Quote Originally Posted by ThaABomb
Alright, I think there are several different interpretations of this question floating around, and that is where all the confusion is coming from. If the plane is moving relative to the belt, but is stationary relative to the air, it will not take off (which is the point that I have been attempting to argue, though now it seems like I missed the point of the question). If an airplane is on a belt that is moving backwards, it can overcome the rearward speed of the belt to achieve takeoff speed (relative to the air), and in that case, will take off. However, in the latter case, the airplane isn't "matching" the speed of the belt, which is why I didn't think this was the scenario the question was asking about. The stated the the speed of the airplane and the speed of the treadmill were "matching", which I understood to mean that the plane was not moving through the air. Apparently I misunderstood the question. My apologies.
what a way to back pedal and not sound like a moron..... Nope you still are.