No, a plane cannot fly faster than the Earth rotates.
The Earth's rotation significantly impacts flight dynamics. Here's a breakdown:
- Air Movement: The Earth's rotation carries the atmosphere along with it due to gravity. This includes the air through which airplanes fly.
- Rotational Speed: At the equator, the Earth rotates at a speed approximately twice as fast as a commercial jet can fly. According to the reference, while this speed decreases closer to the poles, it's still faster than a plane's airspeed.
- Reference: 01-Aug-2019
In simpler terms, even though a plane can fly at a high speed relative to the air around it, the air itself is already moving at a faster rate due to the Earth's rotation, especially near the equator.
