Think about when you’re riding in a car or train. If you’re not speeding up or braking suddenly, you can still throw a paper airplane as if you weren’t moving.
The air around earth is similar. It’s moving with the earth’s rotation and travel through space. That’s why it’s lucky space is virtually empty. If it weren’t, the air would blow away with anything else not tied down. Like riding in a convertible!
albinogoth t1_j6p6xfp wrote
Reply to ELI5: If the earth rotates (towards the east), how do planes fly? by [deleted]
Think about when you’re riding in a car or train. If you’re not speeding up or braking suddenly, you can still throw a paper airplane as if you weren’t moving.
The air around earth is similar. It’s moving with the earth’s rotation and travel through space. That’s why it’s lucky space is virtually empty. If it weren’t, the air would blow away with anything else not tied down. Like riding in a convertible!