I live in a corridor right between an Air National Guard unit, the 180th Fighter Wing, and Wright Patterson Air Force Base at Dayton. Consequently I get to hear these fellows fly over quite often, especially when they are doing training maneuvers, which are very often right overhead. They still use the F16 as far as I know(one flew right out of a cloud last year when I was watching off my front porch). Some years ago I got to see the Thunderbirds who, at that time at least, were using the F16 as well. I remember being very impressed with the maneuverability of the plane.

Anyway I got curious the other night and thought I would look up the specs. I noted that the weight of the plane was listed at 37,500 lb, and the thrust of the engine was listed at 27,000 lb.

Since I'm not accomplished in math and science, and know that many of you are, I thought I would ask a question here. In my simple but faulty thinking, it seemed to me that thrust would have to exceed the weight of the plane in order for it to do what it is called upon to do(especially execute a vertical climb). Educate me here; what do I need to know?

Thank you, friends.
Andy