The word “volplane” comes directly from the French “vol plané,” literally meaning “glided flight.” Originally used to describe the downward flight of birds, it’s now almost exclusively used in reference to planes. But a volplane is not a move you’ll feel on a standard commercial flight. In November 1916, aviatrix Ruth Law broke the existing American cross-country and nonstop record with her nonstop flight from Chicago to New York state. Due to low fuel, she was forced to volplane for the final 3 miles of her flight over Manhattan, where she eventually made a safe landing on Governors Island.