50 aeroplane facts you’ve always been curious about

Whether you’re an aeroplane enthusiast or a nervous flyer, knowing this trivia about aeroplanes can help make your next journey smoother and more enjoyable.

You should also know these 13 things you should never do at the airport.

No worries, they’re not patching up the plane at the last minute. The banging noise that you hear when you’re boarding the plane and right after you land is the cargo that’s being loaded or taken off the plane. It’s directly below the cabin, so it does sound pretty loud.

If you’re seriously out of control, you may find yourself handcuffed on your flight. Some airlines keep plastic zip-tie cuffs on the plane, while others will allow the flight attendants to cuff the passengers with seat-belt extenders, according to Express.

Here are 17 things you should never say to flight attendants. 

Don’t get too nervous, but those bumps contain holes on the wings that make it easier for flight attendants to attach ropes so they can deploy the inflatable slides in case of an emergency water landing. With them, you can hold the rope which will lead you to the inflatable slides and make it out safely, according to Captain Joe. Without the bumps, the wings would be too smooth and slippery for the passengers trying to get to the slide.

They’re not trying to touch the ceiling to show off how tall they are. There’s actually a scalloped spot at the bottom of the overhead compartments and the flight attendants are gripping that as they walk down the aisle so they don’t have to grab your seat to keep their balance, according to Condé Nast Traveler. You can do it too, and you’ll look like a pro.

Here are 20 things you’re doing on a plane that flight attendants wouldn’t. 

According to Captain Ron Nielsen, a pilot who teaches a fear of flying class, you should try writing your name while your pen is in the hand that you don’t normally use. “It first causes [the passenger] to focus extra-hard on what she’s doing, because she doesn’t normally write with her other hand,” Nielsen told Today. “And the second thing is, it’s actually crossing over her motor function in her brain, using the other side of her brain from what she would normally do.” It’s all about distraction.

These 13 aeroplane hacks will change the way you fly. 

During those really long flights, pilots and flight attendants need to snooze too, and it’s not so comfy in the cockpit. On many planes, like the Boeing 777 and 787, there are secret places where the pilots and other staff can sleep. For example, there may be a locked door in front or a door that looks like an overhead bin, which secretly leads to a few beds, according to Insider.

It happens, unfortunately. If there’s an empty row, the flight attendants will bring the body there and cover it with a rug, according to Express. If there’s any way the person can be medically saved in mid-air, the flight will try to land at the closest airport to prevent the death.

You can actually buy it. Most airlines allow three months to find the rightful owner of the lost luggage, and then it’s sent to an auction house. In the United States the Unclaimed Baggage Centre is one of the world’s largest lost luggage auction centres. Located in Alabama, the privately-run company purchases the luggage declared lost. While most of the contents are tossed or donated, the remainder is popped onto the store’s shelves, where you can find everything from diamond rings to designer clothing. One time, a 41-carat emerald which was appraised at $35,000 sold for $17,000, according to Travel & Leisure.

Bring your own cleaning wipes for your tray tables, as they’re only cleaned once a day typically – and that’s only overnight, according to Insider. During flights, food is spilled, drool is drooled, and dirty diapers are changed on those tray tables. Often, they’re dirtier than toilet seats, so consider this fair warning. But it’s super easy to clean them: bring your own wipe with you. One swipe should be good (while you’re at it, you may want to wipe down your seat and armrest too, for good measure).

Find out 9 other spots airlines aren’t cleaning as well as they should.

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.

You may want to hold your breath for this one. The air you’re breathing on the plane is compressed air from the engines, according to Boeing. That air in the compressors warms and pressurises the air from outside the plane before it’s circulated into the cabin for you to breath.

Move quickly – once they drop, those oxygen masks can only supply air to you for 12 to 15 minutes, according to the Telegraph. That should be enough time, however. Be sure to wear the mask, as when the cabin loses pressure, you’ll start to feel nauseous and will get a headache without the additional oxygen. Within seconds, you’ll lose consciousness, and you could even die. Find out what would happen if the aeroplane door were to open mid-flight.

This would be one complicated LEGO model: There are 6 million parts in this commercial airliner, according to the BAA Training Aviation Academy. It was the first large body aeroplane ever made – and those poor pilots have to control the entire thing with those buttons and switches you see in the cockpit.

