The struggles of the ordinary aircraft.

There is no doubt in my mind that at least once in your life you have sat and really pondered over the miracle that is modern day flight. We sit at the airport and we watch planes come and go. Scientists and engineers have explained and demonstrated the principles behind flight, yet it ceases to be anything but a miracle. When I was first informed as to how an aircraft produces lift, I was a bit lost because it went against what I had originally thought. I was told that the movement of the airfoil surface (wings) through air creates an area of lower pressure above the wing compared to that below the wing, and that the tendency of objects to move from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure is essentially what takes place when an airplane flies. I had originally thought that flight was a reaction from air hitting the under surface of the wings as they move through the air, but, as we get older we get wiser. This new found knowledge, that goes way more in depth by the way, has done nothing but caused me to be even more in awe of flight. Take for instance a Boeing 747 aircraft. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 735,000 lb (333,400 kg)! That is a lot of weight! Yet it takes off and disappears into the clouds with such grace.

What seems at times to be effortless is not necessarily the case, as an aircraft has multiple factors to overcome before it even takes off. Two of these are drag and the airplane's own weight. Drag is described as the force that works in a direction opposite to that force which moves the aircraft forward (thrust), while weight is the pull of gravity on the aircraft. Many things have been put in place to limit the effects of drag. The most prominent being to style and shape the aircraft so that it moves more freely through the air; this makes it more aerodynamic. To overcome the weight of the aircraft, the wings must be able to generate enough lifting force (lift), while at the same time be able to support the weight of the aircraft. Therefore, during all phases of flight from take off to landing, an aircraft is consistently being opposed. There is always something trying to stop it from doing what it wants to do, fly.

Life can be complicated while at the same time being simple. We go to work with our goals in mind and work hard for days, weeks, month, and years in order to achieve those goals only to have something or someone oppose, disrupt and impede our progress. The complicated route in dealing with such would be to make a huge fuss about it and possibly give up, but the simple route is that displayed by all aircraft. If we do nothing, then there will be no opposition, and while being opposed, the best thing to do is to keep doing. That way is the only way we will accomplish our goals.


Reference
http://www.boeing.com/boeing/commercial/747family/pf/pf_classics.page