Some points:
- If the atmosphere expands in radius, the
air column above any given square meter or centimeter of the earth's surface gets taller and thus weighs more = higher pressure at sea level.
- for aircraft not flying, their weight is supported directly by the ground - and would be, even in a vacuum. Not a factor in this thought-experiment about
air pressure.
- clouds are equivalent to lighter-than-air balloons. Water vapor and humid air are
less dense than dry air. So they float, most of the time.
http://images.slideplayer.com/14/441...s/slide_15.jpg
- don't confuse "volume" with "weight." An unpressurized aircraft is just a tube with equal atmospheric pressure/density inside and outside the thin skin. A pressurized aircraft has higher air density inside, and thus a slightly higher weight - but I left that out as being an even less significant effect than the total aircraft weight(s), which are already insignificant.
The atmosphere is
really big - all the aircraft flying are just bacteria by comparison:
https://pix-media.priceonomics-media...ash_plane.jpeg
- I'd like to hear from overstress's sister-in-law, too.
