Quote:
Originally posted by MattyX:

The plane's instruments would not indicate any speed at all if it was throttled down (no power) and the plane was stationairy. If the plane was throttled up (powered) then the plane would move forward (relative to the ground, not the conveyor) and the "wing passenger" would feel wind.
Throttle up/down... whatever. You knew what I was getting at.

Now -- We have already established that an outside observer viewing the plane on the conveyor belt would see it as a stationary object because of the matching speeds between the conveyor belt and the plane.

Are you absolutely sure that a person sitting on that wing would feel the rushing wind on their face... even though the observer is experiencing no wind on what is otherwise a non-windy day?

I ask because that is the key to the entire scenario and the flight of the aircraft in this hypothetical situation. None of the other peripheral issues being added to the discussion matter. That is the entire key.