What does true airspeed refer to?

True airspeed is defined as the actual speed of an aircraft relative to the surrounding air. This measurement considers the effects of altitude and temperature, which can influence the density of the air. It provides a more accurate assessment of the aircraft's performance and operational efficiency compared to the indicated airspeed, which may not account for these variables.

When calculating true airspeed, the pilot takes into account any wind conditions affecting the aircraft. This means that if a plane is flying with a tailwind, true airspeed would reflect the added speed provided by that wind, while a headwind would reduce the true airspeed relative to the ground. Thus, the correct choice is that true airspeed is the speed corrected for wind conditions.

In contrast, indicated speed on the dial does not offer a true measure of the aircraft's performance due to the factors mentioned, speed adjusted only for altitude neglects wind effects, and ground speed merely indicates the speed at which the aircraft is moving across the ground, unrelated to the actual performance and efficiency in the air.