I will never understand how planets hang in the air

Interesting question.
Two things keep them in place: Gravity and Inertia

Gravity is the primary force that controls the orbit of the planets around the sun. While each planet has its own gravity based on the size of the planet and the speed at which it travels, orbit is based on the gravity of the sun. Inertia is the physical law that states that objects in motion have a tendency to remain in motion also plays a role in keeping the planets in orbit.
All this designed by a divine mathematician.
 

The five naked-eye planets, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, have been known since antiquity. The Greeks called them Hermes, Aphrodite, Ares, Zeus, and Cronus, respectively.

Centuries later, the Romans adopted the planets of the Greeks and simply changed their names to Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.

All was well until 1781, when astronomer William Herschel discovered a planet beyond Saturn. For more than half a century, there was no agreement on a name. But finally, someone with a wicked sense of humour came up with the name Uranus.

In 1846, John Couch Adams and Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier simultaneously predicted the position of an eighth planet, which astronomers found easily. Astronomers agreed on the name Neptune. Finally, in 1930, an English girl, name of: Venetia Burney Phair who will best be remembered for what she accomplished at the age of 11, discovering another planet, giving Pluto its name.

Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are all names of Roman gods, so their choices preserved the overall naming scheme of the solar system.
 

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jujube said:
I have never understood why planes don't just fall out of the sky........and I'm supposed to know why planets stay up there? Yer askin' the wrong gal.
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they do when the propeller stops turning or the jet engine stops.

Example
Miracle on the Hudson.
About two minutes into the flight, the airplane flew into a flock of Canada geese. Both engines were severely damaged, causing an almost complete loss of thrust. Repeated attempts to restart the engines were unsuccessful.


Sullenberger notified LaGuardia’s air control that he was returning to the airport. However, as the plane continued to descend in a glide, Sullenberger believed that it would be unable to reach LaGuardia. An airport in New Jersey was also quickly ruled out. Shortly thereafter he notified air control that he was going to attempt a very risky and rare water landing, in the Hudson River.

Poorly written article or at least this part an almost complete loss of thrust. Loss of thrust is because restarting the engines were unsuccessful. If the engine isn't running it can't produce thrust.
 

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