Mach Number Explained: What It Is and Why Pilots Use It
Pilot Institute
JULY 11, 2025
That’s the speed your airspeed indicator shows based on ram air pressure in the pitot tube. For most aircraft with highly cambered wings or thick profiles, airflow accelerates over the top of the wing. The result is a region of separated, turbulent flow behind the shock. So you might be flying at, say, Mach 0.85
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