Posted for "rtitsworth" <rtitsworth@mindspring.com>:

 I once had a student who had thought about this lift stuff a lot and then he
 finally observed/concluded the following.
 
 
 
 The outside air isn't really moving - that's a mental deception invoked by
 those who attempt to mimic lift with a wind tunnel.  Rather, in the real
 world, the wing is moving.  Thus, the stationary air just gets
 "hit/deflected" by the wing as it approaches/passes.  No "jets" of fluid, no
 "streamlines".  When you think about the really big picture, all of the air
 (eventually) just returns to it's original position/condition after the wing
 passes (i.e. there are no holes left, nor any net displacement of air
 molecules).  So over time, there is no net change to the air.   Thus, there
 can't really be any net action/reaction as applied by Newton.  Thus, lift
 doesn't really happen.  It's just "magic" based on a deal the Wrights made
 with the Devil.  Interestingly, the magic deal included some parameters such
 as L=1/2 r V^2 A Cl, where Cl is a function of AOA, in attempt to keep the
 deal a secret.
 
 
 
 Hmmmm.  After thinking for a moment I then asked him: "well then how does
 the air that is displaced by the wing at the eventual destination (when on
 the ramp) get back to the spot that was initially occupied by the wing
 before the flight started".
 
 
 
 He smiled and said: "Ah, you've got it, see it's magic"