If travelling with a strong following wind, the journey could take close to 10 hours, whereas a resisting wind may extend the time of the flight somewhere close to 12 hours. The assisting or resisting wind comes into play by acting on the surfaces of the plane. The major resistance of the plane is caused by all front-facing areas to the direction of the wind. For example, the front edge of the wings, although a small area, causes the air to change from it’s direction of flow, thereby causing resistance. Any surface area facing the direction of the wind will cause resistance and provide a surface for the wind to push against, whether it be in an assisting or resisting manner. The higher the speed of the wind, the more effect it has on the speed of the aircraft. To work out the drag on a plane’s wing, you use the equation D = Adv2. ‘D’ is the drag resultant, where ‘A’ is the surface area of the wing of the plane, with ‘d’ being the density of air and ‘v’ being the velocity of the aircraft.
