Fixed-Wing Aircraft

Boeing 737-300, a modern passenger airliner.

A fixed-wing aircraft, usually called an airplane, aeroplane or plane, is an aircraft capable of flight using forward motion that causes air to pass over its wings to generate lift. Planes include jet engine and propeller driven vehicles propelled forward by thrust, as well as unpowered aircraft (such as gliders). Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from ornithopters in which lift is generated by blades and rotary-wing aircraft in which wings move relative to the aircraft.

In the United States, Canada and many other regions, the term "airplane" is applied to these aircraft. In Britain and many other regions, the term "aeroplane" is used. The word derives from the Greek αέρας (aéras-) ("air") and - plane. The form "aeroplane" is the older of the two, dating back to the mid-late 19th century. The spelling "airplane" was first recorded in 1907.

Most fixed-wing aircraft are flown by a pilot on-board the aircraft, but some are designed to be remotely or computer controlled.

Source: Wikipedia.