Help me with my mat problem?!!?

Question

A twin-engined aircraft can fly 720 miles form city A To city B in 4 hours with the wind and make the return trip in 6 hours against the wind. What is the speed of the wind?

Answer 1

Good job Appollo. Not sure I could have come up with the answer and I've been a professional pilot for forty years. In my defense however, once I've landed after a round trip like that, I could care less what the windspeed was. Need to know that before I take off. There ya go. We pilots always have an excuse for not knowing something. When we don't we make one up.

Answer 2

Ground Speed A to B = 720 miles / 4 hours = 180 mph

Ground Speed B to A = 720 miles / 6 hours = 120 mph

Aircraft Speed + Wind = 180 mph

Aircraft Speed - Wind = 120 mph

Aircraft Speed = 180 - W

Aircraft Speed = 120 + W

180 - W = 120 + W

180 - 120 = 2W

60 = 2W

30 mph = Wind

OR the easy-er way

(Ground Speed 1 - Ground Speed 2) / 2

[(720/4) - (720/6)] / 2 = 30