An aircraft carrier operating in the Persian Gulf is about to receive aircraft. There is a wind from the north at 10kts. In preparation to receive aircraft. the Captain orders the carrier to alter its heading to bring the ship directly into the wind and orders the ship to maintain a speed of 30kts through the water. The first jet approaches the carrier while the cockpit instruments indicate that the aircraft is maintaining a constant airspeed pf exactly 150kts.

Oddly, there are 3 observers watching the first jet on its final approach to "touchdown".

The 1st observer- is located in a observation ballon 150 feet above the carrier's deck and a few hundred feet distant from the carrier.

The 2nd observer- is located on a life boat a hundred feet off the port side of the carrier

The 3rd observer- is located on the deck of the carrier.

Question- From each observer's point of view, what is the apparent speed of the jet as it makes its approach to the carrier's deck?

the seat where the pilot sits...

The plane airspeed 150kts, the plane speed over ground 140kts, the plane relative to the deck of the ship 140-30

The balloon is moving at 10kts, the lifboat at zero kts,

what speed does each observer view?

1st observer= 10kts?
2nd observer= 140kts?
3rd observer= 110kts?

is that what your saying?

the answer is dragonballs....simple as that.

To determine the apparent speed of the jet from each observer's point of view, we need to consider the relative motion between the jet and the observer. The key factor here is the wind speed and direction.

1st Observer (in the observation balloon):
The observation balloon is located a few hundred feet distant from the carrier, meaning it is quite far from the jet's flight path. Therefore, the wind direction and speed should have the least impact on the apparent speed observed by this observer. Assuming the jet is flying directly towards the observer in a straight line, the apparent speed should be approximately the same as the jet's true airspeed. Therefore, the apparent speed of the jet observed by the 1st observer is 150 knots.

2nd Observer (on the lifeboat):
The lifeboat is located 100 feet off the port side of the carrier, which means it is closer to the flight path of the jet. However, it is important to consider the effect of the wind. Since the wind is coming from the north at 10 knots, it will have a perpendicular component to the jet's flight path. As the jet approaches the observer from the front, the wind will make it appear slower. To calculate the apparent speed, we need to find the vector difference between the jet's true airspeed and the wind vector.

Assuming the jet is flying directly into the wind, the apparent speed observed from the 2nd observer is given by the magnitude of the vector sum of the jet's true airspeed (150 knots) and the wind's perpendicular component (10 knots). Using basic vector addition, we can calculate the magnitude of the result:

Apparent speed = sqrt((150)^2 + (10)^2) = sqrt(22500 + 100) = sqrt(22600) ≈ 150.43 knots

Therefore, the apparent speed of the jet observed by the 2nd observer is approximately 150.43 knots.

3rd Observer (on the deck of the carrier):
The observer on the carrier's deck is stationary relative to the carrier, which is moving at a speed of 30 knots through the water. Therefore, the observer is already compensating for the carrier's motion, and there is no additional adjustment needed for apparent speed. So, the apparent speed of the jet observed by the 3rd observer on the deck of the carrier is equal to the jet's true airspeed, which is 150 knots.

In summary, the apparent speed of the jet as it makes its approach to the carrier's deck is approximately:
- 150 knots for the 1st observer (in the observation balloon),
- 150.43 knots for the 2nd observer (on the lifeboat),
- and 150 knots for the 3rd observer (on the deck of the carrier).