Billions of people board a plane each year.
Most passengers are completely unaware of a few things every pilot knows.
(Like if you should really panic when the plane starts rocking, the landing isn’t
exactly as smooth as butter, or everyone in the cockpit fell asleep!)
Let’s check out the list.
1) Many delays are caused by overscheduling.
If you fly often, chances are you’ve had to sit through at least one delayed flight.
One common type is what airlines call ATC delays.
But they have more to do with the airlines themselves than the air traffic controllers.
Every airport has a limited number of planes that can land or take off each hour.
It’s usually around 60 landings or takeoffs per runway.
In bad weather, it can drop to 30 or less.
Most airlines will schedule the maximum number of flights per runway, regardless of the weather
report.
This leads to delays as planes are forced to wait their turn, and the schedule backs
up further and further.
2) Pilots will lie about mechanical delays.
Mechanical problems are another common source of hold-ups on the runway.
Anything from a minor issue with the air conditioner to severe damage to the engine fan blades
can leave the plane stranded on the tarmac until the problem gets fixed.
The pilots don't always know how long repairs are going to take, but that kind of answer
probably won’t satisfy passengers.
When asked, pilots will usually give an amount of time that's longer than they think it’ll
take, but not so long that people will get upset.
One popular answer is “45 minutes” since it sounds better than an hour while still
giving the ground crew plenty of time to solve the issue.
3) Engine failure is pretty common.
Have you ever been driving down the highway when your engine suddenly sputtered to a stop?
Now imagine that happening 30,000 feet in the air!
It’s a lot more common than most people realize.
Instead of saying “engine failure” or “stopped working,” pilots will hide it
with euphemisms like "improper functionality."
Losing a single engine isn't as big a deal as it sounds because modern airliners can
fly safely on just one engine.
Even if a plane loses all its engines at once, it won't instantly fall out of the sky.
In 1982, an airliner managed to land safely despite losing all 4 of its engines after
flying through a cloud of volcanic ash!
4) Flatulence isn’t as scary as it sounds either.
Oops -- I’m sorry.
That should have been turbulence.
My bad.
Feeling the cabin rock and shake is arguably the least fun part of air travel, but that
doesn't make it unsafe.
Turbulence is usually caused by weather conditions that make it easy to predict.
And while the shaking can get pretty rough, modern planes aren’t going to fall to pieces
because of a little jostling.
That, and the pilots are well trained on how to deal with it.
The only danger comes from passengers ignoring safety instructions.
Even severe turbulence isn't going to knock your plane out of the sky, but it can still
throw you from your seat.
So when the seatbelt light comes on and the cabin starts shaking, ya better buckle up!
5) Lightning strikes are also mostly harmless.
Soaring through storm clouds in a metal tube might sound like a recipe for disaster.
But lightning is so harmless that most passengers won't even notice their plane was struck!
The material in a plane’s fusilage is designed to direct electricity away.
The charge is then released back into the air by little antennae known as static wicks.
Worst case, the plane might come away with some minor burns on the wings and tail.
It can still be startling, though!
If you’re sitting near where the lightning makes contact, you might be treated to a loud
boom and bright flash from just outside your window!
6) Most hard landings are done on purpose.
When your plane makes a hard landing, sending your heart right up into your throat, it's
tempting to think something went wrong.
That’s rarely the case because a bumpy landing is often exactly what the pilot had in mind.
A plane’s wings produce more lift when they’re closer to the ground, pushing it back into
the air.
The best way to prevent this is with a firm landing that puts the wheels on the runway
as soon as possible.
Harder landings also allow planes to stop quickly without the pilots needing to slam
on the breaks or risk overshooting the terminal.
Or if the runway is wet or icy, a firm landing gives the wheels more traction.
7) Pilots sleep on the job!
Imagine your cab driver falling asleep at the wheel!
Good thing planes aren’t taxies because pilots do it all the time, and it's not as
dangerous as it sounds.
Part of the reason for having two pilots is so there's always someone at the controls.
It's perfectly okay for a pilot to catch some Z’s while the co-pilot is at the controls.
Of course, it’s not that unusual for a pilot to wake up from their nap and realize that
their co-pilot nodded off as well!
This is less okay when it comes to regulations, but still isn't as dangerous as it sounds
thanks to things like autopilot and other safety features.
8) Airplanes are germ magnets.
Cramming hundreds of people into a metal tube is a great way to spread germs.
Even if no one in your row is coughing or sneezing, you might not be in the clear.
Surfaces like tray tables, call buttons, and bathroom doors don’t always get wiped down
between flights.
Case in point: bring some hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes with you when you fly!
You also might want to think twice before accepting pillows and blankets.
While airlines usually try to keep them clean, there isn’t always time to wash them between
flights.
Consider bringing your own pillow and blanket… unless you like resting your head in someone
else's dandruff.
Ew!
Lightning storms, bumpy landings, GERMS!
We’ve covered pretty much everything I fear about flying, but what about you?
Let me know down in the comments!
If you’re afraid of turbulence, you’ll like this next point…
9) Morning flights are the smoothest.
Any pilot will tell you that early morning flights are your best bet if you want to avoid
heavy turbulence.
The sun heats the air during the day, which contributes to stronger winds.
Heat reflecting off the ground is also a major factor in clear weather turbulence.
Taking off in the morning, before the sun has time to finish heating things up, is a
great way to avoid both those problems.
Clear weather also means fewer chances for flights to get backed up, so delays are less
likely.
10) Pilots get their own special meals.
The pilot doesn't eat the same things as their passengers, but this is more of a safety precaution
than a perk of the job.
Their meals are usually made by the same people and of the same quality as what everyone else
gets, but are prepared separately.
They also can't eat the same things as each other.
The idea is that if one of them gets sick from what they ate, the other pilot will still
be healthy enough to fly the plane.
Many airlines also let pilots bring their own food from home.
Given the usual quality of airplane food, I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s a popular
choice!
11) Pilots and co-pilots are equals.
It's tempting to think of planes as being run like ships, with one person in charge
and everyone else following their lead.
There are even nautical-inspired terms like captain and first officer instead of pilot
and co-pilot.
The reality is that while the captain is usually the more experienced of the two, it’s more
of a partnership than a boss-subordinate relationship.
The pilot and co-pilot are both equally responsible for the safety of the flight, and they're
both equally equipped to handle any situation that might crop up.
It's not unusual for the co-pilot to be in full control of the plane without the captain's
direct supervision, like in case the latter’s in the bathroom because of some undercooked
chicken!
Oh my.
12) Becoming a pilot is expensive.
Perspective commercial pilots first need to earn a bachelor's degree then choose a flight
school.
You can end up spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on training and certification.
Once that's done, you finally have your pilot's license.
Now you need 1,500 hours of flight experience to qualify for an Airline Transport Pilot
Certificate.
And what’s the fastest way to rack up that flight time?
By renting a plane and flying it around, which isn’t cheap, let me tell you!
And those are the plane facts!
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