Originally Posted by
drac1
HUH? NOT all the comments are about ground speed. Someone posted that the plane doesn't care about wind. I was just saying that the plane does care about wind.
Of course wind affects ground speed.
The plane ONLY cares about wind in reference to the ground i.e take off and landing (x-wind component-you have to line up with the runway) & navigating (you have to arrive at the airport at some time) which ironically is on the ground! In free flight steady state wind has no effect on the airplane, only ground speed and track. The plane always sees the same IAS. Ground speed and course change with the wind.