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Ground Speed Calculator

Formula

The formula to calculate the ground speed is:

$V_g = \cos(a) \times v_{tas} + ws$

Where:

Vg is the ground velocity/speed
a is the angle between the horizon and the path of the aircraft in the vertical plane
vtas is the true airspeed
ws is the wind speed

Ground speed is defined as the horizontal component of the velocity of an aircraft relative to the Earth's surface.

Example:

Step 1: Convert the angle to radians:

$a = 30^\circ = \frac{\pi}{6} \text{ radians}$

Step 2: Calculate the ground speed:

$V_g = \cos\left(\frac{\pi}{6}\right) \times 150 + 20 \approx 129.9 + 20 = 149.9 \text{ knots}$