Flight is the process by which an object moves through the air. Flight can be achieved by any means that generates lift, including wings, propellers, and hot air balloons. The science of flight is called aeronautics.
Humans have dreamed of flight for centuries, and stories of flying machines date back to ancient times. The Wright brothers are credited with inventing and building the first successful airplane in 1903. Since then, aircraft design has evolved rapidly, and today there are many different types of airplanes used for a variety of purposes.
Commercial airlines transport millions of people around the world every day, while private pilots fly for pleasure or business. Military aircraft are used for surveillance, transportation, and combat. And NASA continues to push the boundaries of flight with its cutting-edge research on everything from supersonic travel to Mars exploration.
Whether you’re watching a bird soar through the sky or boarding a jetliner for a cross-continental trip, flight is an amazing feat of engineering and physics that we continue to learn more about every day.