Welcome to Lift and Thrust, your voice commercial aviation, brought to you by an airline pilot.
From the latest developments from the big airplane brands like Airbus, Boeing, Embraer and COMAC, to deep dives into the physics of flight, or strange and unusual flying machines, I analyse everything that keeps the world of aviation soaring.
I'll be honest, I'm no expert on YouTube, I'm figuring it out as I go, so please bear with me as I muddle through and try to keep improving to bring you the best videos around.
My in-depth videos explore industry innovations, rivalries, legendary aircraft, bringing you insights and an insider viewpoint to break down even the most baffling aviation concepts.
No matter your background or knowledge, I bring you analysis and intriguing stories about the aircraft keeping our world connected.
New episodes are released regularly — subscribe to Lift and Thrust now to join our community of aviation fans and stay informed on the future of the skies.
Lift and Thrust
Hello everyone! Thank you so much for your ongoing support of my little channel. I always have a few videos in production at any time, and try to keep the content interesting. To that end, here are a few upcoming ideas, and I'd love to know which one you're most excited to watch. If you can take a second to vote, I'd really appreciate it. And of course, if you have any other ideas or requests, feel free to pop them in the comments! Thanks!
5 days ago | [YT] | 6
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Lift and Thrust
Airbus hasn't launched a clean-sheet commercial aircraft since the A350. That jet entered service in 2015. But the A320, the backbone of Airbus' revenue, first flew on 22nd February 1987, a design drawn up before the Berlin Wall came down.
And yet, somewhere in Airbus's naming convention, between the A350 and the A380, two numbers are conspicuously missing. Nobody has ever booked a seat or flown on an Airbus A360...
Dive in and let's see why that is, and what might be coming!
1 week ago | [YT] | 3
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Lift and Thrust
One airline just placed the largest aircraft order in commercial aviation history.
An airline from a country that couldn't keep its carriers alive for more than a decade. They have nearly 950 planes on order, and they've a domestic market share so massive, it makes competitors look like they forgot to show up.
This is IndiGo - and what they’re building may quietly reshape global aviation in a way most people haven't even noticed yet.
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 2
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Lift and Thrust
As part of a bid to move away from relying purely on oil, some of the most recognisable airlines in the world were formed in the Gulf - we're talking Emirates, Etihad and Qatar - capitalising on the region's unique geographical position. However, that same geography has now laid bare their vulnerability to recent events. Join me as I look into what makes them so great, and how suddenly the rug could be pulled out from under them!
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 0
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Lift and Thrust
Boeing finds itself at a crossroads. Despite carrying tens of billions in debt, it's reached a point now where it needs a new aircraft just to stay relevant. There are two prime possibilities...one of the biggest problems is that they can only justify one right now. So which one will they gamble the company on? Let's dive in and find out!
1 month ago | [YT] | 1
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Lift and Thrust
It used to be that going from the UK or the USA to the East coast of Australia took weeks. Slowly, that was trimmed down to days, but it has always remained a mammoth undertaking, requiring bleary-eyed stopovers somewhere en-route. Now, Qantas is aiming to make those journeys achievable in one, single, extraordinarily long flight, and they've named it Project Sunrise. The economics and human factors behind it push the very boundaries of what is physically achievable, but Qantas has concluded that they can make it work. Join me as I look into the enormous obstacles that have had to be overcome, and the battles still to be fought in bringing this exceptional project to reality.
1 month ago | [YT] | 0
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Lift and Thrust
There's no escaping the fact that the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 is old. Not only that, but in late 2025, it suffered a fatal crash that was eerily similar to a DC-10 crash some 46 years earlier. And yet despite the age, the accidents and the flaws, cargo airlines keep on flying them. What could possibly make an aircraft so valuable that airlines would look past all of these obvious red flags and obstacles to keep them in the air?? Join me and let's look into it together!
1 month ago | [YT] | 0
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Lift and Thrust
Did you know more than 50% of commercial aircraft flying you around the world are not actually owned by the airline whose logo you see on the tail or on the crew's uniforms? The majority are actually rented from companies you may never have heard of...and most of those companies are all based out of the same small city on the edge of Europe. Join me as I look into why the industry functions in this way, how the owners actually are and why it matters, plus why so many of the companies sprung up in the same city!
1 month ago | [YT] | 0
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Lift and Thrust
The Airbus A380 is, by any objective measure, an incredible machine. Loved by passengers and crews alike, it forms the backbone of Emirates' fleet and works incredibly well on their hub-and-spoke type route network. So why then, given how many potential travellers there are, did not one single US airline ever buy one? Jump into the video with me to explore the root causes, the ins and outs of the US aviation market, and see why, although many consider it a shame, it's actually completely understandable.
1 month ago | [YT] | 0
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Lift and Thrust
Facial recognition instead of a boarding pass? Security checks that happen as you're walking? AI-controlled ground handling? It's all coming to an airport near you, and sooner than you might think. Join me in my latest video as I look into the radical reinvention of tomorrow's airports!
2 months ago | [YT] | 1
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