wrote in message
ups.com...


The Original Question said that the treadmill speed was such as
to counter wheel speed so that the airplane stood still. That's what I
was thinking.

That's where you fell into the trap. The statement was that the treadmill
moves backwards at the same speed as the airplane is moving forward - it
didn't say that the airplane stood still (but that's the conclusion it
wanted you to reach). But, since the propeller and not the wheels is
driving the plane forward it doesn't matter how fast the belt on the
treadmill runs backwards, the plane will still move forward.

No airspeed, no lift. Period. Propeller or jet blast is not going
to lift the airplane. We need forward motion relative to the
atmosphere, or a really strong headwind.