> It's pretty obvious that the wings push air down
The air being pushed down is actually a side-effect of the lift-creation process, not the cause of it.
A nice "counter example" is a wing in ground effect (flying very close to the ground), where there is less downwash, because of the ground, and yet the wing produces more lift. It's an effect that can make high aspect-ratio airplanes tricky to land.
The air being pushed down is actually a side-effect of the lift-creation process, not the cause of it.
A nice "counter example" is a wing in ground effect (flying very close to the ground), where there is less downwash, because of the ground, and yet the wing produces more lift. It's an effect that can make high aspect-ratio airplanes tricky to land.