Why are the airspeed limitations at lower altitudes based on indicated airspeed? It seems that groundspeed would have been more of an important factor when establishing these airspeeds.
For instance, flights below 10,000 feet MSL are limited to a max indicated of 250 knots.
If there was a direct tailwind of 50 knots, the groundspeed would be 300 knots. As far as aircraft separation is concerned, it seems as if groundspeed would be the real factor here. It also is my understanding that ATC's radar scopes display groundspeed.
Therefore, I'm back to my original question: Does anybody have any idea why airspeed limitations are based on indicated rather than groundspeed?
The following terms have been auto-detected the question above and any answers or discussion provided. Click on a term to see its definition from the Dauntless Aviation JargonBuster Glossary.