Why does a plane look and feel like it’s moving more slowly than it actually is?
- Written by Sara Nelson, Director of the NASA Iowa Space Grant Consortium, Iowa State University
However, there are a couple of ways you might be able to understand just how fast you are moving.
Can you see the plane’s shadow[7] on the ground? It can give you perspective on how fast the plane is moving relative to the ground. If you are lucky enough to spot it, you will be amazed at how fast the plane’s shadow passes over buildings and roads. You can get a real sense of the 575 mph average speed of a cruising passenger plane.
Another way to understand how fast you are moving is to note how fast thin, spotty cloud cover moves over the wing. This reference point gives you another way to “see” or perceive your speed. Remember though, that clouds aren’t typically stationary[8]; they’re just moving very slow relative to the plane.
Although it can be difficult to discern just how fast a plane is actually moving, using reference points to gain perspective can help tremendously.
Has your interest in aviation been sparked? If so, there are a lot of great career opportunities in aeronautics[9].
Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com[10]. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.
And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you’re wondering, too. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.
References
- ^ Curious Kids (theconversation.com)
- ^ curiouskidsus@theconversation.com (theconversation.com)
- ^ A passenger jet flies (www.flyingmag.com)
- ^ I am an aerospace educator (www.engineering.iastate.edu)
- ^ contrails (www.nasa.gov)
- ^ Saul Loeb/AFP via GettyImages (www.gettyimages.com)
- ^ see the plane’s shadow (www.istockphoto.com)
- ^ clouds aren’t typically stationary (www.coolkidfacts.com)
- ^ in aeronautics (www.nasa.gov)
- ^ CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com (theconversation.com)
Authors: Sara Nelson, Director of the NASA Iowa Space Grant Consortium, Iowa State University