Groundspeed is the speed of an aircraft relative to the ground or the Earth’s surface. It is a crucial parameter in aviation, particularly for navigation, flight planning, and understanding an aircraft’s actual movement over the Earth’s surface. Groundspeed takes into account the aircraft’s true airspeed and the effect of wind.
Formula for Groundspeed (GS): The formula for calculating Groundspeed is relatively straightforward:
- Groundspeed (GS): The speed of the aircraft relative to the ground, typically measured in meters per second (m/s), kilometers per hour (km/h), or knots (kt).
- True Airspeed (TAS): The actual speed of the aircraft relative to the air mass in which it is flying, typically measured in meters per second (m/s), kilometers per hour (km/h), or knots (kt).
- Wind Component: This represents the effect of wind on the aircraft’s speed. It can be positive or negative, depending on whether the wind is a headwind (slowing the aircraft) or a tailwind (increasing the aircraft’s speed).