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How does a headwind component affect groundspeed?

Choices

✓ It decreases groundspeedcorrect
A headwind component slows the aircraft over the ground.
It increases groundspeed
A tailwind, not a headwind, increases groundspeed.
It has no effect on groundspeed
Wind directly changes groundspeed.
It only affects indicated airspeed
Wind affects groundspeed, not indicated airspeed.

Why

A headwind component reduces groundspeed while a tailwind component increases it, which is why wind must be included when computing leg times.

FAA source: PHAK Ch. 16 / wind trianglebrowse the reference library →

This is taught in Wind, Groundspeed, Time and Distance — study the lessons free, then practice with grading and mastery tracking.

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Original study question written for this course — representative of FAA knowledge-test topics, not an actual current FAA exam question. Reviewed by a panel of three CFIs + AI review.