PHYSICS

A fully loaded airliner weighs hundreds of tonnes, yet it climbs into the sky. Gravity pulls it down constantly. To stay aloft, the wings must produce an upward force called lift that matches or exceeds weight. Lift does not come from magic or from the engines pushing the plane up. Engines push the plane forward; the wings interact with moving air to generate lift. Understanding flight means understanding how air flows around a specially shaped wing and how that flow creates forces strong enough to conquer gravity.