Four forces keep an airplane in the sky. They’re lift, weight, thrust and drag.

The Lift force pulls the airplane up. The way air moves around the wings gives the airplane lift.

Weight is the force that pushes the airplane toward Earth. Airplanes are built on that their weight is
spread from front to back. If the weight is too heavy the airplane can’t lift.

Thrust is the force that moves the airplane forward. Engines must be powerful enough to give thrust
to airplanes.

Drag slows the airplane, because it’s a force against the strong wind. If the wind is too strong the
airplane doesn’t move forward.

An airplane flies when all four forces work together