It’s filled with bacteria, apparently. A Wall Street Journal study found that tap water from 14 flights had bacteria of up to hundreds of times above the United States government limits. So make sure you either ask for bottled water or bring your own water bottle to the airport and fill it before you get on your plane. It’s also safe to say that you should avoid the coffee and tea, which is made with that tap water. Here’s more on why you should avoid the plane water.

Here are some other things that smart travellers do before a flight. 

If you’re afraid of flying, you’re not alone. More than 80 percent of the population has some degree of fearfulness when it comes to flying, says the BAA Training Aviation Academy. It could be related to acrophobia (fear of heights) or simply the fear of the unknown (how exactly does a plane fly?).

Here’s a dirty little secret: fresh blankets are doled out to passengers on the first flight of the day, if they’re lucky, according to Travel & Leisure. After that, they’re folded and reused and folded and reused again. And a Wall Street Journal report found that the airlines only clean the blankets every five to 30 days.

The plane’s cabin is pressurised to resemble a 6,000- to 8,000-foot altitude, according to Bustle. But at this altitude, your body can’t absorb as much oxygen. Since your body needs oxygen to break down your food, your digestive system has to work harder to contract at this altitude. Essentially, your digestive system slows and struggles. It’s not your fault.

However, here are 5 ways to make long-haul flights more bearable.

It’s just in case one of them gets sick from the meal. This all stems back to an incident in 1982 when passengers and crew aboard a flight from Boston to London became sick after eating the same tapioca pudding and the flight had to turn around. Today, the pilot and co-pilot eat different meals just in case.

It’s turbulence. And most of these injuries are sustained by people who aren’t following the directions and refused to snap-in. That’s why you should always wear your seatbelt – even when the flight seems to be smooth – just in case, as turbulence can hit unexpectedly at any time.

Blame it on the air pressure. While the cabin is pressurised, the air pressure decreases after take-off, and the cabin’s air expands by 30 percent. As a result, gases in your stomach and small intestine are likely to expand and lead to bloating. If you want to minimise this effect, don’t eat foods that can cause gas, such as cruciferous veggies like broccoli and cauliflower.

It’s higher than you’d think. The US National Transportation Safety Board puts the survival rate in the US at 95.7 percent, while the European Transport Safety Council examined the survivability of aircraft accidents worldwide, estimating that 90 percent are survivable (no passengers died) or “technically survivable” (at least one passenger survives). Even within the most serious plane crashes, 55 percent of passengers and crew still survive. Wearing your seatbelt, wearing non-flammable clothing and understanding where the exit rows are will increase your chances of survival.

Knowing how to survive a plane crash will also up your chances.

The answer is unfortunately yes. Up to half of pilots surveyed in the United Kingdom, Norway and Sweden report having fallen asleep while flying a passenger plane. And even if they’re not sleeping, they may still be making mistakes in the air because they’re tired. The study found that three out of five pilots in Sweden, Norway and Denmark say they made mistakes because they were tired; in Germany, four out of five did this. But 70 to 80 percent of tired pilots say they wouldn’t tell anyone they were unfit to fly due to possible disciplinary action.

It’s actually arbitrary, Captain Han Hee-seong told CNN. While flight attendants may tell you to put your seatbelt on at a certain time depending on the height of the aircraft, they’re really just giving you a random excuse to make sure your seatbelt is on. In other words, just put your seatbelt on when you sit down, and you’ll be golden.

The aeroplanes are actually the same, according to CNN. The crew have all taken the same tests and are held to the same standards. The only difference is the inside of the plane: some aircraft have seats that are closer together, some have better food, some allow more baggage and so on. But they’ll all get you from point A to point B.

Each engine on a Boeing 747 weighs almost 4,300 kilograms, according to the BAA Aviation Training. Perhaps that’s because it’s made up of 6 million parts. It also costs a pretty penny: you’ll have to spend about $8 million to purchase one of these whoppers.

Perhaps you’re eating because you’re nervous or maybe you’re just bored. According to Oxford professor Charles Spence, author of Gastrophysics: The New Science of Eating, the average person consumes more than 14,000 kilojoules during a flight, which is nearly double the recommended daily allowance. Plus, these meals have more salt and sugar within them to make them taste better (you need 20 to 30 percent more sugar and salt on a plane to make the meal taste like it would on the ground, due to our inability to taste on a plane).

