You asked us – how is it that airplanes can remain in the air for a long time?
I know some of you probably have been wondering if it’s some kind of magic. Well, it’s not.
Thankfully, the physics that keeps an airplane aloft is a bit more down to earth.
In simple terms, planes are held aloft by lift, the force generated when air flows over and under an airplane wing simultaneously. Air travels faster over the curved top of the wing than below it. That reduces air pressure on the wing from above. Voilà! Lift! (Though admittedly it’s a bit more complicated than that.)
As long as the plane moves forward through the air, propelled by jet engines or propellers, this lift-generating principle applies. If the forward motion falters… well, as NASA puts, “No motion, no lift.”
