It occurs to me falling and flying are connected. It is gravity which creates the push under a wing, which creates forward motion.
Birds, when they are not flapping, are falling. Jet airplanes are always simultaneously falling and pushing forward. It is the combination which propels them.
Flying is not the cessation of the demands of gravity, but rather the skillful use of them.
I think this is clear. I was thinking about this early this morning in bed. There is something interesting about this observation I can’t quite put my finger on.