Glad You Asked: How do planes stay in the air?

 

Here's a question that maybe you aren't sure you want to be thinking about next time you fly.

How do airplanes stay in the air?

Glad you asked

"It has to do with the shape of the wings." said Harold Mester, Mitchell International Airport marketing & public relations manager. "So, when the engines cause the plane to accelerate and that wing is going through the air. The bottom of the wing is flat."

"The top of the wing is actually curved. So the air moving over the top of the wing has to move faster to get past the wing. It creates an area of low pressure. So, there's low pressure above the wing, high pressure below the wing. That means the wing rises."

This is a simple explanation. Of course, flight is much more complex than this but these are the general principles behind it.

Have a curious question you'd like answered on the next Glad You Asked? Ask away! If you've always wondered about something ask Mike Curkov on his Facebook page, on Twitter or email him at [email protected].