Airspeed and altitude question?
Ok here's one for you smart people...
This is off topic for the air racing section but since traffic here is a bit slow with everyone off on vacation travels for spring break, what to heck.
With my tendency toward a wandering mind, a thought just came to me. Since altitude affects true airspeed and relative airspeed due to density, what about wind speed and the effect on objects, both human and, let's say.. dust.
Let's say, a 25 MPH wind speed at the 5,000 or so feet at the Reno Stead Airport is blowing and picking up dust and FOD, I'm going to assume that, the velocity of that wind would, in fact, be the same, in ground speed as a 25 MPH wind here at 30 feet above sea level where I live..
Here's the question, due to the density of the air in that 25 MPH wind, would the effect on objects be reletive to the air density?
Let's say, the velocity of that wind necessary to move a given micron sized dust particle, for instance. Since the density of the air moving at a given velocity would be different at the two altitudes, would it take a higher velocity at 5,000 feet to move the same dust particle than it would at 30 feet above sea level?
Dumb question? Maybe....
Wandering mind??
You BET!
Ok... *sigh* back to more productive thought processes..
Wayne
This is off topic for the air racing section but since traffic here is a bit slow with everyone off on vacation travels for spring break, what to heck.
With my tendency toward a wandering mind, a thought just came to me. Since altitude affects true airspeed and relative airspeed due to density, what about wind speed and the effect on objects, both human and, let's say.. dust.
Let's say, a 25 MPH wind speed at the 5,000 or so feet at the Reno Stead Airport is blowing and picking up dust and FOD, I'm going to assume that, the velocity of that wind would, in fact, be the same, in ground speed as a 25 MPH wind here at 30 feet above sea level where I live..
Here's the question, due to the density of the air in that 25 MPH wind, would the effect on objects be reletive to the air density?
Let's say, the velocity of that wind necessary to move a given micron sized dust particle, for instance. Since the density of the air moving at a given velocity would be different at the two altitudes, would it take a higher velocity at 5,000 feet to move the same dust particle than it would at 30 feet above sea level?
Dumb question? Maybe....
Wandering mind??
You BET!
Ok... *sigh* back to more productive thought processes..
Wayne
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