Plane on a treadmill poll...

[chuck]

Ok...I will try this again. Plane is standing still on a runway which works like a treadmill. Plane starts engine and begins to move forward. Thrust is provided by propellers or jets, doesn't matter. Forward motion has begun. Treadmill now begins to turn because plane has speed (otherwise known as motion). Plane continues to speed up due to thrust of engines. Treadmill continues to speed up as well. The only thing that the treadmill touches on the aircraft is the wheels. As defined by the original question, the wheels are free spinning, which means that they are not part of the drivetrain of the aircraft and provide no thrust, and they have no resistance which means that they can spin as fast at they want. By the time that the plane is traveling 100mph, the treadmill is going the opposite direction at the same speed, therefore turning the wheels at the speed of 200 miles per hour. Once the plane reaches it's lift speed, it will take of just like any other plane because of the lift of the air moving past the wings. Keep in mind, this treadmill is just as long as a regular runway and the plane moves from one end to the other and there is air so the plane will take off just like a plane would on a regular runway.

well that kinda makes sense, but the plane would have to work harder to take off...
but i am under the impression that the plane isn't traveling down the runway since the runway is going the same speed, weather it be 500 miles long or 500 feet long, i thought it was just sitting in place with the ground (treadmill) moving under it....so the air isn't moving at all