>The thing I never found satisfying was this notion that the air over the top moves faster because it has further to go
On the one hand I agree that it is a stupid way to phrase it. On the other hand if the air doesn't "make it" then there is nothing where the wing just was aka a vacuum. The low pressure area that forms above the wing sucks the air along making it faster. Why doesn't all the air rush to fill the low pressure area? Well for air below the wing there is a wing in the way, air above the air flowing over the wing does rush down to fill the void providing lift, air behind the wing does as well creating some drag.
Same for angle of attack it deflects the air that would normally be above and behind the wing down (providing some lift),making a low pressure area form above the wing which the air speeds to fill.
> air above the air flowing over the wing does rush down to fill the void providing lift, air behind the wing does as well creating some drag
Just a nitpick, but these forces are never pulling, only pushing. The air rushing to fill the voids is not pulling the wing, is the air below or in front if the wing that pushes (and doesn't find an equal push on the other side).
On the one hand I agree that it is a stupid way to phrase it. On the other hand if the air doesn't "make it" then there is nothing where the wing just was aka a vacuum. The low pressure area that forms above the wing sucks the air along making it faster. Why doesn't all the air rush to fill the low pressure area? Well for air below the wing there is a wing in the way, air above the air flowing over the wing does rush down to fill the void providing lift, air behind the wing does as well creating some drag.
Same for angle of attack it deflects the air that would normally be above and behind the wing down (providing some lift),making a low pressure area form above the wing which the air speeds to fill.