Mach Number Explained: What It Is and Why Pilots Use It
Pilot Institute
JULY 11, 2025
Why don’t they use Indicated Airspeed just like the pilots who fly slower aircraft? Key Takeaways Mach number is a dimensionless ratio of true airspeed to local speed of sound. That’s the speed your airspeed indicator shows based on ram air pressure in the pitot tube. Here’s why. roughly) up to about Mach 5.0.
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