[LASS Soaring] "Tiny Airspeed Recorders From Winged Shadow"

[Ryan Woebkenberg]

A sailplane in a vertical dive does have absolute position based speed.  The GPS records a 3 dimensional position several times a second.  This 3 dimensional position can be used to compute speed in the dive (absolute speed, not airspeed).  
 
I'm playing Gordy today.  :-)  You did not answer why soaring pilots should care about handheld GPS devices...  And it has nothing to do with putting them in the plane...
 
Ryan


From: GordySoar at aol.comDate: Wed, 26 Sep 2007 09:38:12 -0400To: soaring at louisvillesoaring.orgSubject: [LASS Soaring] "Tiny Airspeed Recorders From Winged Shadow"

handheld GPS 
Ground speed versus airspeed.
 
Its a toss up as to which gives you what. and of course whether anyone really cares 
 
A sailplane in a vertical dive has no ground speed...and airspeed into a variable head wind ...varies.
 
Mostly, like the altitude thing, it can add some fun to the hobby.
 
Gordy


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