"Damian" wrote in message
...
Paul...dont look now, but that airplane is NOT flying off the ground until
the AIRSPEED is up...the treadmill is only moving the TIRES, that means
diddly squat to an airplane.

Damian, don't look now but Paul is exactly right (except for his rude
nature, of course).

The treadmill is irrelevant to the airplane's motion. If the airplane is
stationary on the treadmill, it's because it has a headwind the same speed
as the treadmill and enough thrust to fly into the headwind at the same
speed as the treadmill. Of course, the wheels will be turning on the
treadmill, but only because the treadmill is rotating them against the
air-based stationary nature of the airplane.

Without a suitable headwind for the airplane to fly into, the treadmill
would just push the airplane backward. Airplanes don't use their wheels for
transmitting power to forward motion (most don't, anyway ).

Pete