The world of commercial aviation is still a complex and mysterious place. There are many odd things about flying that most passengers don’t know. Here are some things you might want to know.
1. Airplanes are lighting-proof – it’s totally understandable that there are some who couldn’t help but secretly freak out over the fact that the plane that they’re on might crash at any given time because of circumstances. For instance, getting hit by lightning – the truth is, airplanes get hit by lighting on a regular basis and no plane has ever crashed because of a lighting since 1963. Airplanes of today’s time are well-engineered and are designed to become lightning-proof.
2. One the most deadly airplane accidents actually happened on the ground. In 1977, two fully loaded planes carrying a total of over 600 passengers collided head-on in the middle of the runway in what is now known as the Tenerife Accident, named after Tenerife Island where the accident occurred. Over 500 people died.
3. The bathroom door isn’t really locked when you’re inside. Lavatory doors can be locked and unlocked from the outside for a multitude of reason. It allows flight attendants quick access to locked lavatories in case of emergencies. In other instances, it allows the cabin crew to restrict access to bathrooms during takeoff and landing.
4. Some airplanes have bedrooms that only the crews have access to. There are flights that would take around 15-16 hours and for the crews to avoid getting over-fatigued, they can get a little rest in the secret bedroom. The bedroom contains about 5-10 beds that they can access from a hidden staircase.
5. Most pilots and copilots on major airlines are not allowed to eat the same food to avoid the possibility of food poisoning sickening the entire flight crew.
6. Passengers usually have no appetite for airplane food. It turns out it’s not actually the airline’s fault. The reason why the airplane food tastes really bad is because the environment on an airplane changes the way a food or drink tastes.
7. About 1 in 5 people have some of fear flying, or “aviophobia.”
8. The risk of being killed in a plane crash for the average American is 1 in 11 million. The risk of being killed in a car accident is 1 in 5,000.
9. Research shows that the first 3 minutes after takeoff and the final 8 minutes before landing are when 80% of plane crashes happen.
10. A woman and her daughter were arrested when they tried to smuggle the woman’s dead husband in a wheelchair onto a plane. They had covered his eyes with sunglasses and told authorities he was just sleeping.
