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Why cannot airplane experience weightlessness?

Hello, why cannot the passengers in an airplane experience weightlessness like they do in outer space. I understand that they do in space because they are experiencing constant free fall as the spaceshuttle are doing circular motions. However, if the airplane can maintain constant speed, why cannot the passengers float? What is the difference between earth and outer space? Thank you

Reply 1

nexttime

I mean, if you could get it to the multiple thousands of miles per hour you need to enter free fall then you would. But planes don't do that - they;re much slower and need lift (from the wings) to keep them up. You need to be at a speed where no lift is needed and only horizontal momentum is enough to stay flying to experience weightlessness. Practically, you can only do this outside the atmosphere (no air resistance).

Alternatively, if it crashed at a steep angle you'd be in free fall and experience weightlessness. For a short time at least!