Indicated Airspeed and True Airspeed

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. Mach number is simply a ratio of your true airspeed to the local speed of sound. Here’s why. What Is Mach Number?

True Airspeed

True Airspeed Pilot Indicated Airspeed Lift

Airspeed and Altitude Control Simplified: Tips for Stable Flying

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 16, 2024

If you’re aiming to get comfortable with managing both airspeed and altitude in flight, you’ll need to understand the difference between indicated airspeed (IAS) and true airspeed (TAS). Key Takeaways Airspeed and altitude are directly linked to each other throughout different phases of your flight.

True Airspeed

True Airspeed Indicated Airspeed Altimeter Lift

Classic Theory Meets Digital Computer; Status Quo Emerges Unscathed

Flying Magazine

MAY 7, 2025

These are indicated, not true, airspeeds.) Again, these are indicated airspeeds. Now, miles per gallon is a function of true airspeed, not indicated airspeed. So, since these are all naturally aspirated airplanes, I looked at their performance at 8,000 feet.

True Airspeed

True Airspeed Indicated Airspeed Knot Airplanes

Going Below Minimums

AV Web

MAY 6, 2025

However the indicated airspeed at which you circle is not the same as the true airspeed , and of course the difference increases with altitude. However the indicated airspeed at which you circle is not the same as the true airspeed , and of course the difference increases with altitude.

Runway

Runway Approach Threshold True Airspeed

Go-Around Required

Plane and Pilot

JUNE 23, 2025

While it wasn’t a particularly hot day, Big Bear’s density altitude was reported as 8,200 feet, resulting in a higher true airspeed compared to indicated airspeed. Increasing true airspeed makes the turn radius wider, resulting in an overshoot. There were other factors combining to cause the overshoot.

True Airspeed

True Airspeed Knot Runway Density Altitude

E6B Made Easy: A Beginner’s Step-by-Step Guide

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 1, 2025

This section is also needed when youre calculating your true airspeed, which you need to know to plan your flight. Calculating True Airspeed Follow steps 1-3 from the section above. Find your Calibrated Airspeed on the middle scale on the movable disk. Thats your true airspeed. Look under the grommet.

Groundspeed

Groundspeed True Airspeed Density Altitude Knot

Air pressure and density

Professional Pilot

JULY 7, 2025

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. Conversely, lower density reduces drag, because the aircraft surface encounters fewer molecules.

Density Altitude

Density Altitude Altimeter Airfoil Lift

Let’s Play it Safe

Plane and Pilot

JULY 10, 2025

Jet pilots are all aware that up in the flight levels, they thrive on the increased true airspeed that the low atmospheric density produces. Up in the flight levels, jets fly at relatively low indicated airspeed and still cruise at 7-8 miles per minute. It should not have been a surprise, but it was. So far, so good.

Density Altitude

Density Altitude Indicated Airspeed Ground Effect True Airspeed

We Fly: CubCrafters NXCub

Flying Magazine

JUNE 30, 2025

We found a flaps up, power-off stall speed of 47 mph indicated airspeed, and full-flap stall speed of 42 mph indicated. We did power versus true airspeed checks at 7,500 feet on a standard atmosphere and temperature day. gph; at 65 percent power the TAS was 140 mph and fuel burn was 11.7

Gross Weight

Gross Weight Airplanes Aileron Drag

In Defense of the Paper Nav Log

Air Facts

MARCH 10, 2025

None of these concepts are strictly necessary for flying patterns with an instructor, or for maneuvering in the practice area, but all are important both for cross-country solos and for flying as a licensed pilot who takes the V in the PAVE acronym seriously.

Checkride

Checkride Density Altitude Calibrated Airspeed True Airspeed

Indicated Airspeed Versus True Airspeed | 5 Types of Airspeed

Thrust Flight

JULY 24, 2024

In this article, we’re going to compare indicated airspeed with true airspeed and help you get a deeper understanding of the difference between the two. Like its partner in crime, the altimeter, your airspeed indicator gives you vital information about the plane you’re flying.

True Airspeed

True Airspeed Indicated Airspeed Altimeter Thrust

Indicated Airspeed (IAS)

WayMan

DECEMBER 12, 2024

When stepping into the cockpit, one of the most important instruments that a pilot relies on is the airspeed indicator. Among the metrics displayed, Indicated Airspeed (IAS) stands out as a critical measure for safe and efficient flight operations. Mastering indicated airspeed is a cornerstone of becoming a skilled pilot.

