The Asked

Chapter 09 — Big & Curious

How do planes fly?

Wings are shaped so air moves faster over the top than the bottom, creating lower pressure above (lift). Engines provide the forward thrust that keeps that airflow going; the tail keeps the whole thing stable.

Follow-up questions

Why don't they fall when engines fail?

They glide — a jet at cruise altitude can glide 100+ miles without power. Pilots train for this.

What causes turbulence?

Uneven air — jet streams, storms, mountains, temperature boundaries. Uncomfortable, almost never dangerous.

Why do we take off into the wind?

Wind over the wing adds lift, so you need less ground speed to fly.

How safe is flying?

The safest way to travel by orders of magnitude — roughly one fatal accident per 5 million commercial flights.

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