I'm curious as to why if you went up in a helicopter or some type of flying craft, and just floated above a city like Seattle, when you came back
down in about 3 hours why would you land in the exact same place?
If the earth is rotating wouldn't you end up somewhere else on the earth?
If you're inside a car that's traveling at 100km/h, and you hold up an object and let it go. It doesn't fly into the back seat. It just drops
straight down onto the floor. Similar situation here.
The earth's atmosphere is also being dragged along by the rotational spin as it is also bound by gravity + drag. The sheering off point of the
atmosphere happends at high altitude and is the reason for the jet stream so for you to be able to stay stationary relative to the point you left the
ground you would need to rise above this sheer point.
Sadly a Helo's cannot reach this altitude so the point in question is moot.