When a light aircraft points directly upwards during a loop-the-loop (which takes forever), what keeps it from falling out of the sky?

Question

When a light aircraft points directly upwards during a loop-the-loop (which takes forever), what keeps it from falling out of the sky?

In: Physics

Answer 1

Thrust from the engine/propeller. It’s in a vertical powered climb, not enough power and it will fall down backwards.

I use to work on a lower powered acrobatic plane, when the pilot and I would try to do a loop, it couldn’t do it, and the plane would fall and end up doing a hammerhead stall. With just the pilot on board it could usually do it.