Air travel is not the mystery it used to be,
although there are many interesting things to still find out.
Of course, anyone working in aviation may be familiar with some of these things,
but perhaps there are still a few surprises in store. Let’s look at some in today’s video.
#10: There is no row 13
Certainly, in much of the world, you will not find a row 13 in the aircraft cabin.
Thirteen is considered unlucky in many cultures.
Thus, it is thought that passengers would not be so happy to sit there. As such,
many aircraft manufacturers have removed it - that is to say, avoided labeling the row as such.
In China, some airlines don't have a row 4 for the same reason, and you won't find row 17 in Brazil.
#9: Water is essential when flying
Hydration is so important when flying. In just a three-hour flight,
the body can lose 1.5 liters of water, so it's a good idea to stay topped up.
#8 Flying is safe
Our loyal viewers who are avid travelers will certainly know this.
But for nervous and infrequent flyers, statistics prove that flying is safer than driving,
and the most dangerous part of your journey is the drive to the airport.
#7 The Lavatory can be unlocked from the outside…
Did you know that you can never lock yourself in the lavatory? Cabin crews
know that there is a hidden button they can press to immediately release the door in an emergency.
#6 Crew meal times are staggered
It is not an official rule, but many airlines do use this practice ... the flight crew will not
eat the same meal and mostly not at the same time. This is just to be on the safe side,
as if a meal was contaminated, at least only one pilot would be incapacitated at any time.
#5 Tomato juice is popular on flights
The humble tomato juice is the second most requested drink onboard by passengers,
after water. Although it might not be so tasty on the ground, we lose a third of
our taste buds in the air, so a tomato juice (or a bloody Mary) becomes very sweet and tasteful.
#4 Ashtrays are still a thing…
Due to legalization and the aircraft minimum equipment list, a removable ashtray has to be
fixed on or near the lavatory door. This is due to the fact that smoking used to be allowed onboard
the aircraft, and passengers could potentially throw a cigarette into the lavatory waste bin
and cause a fire. Of course, now smoking is completely banned, but the rule is the same;
if there is no ashtray, the aircraft will be grounded until a replacement is found!
#3 Turbulence is still a thing…
Light turbulence that we most encounter, the aircraft only moves a few feet.
In moderate turbulence where the cabin crew have be seated,
the aircraft moves between 10 and 20 feet, although it might feel like a lot more!
#2 Lights On the wing
The left wing has a red light and the right wing a green light. Sometimes it can be hard
for the pilots to see an aircraft completely clearly. So these lights for the pilots are
helpful to see which way other aircraft are facing or which direction it is going.
#1 Number crunching
Lastly, did you know that at any given time,
there can be 9,700 aircraft and 1.2 million people up in the sky?
That’s it for our 10 fun facts. Were there any surprises for you here?
Let us know in the comments.