Question: how do zero gravity planes work

James Roberts answered on 9 Mar 2020:

I’m not quite sure what you mean by zero gravity planes, so I’ll give a couple of answers.

Many aircraft are propelled in different ways, but they all work along the principle of pushing air downwards to keep them up in the air. On most planes, the engines propel the aircraft forwards, and because it is moving forwards through the air, the wings are shaped so that they deflect some of the air downwards. This pushing down keeps the plane in the air.

If you mean the aircraft that astronauts train in to simulate zero-g conditions, these fly in exactly the same way I just described, but they pull a special manouevre to make the passengers feel like they are weightless. The plane flies over an imaginary hump, and if the pilots have got the angle right, the passengers can float (compared the the plane) without touching the walls. The whole plane and the passengers are still moving. It’s just like being in a car and driving quickly over a hill – you feel yourself come out of your seat a bit. Imagine this but on a much bigger scale.

Feel free to ask a follow up question if I’ve not quite answered what you were thinking!