Skyplus

Skyplus · aviation, explained

Understand every flight you take.

How flying works, explained with diagrams you can play with. The aircraft, the legendary airports and the business behind them, for curious students and enthusiasts. Every source credited.

Take off: pick a learning pathBrowse all explainers
  • 113 destination guides
  • 80 airport guides
  • 44 aircraft profiles
  • 55 airline case studies

FL050 · Climb · Start here

Pick your flight path

Short, ordered reading tracks for curious minds. Every stop is a full explainer with a diagram you can play with, and each one hands you on to the next.
SKY101Beginner

Learning path · 8 stops

How a plane flies

Lift, wings and control: the physics behind every flight, from the ground up.

  1. 01How does a plane actually fly?
  2. 02What each wing and tail part does
  3. 03What flaps and slats do
  4. 04What a stall really is
  5. + 4 more stops
Start the path
SKY202Beginner

Learning path · 9 stops

Gate to gate

Follow one flight: the route, the climb, the weather on the way and the landing.

  1. 01What the lights on a plane mean
  2. 02How a route is planned
  3. 03How much fuel a flight carries
  4. 04Why planes cruise at 35,000 ft
  5. + 5 more stops
Start the path
SKY303Intermediate

Learning path · 7 stops

Inside the cockpit

Autopilot, fly-by-wire, navigation and the alarms pilots train for.

  1. 01What autopilot really does
  2. 02Fly-by-wire explained
  3. 03Airbus sidestick vs Boeing yoke
  4. 04Navigating with no landmarks
  5. + 3 more stops
Start the path
SKY404Intermediate

Learning path · 7 stops

Safety by design

Why flying is so safe: the engineering and procedures behind every rare emergency.

  1. 01When an engine fails
  2. 02The rejected takeoff
  3. 03Cabin pressurisation
  4. 04Lightning strikes
  5. + 3 more stops
Start the path
SKY505Intermediate

Learning path · 7 stops

The business of flying

How airlines make (and lose) money, and why the industry is shaped the way it is.

  1. 01The numbers that run an airline
  2. 02Why every kilo costs money
  3. 03What airports charge airlines
  4. 04Hub-and-spoke vs point-to-point
  5. + 3 more stops
Start the path

FL120 · Climb · Updated daily

Today on board

Today's mystery aircraftDaily quiz

Name that aircraft

A new aircraft every day. Get it right to keep your streak going.

Photo: Matti Blume — CC BY-SA 4.0

Milan Bergamo Airport

Airport of the day

Milan Bergamo Airport

Bergamo, Italy

Did you know?

When Gatwick reopened in 1958 it put a mainline railway station, a trunk road and the terminal under one roof.

Read the story →

FL350 · Cruise · All sections

Explore the whole aircraft

Nine sections, one subject: how flying really works, from the physics of a wing to the business of an airline.
HFW44 illustrated explainers

How Flying Works

The science of flight, explained clearly with diagrams.

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ACF44 aircraft

Aircraft Encyclopedia

Specs, manufacturing, safety history and rival comparisons.

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MFR20 histories

Aircraft Manufacturers

Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, COMAC and the legends that are gone.

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LGD15 stories

Legendary Airports & Routes

Kai Tak, Paro, a beach runway and the world’s shortest flight.

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APT80 airports

Airport Guides

Terminals, transfers, lounges and practical tips for major hubs.

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STR55 case studies

Airline Strategy

How airlines compete — and why some of them failed.

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ALNIndustry explainers

Groups, Alliances & Airports

Airline groups, the three alliances, and big airport stories.

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ASPUpdated October 2026

Airspace Closures

Which skies are closed in 2026, which airlines are affected and how they reroute.

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DST113 guides

Destinations

One-page travel briefings with maps, food, transport and itineraries.

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Featured destination · the complete guide

Sri Lanka, all in one place

Visa, flights in, trains, safaris, whales, ancient cities and the hill country. Zoom the map, slide through the monsoons and plan the whole trip on Skyplus.

Visa & arrivalTrains & transportSafaris & parksWhale watchingCultural TriangleHill countryHistoryCulture & law
Open the Sri Lanka guide →

FL370 · Cruise · Legendary places

The airports pilots talk about

Real great-circle routes and the runways with stories. Tap a pin to read it.
All legendary airports →
KAI TAKPAROBARRAMADEIRACOURCHEVELSABAGUAMLUKLA
Map: NASA Blue Marble · great-circle routes · amber pins are legendary airports

FL370 · Cruise · Now boarding

Reads worth the trip

All explainers →

Departures

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New guides, once a month

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