The airports are busy, the planes are packed, and it seems like everyone you know is taking off on a beautiful vacay. But only 5 percent of the world’s population has ever been on an aeroplane, according to the BAA Aviation Training. The majority of people from underdeveloped and third-world regions have never been on one and will never be on one. And only a minority of the world’s population boards a plane regularly.

An economy meal costs an average of $10.50, says Anne De Hauw from catering company Gate Group. A business-class meal costs an average of $33 per passenger, as it includes a higher-end meal plus more expensive serving supplies. Most people on a plane desire comfort food, and that’s what they’re given.

In the US, the Federal Aviation Administration requires that pilots have 20/20 distant vision, 20/40 near vision, and 20/40 intermediate vision. Don’t have it? Pilots can wear glasses or have surgery. Military pilots have different requirements depending on their military branches, but as of 2007, they are allowed to have PRK or Lasik eye surgery.

It can seem a little odd that windows and seats don’t always line up on planes, but airlines are actually to blame. When the YouTube channel Today I Found Out tackled the subject, it found out that seats aren’t placed with any regard to where windows are because the airlines decide how many rows of seats there will be on each plane, and not every airline decides on the same number of rows.

“The main reason why aircraft are painted white or light colours is to reflect sunlight and minimise both the heating and potential damage from solar radiation,” John Hansman, a Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT, says. “It’s basically the same as putting sunblock on.” White aeroplanes also help airlines spend less to cool the cabin and protects parts of the plane that are susceptible to heat damage.

If eating airline food has left a bad taste in your mouth, you’re not alone. When you’re that high in the air, your sense of taste dulls, so it isn’t necessarily the food’s fault. While that may be true, Harold McGee, a scientist and the author of On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, says it doesn’t help that aeroplane food has to be chilled and stored for long periods of time.

While most airline companies maintain that there is no safest seat, a look at hard data about airline accidents from Popular Mechanics found that it’s safer in the back. The investigation found that passengers near the tail of the plane were 40 percent more likely to survive a crash than those in the front. So next time you book a flight, you might want to get a seat in the back.

One of the most unknown facts about aeroplanes is that cabins dim the lights during landing for security preparation reasons. Dimming the lights is a precautionary measure that allows a passenger’s eyes to adjust to the darkness. That way, if something goes wrong on the descent, everyone’s eyes will already be adjusted for evacuation.

Those white lines in the sky are called vapour trails or contrails, and they are the result of aviation fuel being burned. When the fuel is burned, it produces carbon dioxide and water, which condenses into tiny droplets behind a plane in the air. If you pay close attention, you can see that there’s always a gap between a plane and the vapor trails – that’s because it takes time for the gas to form as droplets. The more you know!

Rest assured, it cannot. In fact, it’s actually impossible. The cabin pressure simply won’t let you. As askthepilot.com explains, “At a typical cruising altitude, up to 3.6kg of pressure are pushing against every square centimetre of the body of the aircraft.”

Here are some other things you should never, ever do on a plane.

If you’ve ever been nervous about the little hole in your aeroplane window, don’t fret. The hole is necessary to regulate cabin pressure. Aeroplane windows are made up of multiple panels, so the hole helps the middle panel from becoming stressed with pressure during flight. Next time you have aeroplane questions about safety, rest assured that the tiny hole in your window isn’t a problem.

Flying in lightning is generally safe because planes are built to withstand lightning strikes. The metal from the plane serves as protection, and aircraft have lightning protection systems to fight electrical build-up. In fact, the safest place to be in a lightning storm is inside a metal cage such as an aircraft.

Ear popping can be an unfortunate side effect of flying, but it isn’t one that can be remedied easily. Ears pop because when planes get higher in the sky, the surrounding atmosphere becomes thinner. The air inside the cabin, however, is pressurised to a different level, and according to physics.org, this causes the air trapped in our bodies (and ears) to expand. While there’s no way around this happening, experts recommend chewing gum or yawning to sort your ears out.

Even the best people at aeroplane trivia might not know why bottled water is such a no-no in security lines. You can’t take a bottle of water through security because it causes both safety and time issues. While TSA security scanners are advanced, they have trouble telling a full bottle of water apart from a bottle of chemicals. TSA allows liquids in small doses, but they have to go through separate from your carry-on luggage.

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Source: RD.com