Originally Posted by
Clinton McKenzie
(On the weekend I watched a very graceful bird flying 'backwards'. Heading west into a stiff breeze but tracking east along a waterfront, looking for juicy morsels. Airspeed 25 kms per hour, heading 270. Groundspeed 5 kms per hour, track 090. How does knowing the bird's IAS is 25 kms per hour help avoid a collision with it?)
Because if the African swallow directly behind it is flying at 35 km per hour, it will likely collide with your bird, prematurely dropping its coconut on the unsuspecting member of the public below.