How do airplanes fly?
For grown-ups: the science
Airplanes fly when air moving around their wings pushes the wings upward more strongly than gravity pulls down.
Engines provide thrust, moving the airplane forward through the air. Wings produce lift by creating a pressure pattern around the wing and by deflecting air downward; these are linked descriptions of the same airflow. An airplane climbs when lift exceeds its weight, and its control surfaces help it steer.
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Transcript
A big airplane rolls down the runway, then lifts into the sky. How can something so heavy go up?
The engines push the airplane forward very fast. Fast-moving air flows around its wings.
A wing is shaped and tilted so it guides air downward. The air pushes the wing upward at the same time.
When that upward push is stronger than gravity pulling down, the airplane rises. The pilot uses the wings and tail to steer.
So airplanes fly because their wings guide air downward, and the air pushes them up.