Indicated Airspeed

Indicated Airspeed True Airspeed Altimeter Cockpit

4 Different Types of Airspeed: How to Calculate Each

Pilot Institute

JANUARY 21, 2025

Airspeed guides everything from takeoff to landing and every phase in between. But did you know there are several types of airspeed, each serving a unique purpose? Like Indicated Airspeed (IAS) , Calibrated Airspeed (CAS) , True Airspeed (TAS) , and more! What Are The Different Types of Airspeed?

Calibrated Airspeed

Calibrated Airspeed True Airspeed Indicated Airspeed Groundspeed

Exploring the Intricacies of the Airspeed Indicator

Pilot's Life Blog

APRIL 9, 2024

True Airspeed vs Indicated Airspeed VS Equivalent Airspeed Since airspeed indicators use air pressure to measure speed, the indicated airspeed can be less than the actual airspeed at higher altitudes.

Pitot Tube

Pitot Tube Indicated Airspeed True Airspeed Calibrated Airspeed

Danger lurks in circling approaches

Air Facts

MAY 10, 2024

Particular attention to true airspeed vs. turn radius. What specific indicated airspeed will be flown/adhered to during the circling maneuver? For example, some aircraft limit flaps and gear in icing until on approach or forbid the use of speed brakes or require a minimum thrust setting. What speed on final approach?

Approach

Approach AGL Descent Runway

What Is Air Density? A Simple Guide for Pilots

Pilot Institute

MARCH 26, 2025

This means that if you encounter these conditions on a particular day, you would need to achieve a higher true airspeed to produce the same lift that would be generated at lower airspeeds in denser air. This increased true airspeed, along with other factors increases takeoff and landing distances.

Density Altitude

Density Altitude Pilot True Airspeed Lift

Aviation Winds Types Explained: A Pilot’s In-Depth Guide

Air

MAY 21, 2025

Can cause sudden losses or gains in indicated airspeed (IAS), directly affecting lift. – A negative value indicates tailwind. DC = arctan(TAS/Vc) Where TAS is the True Airspeed. This rapid change can occur with height or across a horizontal expanse.

Crosswind

Crosswind Wind Shear Groundspeed Flight Computer

Split-S Decision

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024

Flutter is a dangerous, complex, dynamic aeroelastic phenomenon dependent on true airspeed. The margin beyond VNE in indicated airspeed and the onset of flutter may be less than many pilots would guess. Nevertheless, the NTSB is clear. A mellow barrel roll was fine. A too-fast entry into a power-on split S was not.

True Airspeed

True Airspeed Indicated Airspeed Horizontal Stabilizer Aileron

Split-S Decision

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024

Flutter is a dangerous, complex, dynamic aeroelastic phenomenon dependent on true airspeed. The margin beyond VNE in indicated airspeed and the onset of flutter may be less than many pilots would guess. Nevertheless, the NTSB is clear. A mellow barrel roll was fine. A too-fast entry into a power-on split S was not.

True Airspeed

True Airspeed Indicated Airspeed Horizontal Stabilizer Aileron

Invisible Trap Kills Glider Pilot – How To Avoid Microbursts

Chess In the Air

JUNE 24, 2022

Without knowing the horizontal wind direction and speed at this point it is impossible to say what his indicated airspeed was. At the high density altitude at Rifle a ground speed of 92 kt would have been equivalent to an indicated airspeed of less than 80 kt.

Pilot

Pilot AGL Wind Shear Runway

Aviator Connection

Mach Number Explained: What It Is and Why Pilots Use It

Airspeed and Altitude Control Simplified: Tips for Stable Flying

Trending Sources

Classic Theory Meets Digital Computer; Status Quo Emerges Unscathed

Going Below Minimums

Go-Around Required

E6B Made Easy: A Beginner’s Step-by-Step Guide

Air pressure and density

Let’s Play it Safe

We Fly: CubCrafters NXCub

In Defense of the Paper Nav Log

Indicated Airspeed Versus True Airspeed | 5 Types of Airspeed

Indicated Airspeed (IAS)

4 Different Types of Airspeed: How to Calculate Each

Exploring the Intricacies of the Airspeed Indicator

Danger lurks in circling approaches

What Is Air Density? A Simple Guide for Pilots

Aviation Winds Types Explained: A Pilot’s In-Depth Guide

Split-S Decision

Split-S Decision

Invisible Trap Kills Glider Pilot – How To Avoid Microbursts

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