An aircraft is climbing at a constant 350 knots IAS. What change in TAS occurs as altitude increases?

When an aircraft climbs at a constant indicated airspeed (IAS) of 350 knots, as altitude increases, its true airspeed (TAS) will increase. This phenomenon occurs due to the decrease in air density with altitude.

Indicated airspeed is a measurement of how fast the aircraft is moving relative to the surrounding air, but it does not account for changes in air density. As altitude increases, the air becomes less dense, which means that the same indicated airspeed corresponds to a higher true airspeed.

The relationship between IAS and TAS is dependent on altitude and temperature. At higher altitudes, the aircraft can maintain the same IAS while actually traveling faster through the air (higher TAS) because there are fewer air molecules for the aircraft to interact with. Thus, despite maintaining an IAS of 350 knots, the TAS will be greater at higher altitudes due to the changing density of the atmosphere.

This understanding is critical for pilots to ensure accurate calculations related to fuel consumption, flight time, and navigation, as TAS is an important factor in these areas.