Originally Posted by
FlightDetent
It's inertia, INTBH. Those 20k+ pilots must have flown commercially, i.e. heavier planes, where the effect can be seen. Although like you say the craft is moving within a practically uniform parcel of air, Newton's laws still apply. The inertial system is the spheres, so the physics is there.
I have no claim how pronounced or measurable the effect is on those beauties with low wing loading, but our aircraft do show. Level flight, fixed thrust, steady heading with 90° cross-wind: there is a difference in which way you'd turn.
I think your problem is that you can’t see air, and can’t stop seeing ground. If you are flying at 60kts, with a 60kts crosswind, a turn into the wind gets you a ground speed of 0kts (don’t worry, you won’t stall), if you then turn towards tailwind it will give you a 120kts ground speed (don’t worry, you won’t over speed). While all this happens, your airspeed and tas stay the same. How I try to explain it to new pilots: As soon as you are out of ground effect the wind doesn’t impact HOW the airplane flies, the wind is just something that moves the ground underneath the air. If you are above a layer of clouds you have no idea what the wind on the ground is, neither does your plane. The only thing the wind does, it moves your destination, so you have to take it into account for navigation.
The part where people in the pattern get into trouble is by not anticipating the wind and correcting their pattern for it. People spin/stall turning base/final because the picture is different with strong tailwind than calm air and if you don’t start your turn early you will have to increase bank angle, you are faster across the ground so you slow down......
with a tailwind on base, keep your pattern wide, and look at your INDICATED speed.