A commercial airliner can weigh anywhere from 100,000 pounds to over a million pounds. It is astonishing how such gargantuan weight can not only take off from the ground, but also routinely fly long ...

If you’re a frequent flier, you may barely pay attention to the routine stages of flight. Still, you know the basics: After takeoff, the airplane climbs for the first 15 to 20 minutes before reaching ...