph but now your airspeed has to be 130mph to acheive that ground speed.

Hope I didn't further confuse you.

Answer 6

Hmmm, ok I'll try putting it this way to see if you can figure it out:

Whenever your Ground Speed is less than your Air Speed, it means that a wind is blowing at you - from the direction you are flying in a.k.a. a "headwind". But when Ground Speed is more than Airspeed, it means you are flying through a "tailwind"...which is blowing from behind you.

If I'm approaching an airfield that can't provide me with wind info (for some strange reason), I will fly past my intended runway and compare my GroundSpeed with my AirSpeed to see which one is greater, that way I'lll know which end of the runway to land on...because I'll know which end will leave me landing into the much preferred "headwing".
This is what is known as flying or in this case, landing "upwind". "Headwind" is a similar term but usually used when cruising or just flying and not trying to land.

Answer 7

the difference is result of headwind/tailwind wind speed component.

it is like the rowing the boat on river,/as said above/ or like walking on the ferry/train whatever. the airspeed is measured in relation aircraft<->air, but the ground speed is measured in refference aircraft<->ground. when there is the wind blowing, the effect of winddrift appears, and thewindspeed component parralell to the nose-tail /longitudinal axis/ slows or fastens your movement relative to the surface.

Answer 8

The wind. Think of rowing a boat. You can only go so fast through the water on a calm lake right? Now row your boat against the current in a stream. Don't pass the shore as fast as when you were on the calm lake huh? Now turn the boat around and row downstream. Just flying along right? The air is just one big stream. Sometimes a calm lake but not often.

Answer 9

Logical answer ok,
You are travelling at 100knots Airspeed, the ambient airpseed is coming at your 12 O'clock at 20 knots, you minus 20 from your airspeed reading and that is your actual speed travelling over the ground. You may be indicating 300knots Airpseed, but if you have a headwind of 100knots, you minus 100 from it and you get your ground speed which is 200kts. Vice versa is you have a tailwind, that is if the wind is soming at you from 6 o'clock. If its a tailwind, you add it to your airspeed. 100kts Airspeed, 20kts tailwind, minus 20 u get 80 knots groundspeed.

Imagine a small plane, it can take off at 60 kts, if the wind is blowing at 60kts headwind, it will take off but it will not move forward or back because you groundspeed is 0kts !!!!

Got it?

Answer 10

I see your question as the fact that you could be going 100mph over the ground but it seems to me to be trig because if your lifting off unless its a helicopter you'd angle with the ground so cos-1 * ground speed = need speed along that angle.

Answer 11

lol i dont understand what the question is and i know i shuddnt be answering but what i CAN say is that going at a fully-allowed speed in a car, youre going about one-tenth of what the plane is going in the air.