tan theta = [MV^2/R]/[Mg] = V^2/(R*g)
Solve for the "bank" agle theta. It is the angle that the winds must be tilted from the vertical to allow a circling pattern.
You don't need the wingspan or the altitude.
I really hate these longwinded questions that make the probem seem harder than it really is.
You are flying to Chicago for a weekend away from the books. In your last physics class, you learned that the airflow over the wings of the plane creates a lift force, which acts perpendicular to the wings. When the plane is flying level, the upward lift force exactly balances the downward weight force. Since O'Hare is one of the busiest airports in the world, you are not surprised when the captain announces that the flight is in a holding pattern due to the heavy traffic. He informs the passengers that the plane will be flying in a circle of radius 5 mi at a speed of 440 mph and an altitude of 24,000 ft. From the safety information card, you know that the total length of the wingspan of the plane is 275 ft. From this information, estimate the banking angle of the plane relative to the horizontal.
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