A: The sensations you describe are the result of acceleration forces during takeoff, causing you to feel the G forces increasing. Once airborne and the rate of acceleration decreases, the resulting decrease in G load gives you the sensation of reduced weight.

The "weird" sensation you feel during takeoff is caused by the physical forces of acceleration and the rapid change in atmospheric pressure affecting your body's sensory systems. When the plane accelerates down the runway, you experience "G-force" (specifically linear acceleration), which pushes you back into your seat as your body tries to maintain its state of rest. Once the plane leaves the ground and angles upward, your inner ear's vestibular system, which controls balance, detects the tilt and the vertical movement, creating a sensation of being "lifted" or even a momentary feeling of falling if the pilot levels off slightly. Simultaneously, as the altitude increases, the air pressure inside the cabin drops. This causes the air trapped in your middle ear to expand and push against your eardrum, leading to that "full" or "popping" sensation. Some people also experience "stomach drop," which happens when the plane's rate of climb changes, causing a brief moment of reduced gravity. These combined inputs can be disorienting for the brain, but they are perfectly normal physical reactions to moving through the air at 170 miles per hour.