Settle a bet: Mach speeds

No, you are exposed to the headwind for a longer time. Any wind from any
direction will increase your round trip time. Al (a very old flight
instructor)

"Mike Marron" wrote in message
...
Mike Marron wrote:

Speaking of winds and such, as an "old fart" flight instructor myself
(it's all downhill after 40, right?) here is a little homemade
question that I find many aviators both military and civil routinely
get wrong:

If you takeoff from airport "A" and fly 200 miles into a 20 mph
headwind to airport "B" at 100 mph (TAS) and then turn around and
fly back to airport "B" now with a 20 mph tailwind at the same TAS
will you complete the roundtrip flight in the same time as if you had
made the flight in no-wind conditions?

Yea or nay?

(Correct answer gets a cigar and large bucket of his favorite
drink....)


Oops!

The above question should read, "...turn around and fly back to
airport "A" now with a 20 mph tailwind at the same TAS."

In other words, if you takeoff from airport "A" and fly 200 miles into
a 20 mph headwind to airport "B" at 100 mph (TAS) and then turn around
and fly back to airport "A" now with a 20 mph tailwind at the same TAS
will you complete the roundtrip flight in the same time as if you had
made the flight in no-wind conditions?