IOS – Can you share a Wi-Fi connection using Personal Hotspot

If you plug any cellular enabled iOS device with Personal Hotspot turned on to a Mac via USB, the Mac will automatically open a network connection using the Personal Hotspot.

So yes, your Macbook Air will be the 1 connection you see.

The second part of your question is a little trickier and the answer is both complex and confusing but I will try to explain as best I can.

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Based on older knowledge with other multiple interface *nix systems is that it will be a complete toss up as to which connection your Mac will use since both active connections could possible provide the same route to the destination for any network query.

I have even seen, on both Windows and Unix networks, traffic coming in on one network connection and going out on another, which rarely works well.

To get round this, in the Network panel you could disable the "iPad USB" in your default location, but then set up a new location where your "iPad USB" is not disabled.

Finally, the order of your devices should mean that if your wifi is above the iPad USB device in your list when both are enabled, it will get priority over the hotspot, but there are still caveats and this could still use cellular data, but of a lesser amount.

Personal Hotspot mode detaches the device from any network and is intended to make all data flow to and from the cellular account. If you pulled the SIM card your plan just might work as a stunt to connect two laptops in the absence of another router, but it certainly won't extend an existing wireless network in the manner you describe.