A helicopter can go straight up, straight down, sideways and backward. It can even hover in one spot. A force called lift gives a helicopter its upward push. The helicopter's rotor blades with air to create lift, explains 3-2-1 Contact magazine.
When the pilot turns on the engine, the rotor blades begin to spin. As the blades spin, the air is pushed away from the top surface of the blades. This makes the air pressure stronger beneath the blades than above it. The greater pressure of air pushes the blades upward. This creates lift and causes the helicopter to rise.Whew. Now if only someone would invent a car copter for traffic jams!