"James Dandy" wrote in message
m...
Hey, I read your topic concerning aircraft stopping in midair and
would like to ask another question that I hope isn't considered
stupid.

Here goes, "why" is it so hard to believe?

I once went to an air show in New York when I was much younger and
there was an airplane that did stunts in the air.

It was a propeller plane which I don't know what kind and it did a
whole string of fancy flying that had the crowd in awe.

One of the flyer"s moves put the aircraft in a loop than a climb. We
watched for the next trick but then the plane's motor cut out and he
just stopped in the air. We all looked up and it just sat there for a
minute, not moving.

Is this considered really stopped or was the altitude making it an
optical illusion?


Its possible for an aircraft to have zero ground speed if its stall speed
is lower than wind speed

I recall seeing a Fiesler Storch apparently hovering at an air show but
what was happening was there was a stiff breeze blowing so its
airspeed was above the region where a stall would occur but it was
basically standing still with regard to the ground.

Keith