N-II GI-STVS have taken faith P Nick Stevens IT ALL has molecules invisible little pieces air allegedly work together lift airplanes off ground keep air Sounds preposterous think about next time youre up jumbo-size airliner look out window upper surface wing What see aside some flaps panels ailerons such Nothing thing looks least bit capable supporting couple hundred tons airplane passengers midair Just before scream cabin attendant probably get yourself locked baggage hold pause reflect what youve learned about basics flight theoiyin particular about something called lift theory lift supposedly pretty simple foolproof long steer clear coefficients formulas full lower-case Greek letters Molecules air stream over wing curving upwards across back down same thing happening lower surface wing lesser extent molecules flowing over upper surface spread out cover greater distance thoughtful air pressure drops below lower surface higher air pressure lower surface causes push upward harder upper surface pushes downward wing goes upor least stays instead falling works textbooks animated cartoons funny-faced molecules obediently flowing direction arrows among has ever seen molecule going anywhere whole thing smacks hoaxa way fast-talking otherwise rational people getting airplanes pretext bunch molecules will happen along exactly right time eerie little dance supposing such things must tiny no quantity could possibly collected right place right time accomplish anything productive mean organize invisible little things convince go same direction straight line theyre up some must going west some going north few heading off angle would sort balance Out work others least theyd bumping other Science shamanism thing standing way absolute proof Nobel Prize aerial studies molecular theory lift vicious plot airplanes frequently manage fly No dont always Ily should should long should time aircraft take off climb cruise descend land absence sensible explanation seeming defiance important law nature stuck dopey business about invisible units air course hasnt always way Before Wright brothers came along 1903 probably werent air molecules because people tried make airplanes fly found themselves totally lift few molecules around knew better waste time flowing around airfoils really dumb shapes mean some airfoils werc flat very small invisible things have pride doesnt mean have whole lot sense Back before us born couple bicycle mechanics hows ajob qualification tricked air molecules becoming slaves dont get paid vital work As evidence something seriously unscientific going please note Orville Wilbur never succeeded getting single bicycles fly YOU probably never thought about did Bicycles dont need molecules pedals lot larger can see cant see air molecules cant feel em cant take pictures well eveiyday kind anyway leaves faith youre charging down runway hot day wondering overloaded crate ever gonna get off faith can get pretty thin apparently believe strongly enough little molecules can friends Still can put enough trust invisible risk takeoff instinct urges otherwise air molecules really such great Iriends aviation dont know single name Dont give Molly Cool stuff either responsible making airplanes fly Id make certain everyone knew about Modesty has its place have something brag about Id really like settle once Im convinced such thing molecule air have picture tape recording send other hand know another theory explains aerodynamic lift resorting invisible things Id like hear about Fame awaits 1992 91 Some things just