Definition
A mechanical means of producing thrust to move an aircraft through the air, supplied by an engine or motor rather than by natural forces such as wind, gravity, or muscle power.
Plain English
Power produced by a machine — typically an engine driving a propeller or a jet — that pushes or pulls an aircraft forward through the air.
Context Anchor
Seen in early flight history when separating gliders and balloons from powered aircraft that could move under their own machine-made power.
Derivation
From Latin propulsus, past participle of propellere — pro- ('forward') and pellere ('to drive or push'). 'Artificial' here simply means 'man-made,' distinguishing engine-driven thrust from natural movement caused by wind or gravity.
Why Pilots Care
Sustained, controllable flight depends on a reliable source of thrust. Understanding that propulsion is what overcomes drag and enables level or climbing flight is foundational to everything that follows in aerodynamics and aircraft systems.
Intuition Check
Artificial does not mean fake here. It means human-made. Propulsion is the force that drives the aircraft forward.
Example Sentence 1
The Wright brothers' 1903 flight is considered the first sustained, controlled flight using artificial propulsion.
Example Sentence 2
Before artificial propulsion, aircraft could only glide downhill using gravity and wind.