Which speed is defined as the speed relative to the air, accounting for altitude and temperature?

Which speed is defined as the speed relative to the air, accounting for altitude and temperature?

• A. Ground Speed
• B. Indicated Airspeed
• C. True Airspeed
• D. Calibrated Airspeed

Answer: (C)

True Airspeed is the actual speed of the airplane relative to the air mass it is flying through. It reflects how fast you’re moving through the surrounding air, and it depends on air density, which changes with altitude and temperature. As you climb into thinner air, or into different temperatures, the same indicated airspeed corresponds to a different motion through the air, so TAS must be corrected for those conditions. In other words, TAS uses the effects of altitude and temperature to represent how fast you’re really moving through the air, while ground speed would be affected by wind, and indicated or calibrated airspeed involves other adjustments that don’t account for density changes to the same extent.

True Airspeed is the actual speed of the airplane relative to the air mass it is flying through. It reflects how fast you’re moving through the surrounding air, and it depends on air density, which changes with altitude and temperature. As you climb into thinner air, or into different temperatures, the same indicated airspeed corresponds to a different motion through the air, so TAS must be corrected for those conditions. In other words, TAS uses the effects of altitude and temperature to represent how fast you’re really moving through the air, while ground speed would be affected by wind, and indicated or calibrated airspeed involves other adjustments that don’t account for density changes to the same extent.