How Do Planes Fly?

Aeroplanes use the same forces and physical principles as birds to fly. Discover how man has copied nature to achieve flight. Physics - Forces - Learning Points. Flight occurs when the upward force (lift) is greater than the downward. Flight is explained by Newton's third law. Lift is achieved due to the shape of the plane's wing. The Wright brothers achieved the first sustained flight in 1903. A Twig Context Film. Reinforce and extend the learning required by the curriculum. Twig’s context films show abstract concepts in action in the real world.