You dumbasses who think a plane that is perfectly stationary to the airflow because all of the forward thrust is being canceled out by a rearward treadmill need to wake up.

This is nothing to do with wheel bearings or glaciers. Read the original question.

The plane is thrusting forward - Yes, if it weren't for the fact that the treadmill is canceling out any actual flow against the air it would take off. Planes with air flowing over their wings take off. But planes that are perfectly stationary to the airflow don't.

Are you trying to tell me that when you work out on a treadmill you actually go somewhere? Because it has nothing to do with your feet actually touching the treadmill!!!!!! eek

Stick a forward thrusting object on something that equally matches its forward thrust with rearward motion / thrust and it won't go anywhere.

Here's another example for you dumbasses who think it will fly to think about - which actually involved movement of air.

Stick the same plane on a regular runway with a constant 200mph tail wind. Accelerate the plane so it is going 200mph (Ground Speed). Will the plane fly? No - because in essence it's air speed is 0mph. The 200mph tail wind cancels out the 200mph forward speed. Airflow over the all important wings is 0mph.