Pilot Institute
JULY 11, 2025
Key Takeaways Mach number is a dimensionless ratio of true airspeed to local speed of sound. Mach number is simply a ratio of your true airspeed to the local speed of sound. Air density drops with altitude, so for a given true speed, dynamic pressure (and thus IAS) will be lower at high altitudes. Here’s why.
Professional Pilot
JULY 7, 2025
Aeronautical engineers improve continually on that imbalance with better airfoils and powerplants along with aircraft designs and materials to reduce weight and drag. In addition, decreased air density also decreases ram air pressure, meaning a indicated airspeed from a pressure-based airspeed indicator will read lower than the true airspeed.
Flying Magazine
MAY 1, 2024
The majority of the lift generated by an unstalled airfoil is always concentrated near the front, and moving a trailing-edge flap up or down changes the flow conditions at the leading edge. degrees), “b” is the wingspan, and “V” is the true airspeed (in the same units as the wingspan).
Expert insights. Personalized for you.
Let's personalize your content