I saw the MythBusters episode, too.

I have a problem with what they said they were going to do versus what they did do.

They said the tarp would be moving the same speed as the plane, but in the opoosite direction. Well, the plane moved forward on the tarp (relative to a stationary observer) before taking off, meaning that the plane was obviously moving faster than the tarp.

Whether or not it is actually possible to move the tarp as fast as the plane could possibly go, it would be physically impossible to generate lift if the experiment had been performed in the way the question was posed. (Therefore, the pilot was NOT wrong...or at least, not proven wrong)

A better conclusion would have been, "we were unable to move the tarp fast enough to prove or disprove anything."

no, youre flat out wrong.

you can move the tarp as fast as you want, and the plane will still move forward. because the tarp/ground/treadmill had NOTHING to do with the plane moving forward. the wheels have no connection at all to the forward motion of the plane. and they proved that.

if, after watching the episode and reading the synopsis on here, you still dont get it, chances are good that you never will.

I dont think, it was done correctly.

I don't think it can be done correctly. Either way, propeller plane or a jet, the engines are pushing the air, the plane is GOING to move forward.

My point of view was, Could the plane take off from a stationary position relative to the ground. Obviously, in that experiment at least, the plane was moving forward. All the tarp succeeded in doing as spinning the wheels twice as fast.

some reading material:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/060203.html

The only thing that would POSSIBLY stop the plane from taking off are the wheel bearings holding the wheels back from going faster, which isn't possible at all. There is no power being transmitted to the ground, it'* all wind power, therefore it would still take off. The only way to stop a plane from taking off, without chocking the wheels or disabling any part of the plane, is to put it in a wind tunnel.

How about on a dyno. You know, the kind with the two drums underground that the tire sits between. No brakes or anything though, just free wheeling. Would it just hop over the front drum, or would they start spinning?

From The Man himself

If the treadmill is moving as fast as the plane, that just means the wheels are spinning twice as fast. The ground speed is absolutely irrelevent to a plane'* ability to take off. The ground could move 10 times faster than the plane in any direction, it'll still take off.

Only wind speed affects lift. Ground speed doesn't affect wind speed

Think about this: wind tunnels don't need a threadmill to produce some sort of result.