50 aeroplane facts you’ve always been curious about

Perhaps you’ve heard that your little phone can actually interfere with the plane’s navigation or other important equipment? Not quite. Actually, your phone is supposed to be in Aeroplane Mode to protect against radio interference. So you could potentially pick up service from multiple cell towers, and crowd networks, disrupting your service.

We’re not allowed to smoke on board a plane, so what’s the point? Most airlines banned smoking decades ago nationally and internationally, so surely by now, they would have rid the planes of the ashtrays, right? Well, since some people (#rulebreakers) still insist on smoking in the plane, they need a safe spot to stub out the cigarettes. It’s safer to do it in an ashtray than in the toilet, which may contain flammable tissues.

Here are 13 things airlines won’t tell you.

The Pilot In Command has unlimited authority whenever the plane doors are closed, according to Think Aviation. Regulations allow the PIC to restrain a passenger, write fines, refuse entry to a passenger, and even take a will, Insider says. It’s almost like he’s the president of everything in the sky. Don’t mess with that pilot.

Here’s what else pilots aren’t telling you. 

Not all are blue, but the majority are… because it’s a calm colour and it’s easy to keep clean. Pantone named blue the 2020 colour of the year due to its ability to instil calm and confidence – key for those who are sitting in those blue seats.

Sure, you probably know about your name, the date and the seat number. But there are also a few secrets: the first two letters that come before your flight number are the airline. The numbers on your flight number tell you your flight direction (odd-numbers fly south while even numbers fly west); and the six-character segment of text is your passenger name reference, and can be used to find your age, credit card info and destination.

Technically, you’re not supposed to fly after you’re 36 weeks pregnant. But things don’t always go as planned, and sometimes that baby wants to get out before he’s due. That’s why some flight attendants are trained to deliver a baby, according to Travel & Leisure. They would still request the help of any doctors on board if they are available and willing to assist.

Yup. According to a study funded by Boeing, conducted by scientists from Emory University and Georgia Tech in the US, those sitting in a sick flyer’s row or the seat behind a sick flyer will most likely catch their germs and become sick. In fact, if there’s someone sick in your row, that person has an 80 percent chance of infecting everyone in their row, plus the rows directly in front and behind them. The best way to avoid catching a bug is to sit in a window seat. The aisles are the most likely spots for catching and passing germs.

Find out the biggest germ culprit at the airport. 

Yes, they’re just like us. But that’s not a great thing, according to a report by Spanish safety investigator that focused on budget airliner Ryanair. Researchers found that a Ryanair plane landed in a Spanish airport in 2010 with less than the legally required amount of fuel. Apparently, doing this saves the company $5 million annually.

Yes. In case of emergency, there’s a hidden latch to open an aeroplane bathroom from the outside. It’s concealed under the bathroom sign, and by flicking it, the door opens. Flight attendants can use this if someone gets sick or if a child becomes stuck in the bathroom, according to Express. Don’t try this on your own – it’s not a latch created so you can play a practical joke on a friend.

Here are 7 more hidden features on planes you had no idea existed. 

Get ready to run – it takes just 90 seconds for a fire to spread through a plane, and that’s why airlines have trained staff to evacuate an aircraft in just 90 seconds. It’s advised to know where all the emergency exits are on the flight and to actually pay attention when the flight attendants offer their safety lessons.