THE FOUR TYPES OF AIRSPEED

1. INDICATED AIR SPEED ( IAS ).

This is the speed that is read off the airspeed indicator and it is referenced for speed changes.
At sea level and with no wind effect, the airspeed indicated is the true speed of the aircraft
relative to the ground. With an increase in altitude , the density of air increases and the
indicated airspeed is less than the true airspeed. However, the indicated air speed is of greater
importance when it comes to controlling the aircraft because the flight characteristics also
change with the density decrease

2. TRUE AIRSPEED ( TAS )

This is the speed of the aircraft relative to the air it is flying through. It is not measured directly
but calculated using a flight calculator. It does not reflect the aircraft’s performance in real time

3. CALIBRATED AIRSPEED (CAS )

This is indicated airspeed corrected for errors. It is useful;
• In navigation as it allows the pilot read the true airspeed directly from the cockpit
displays as it is between the IAS and TAS. However, this application was rendered
redundant by the use of GPS.
• In aircraft control since it describes the dynamic pressure acting on the aircraft’s
surfaces regardless of the existing conditions of temperature, pressure altitude or wind.
This application still remains critical as at a given weight the aircraft will climb, rotate,
stall or fly at approximately the same calibrated airspeeds regardless of elevation and
changing true and indicated air speeds.

4. EQUIVALENT AIRSPEED ( EAS )

This is the speed at sea level that would produce the same incompressible dynamic pressure
as the TAS at the altitude the aircraft is flying.
OR
It is the CAS corrected for adiabatic compressible flow at the altitude of flight. At sea level, EAS
and CAS are the same. At low altitudes and speeds , the difference is negligible but at higher
ones, the CAS must be corrected for compressibility error to get the EAS.
It’s significance is that at Mach numbers below the onset of wave drag , the aerodynamic forces
and moments on an aircraft are proportional to the square of the EAS.