Given a distance of 300 NM and a true course of 260°, what does a wind of 245° at 45 kts suggest about groundspeed?

To understand the implications of a wind from 245° at 45 knots on the groundspeed for a true course of 260° over a distance of 300 nautical miles, we begin by analyzing the vectors involved.

The true course of 260° indicates the desired flight path, while the wind from 245° means the wind is blowing from the southwest towards the northeast. To calculate the impact of the wind on groundspeed, we need to break down the elements of the wind and the true course. The wind is coming from an angle slightly more than directly across the intended course, which can be expected to reduce the effective groundspeed heading toward the destination.

Calculating groundspeed requires considering both the true airspeed (TAS) of the aircraft and the wind's effect. Assuming an aircraft with a true airspeed that's somewhat realistic for this cruising altitude and design (not specified in the problem) interacts with the wind, we can determine how much the wind reduces or adds to the groundspeed.

Given that the answer indicates a groundspeed of 75 knots, we can infer that the combination of the aircraft's airspeed and the headwind/tailwind component from the 45-knot wind from 245° results in a net grounds