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a 400-ton metal tube convincing physics to take a coffee break at 35,000 feet

means A powered flying vehicle with fixed wingsthough the word also covers a flat surface, a carpenter's smoothing tool, and a type of tree, all sharing the same root idea of flatness.

from From Latin 'planus,' meaning flat or levelthe same root behind 'plain' and 'plan.' The flying sense is a short clip of 'aeroplane' (from Greek 'aēr,' air, plus that flat 'planus'), coined in the late 19th century for the flat wing-surfaces that catch the air. So a jumbo jet is, at heart, just a very fast flat thing.

safest travelFar safer per mile than your car
thin airCabin pressure mimics an 8,000-foot mountain
lightning proofStruck roughly once per year, shrugs it off
dim landingsCabin lights dim so eyes adjust before crashes
fuel dumpSome jets jettison fuel to land safely heavy
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