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Interesting Aviation Facts You Probably Never Knew
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Even the most seasoned flyers may not know these facts.
Hundreds of millions of people fly each year across the world, with the Bureau of Transportation reporting that 853 million passengers were carried by United States airlines alone. However, whereas many passengers know the basic concept of flight, much surprising information is not known by passengers who travel daily. Below are ten unique facts about airplanes or flying that may surprise even the most frequent flyers.
1. Travelers lose out on over a third of their taste buds during flight.
There is an actual reason that airplane food can sometimes taste relatively bland. When an airplane is flying at a high altitude, the air becomes very dry, and the air pressure drops. This forces passengers' sense of smell to drop, directly affecting how they judge taste.
2. Pilots and copilots typically eat different meals.
Although there is no official rule, pilots and copilots generally eat completely separate meals that are prepared differently. This is to avoid the risk of food poisoning or other sicknesses that may affect the pilot's or copilot's ability to fly the plane properly.
3. Planes can fly with only one engine.
Most planes are designed to have the ability to fly with only one engine. However, this is usually in reference to mid-flight and landing, as reaching maximum thrust for takeoff with only one operating engine would be particularly challenging.
4. Planes can also land with no operating engines.
In addition to most planes being able to operate with only one engine, they can also use their structure to operate as a glider if all engines fail. This means that an aircraft that has multiple engine failures when flying at altitude will have 20–30 minutes of flight time to descend.
5. Airplanes can get struck by lightning.
Planes get struck by lightning almost regularly. It is estimated that lightning strikes an aircraft once every 3,000 flight hours or so. However, there has not been a plane crash due to lightning since 1967.
This is because modern airplanes have the ability to allow the electrical charge of the lightning to flow directly through the aircraft and out the other side. This careful engineering typically prevents any damage to the plane.
6. The cabin is dimmed upon landing for emergency measures.
Many people believe that dimming the cabin is just to help the ambiance prior to landing. However, when it is dark outside, flight attendants will dim the cabin lights, so passengers' eyes can adjust to the darkness. Then, in case of an emergency, the passengers are able to see better in the darkness.
7. Ashtrays are still located in the airplane lavatories.
Most passengers use the lavatories on airplanes without noticing that an ashtray is still installed. This is interesting because the FAA has banned smoking on aircraft since 2000. However, manufacturers include ashtrays because, in the event that someone does end up smoking in a lavatory, the passenger will have somewhere to put the cigarette that will not cause any severe damage to the aircraft or cabin.
8. The tanks of oxygen for passenger masks are only supposed to last 15 minutes.
This may seem relatively short, but it is essential to remember that oxygen only really needs to be utilized at high altitudes. 10–15 minutes is more than enough time for the pilot to maneuver the aircraft below 10,000 feet, where the atmosphere is rich with oxygen, and the masks are no longer needed.
9. Airplane contrails are actually made of water.
People on the ground will notice the long contrails that fill the sky are left by airplanes. These contrails are mainly made from water vapor that is quickly condensing around the exhaust of airplane engines.
10. The tiny hole in the passenger windows helps regulate cabin pressure.
The small hole at the bottom of the window may look like a mistake or seem useless. However, this little hole is considered a bleed hole that helps balance the pressure between inside the cabin and the outside air. It also releases moisture, so frost does not form on the window and blocks the view of passengers.
Copyright © Shawn Herbst 2023
Hundreds of millions of people fly each year across the world, with the Bureau of Transportation reporting that 853 million passengers were carried by United States airlines alone. However, whereas many passengers know the basic concept of flight, much surprising information is not known by passengers who travel daily. Below are ten unique facts about airplanes or flying that may surprise even the most frequent flyers.
1. Travelers lose out on over a third of their taste buds during flight.
There is an actual reason that airplane food can sometimes taste relatively bland. When an airplane is flying at a high altitude, the air becomes very dry, and the air pressure drops. This forces passengers' sense of smell to drop, directly affecting how they judge taste.
2. Pilots and copilots typically eat different meals.
Although there is no official rule, pilots and copilots generally eat completely separate meals that are prepared differently. This is to avoid the risk of food poisoning or other sicknesses that may affect the pilot's or copilot's ability to fly the plane properly.
3. Planes can fly with only one engine.
Most planes are designed to have the ability to fly with only one engine. However, this is usually in reference to mid-flight and landing, as reaching maximum thrust for takeoff with only one operating engine would be particularly challenging.
4. Planes can also land with no operating engines.
In addition to most planes being able to operate with only one engine, they can also use their structure to operate as a glider if all engines fail. This means that an aircraft that has multiple engine failures when flying at altitude will have 20–30 minutes of flight time to descend.
5. Airplanes can get struck by lightning.
Planes get struck by lightning almost regularly. It is estimated that lightning strikes an aircraft once every 3,000 flight hours or so. However, there has not been a plane crash due to lightning since 1967.
This is because modern airplanes have the ability to allow the electrical charge of the lightning to flow directly through the aircraft and out the other side. This careful engineering typically prevents any damage to the plane.
6. The cabin is dimmed upon landing for emergency measures.
Many people believe that dimming the cabin is just to help the ambiance prior to landing. However, when it is dark outside, flight attendants will dim the cabin lights, so passengers' eyes can adjust to the darkness. Then, in case of an emergency, the passengers are able to see better in the darkness.
7. Ashtrays are still located in the airplane lavatories.
Most passengers use the lavatories on airplanes without noticing that an ashtray is still installed. This is interesting because the FAA has banned smoking on aircraft since 2000. However, manufacturers include ashtrays because, in the event that someone does end up smoking in a lavatory, the passenger will have somewhere to put the cigarette that will not cause any severe damage to the aircraft or cabin.
8. The tanks of oxygen for passenger masks are only supposed to last 15 minutes.
This may seem relatively short, but it is essential to remember that oxygen only really needs to be utilized at high altitudes. 10–15 minutes is more than enough time for the pilot to maneuver the aircraft below 10,000 feet, where the atmosphere is rich with oxygen, and the masks are no longer needed.
9. Airplane contrails are actually made of water.
People on the ground will notice the long contrails that fill the sky are left by airplanes. These contrails are mainly made from water vapor that is quickly condensing around the exhaust of airplane engines.
10. The tiny hole in the passenger windows helps regulate cabin pressure.
The small hole at the bottom of the window may look like a mistake or seem useless. However, this little hole is considered a bleed hole that helps balance the pressure between inside the cabin and the outside air. It also releases moisture, so frost does not form on the window and blocks the view of passengers.
Copyright © Shawn Herbst 2023
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