We already discussed the five things you need to do before boarding your plane to make sure your travel is convenient and less of a hassle. And even by that is not complete, as air travel is littered with inaccurate information that considered many as life-saving truths. While trivial things that can have life and death consequences gets buried.
Here, we busted the myths and unearth the life-saving tips for your peace of mind and pleasure.
Most Crashes Happen During Take-off and Landing
Contrary to what you believe, the scariest part of the plane travel is not when you are at the highest and the buildings below look like Lego blocks. It is in the few minutes when the plane is taking off and landing on the ground.
These are the moments when the plane is closest to the ground, requires the most maneuvering by the pilots, and most fatal accidents happen. It is in this window of time when you should be wary the most and follow the instructions. When the plane gets into the air, it is the computer that mostly does the job.
Planes Never Avoid The Bermuda Triangle (Despite What You’ve Heard)
Bermuda Triangle is that region in the North Atlantic Ocean where many ships and airplanes have reportedly gone missing under still unknown circumstances (mostly attributed to paranormal and extraterrestrial causes). So it is only logical that airplanes completely avoid this area, right? Come on, we cannot let these aliens take more lives.
Well first, the missing reports are highly sensationalized and exaggerated. And second, planes never avoid this area unlike what you always hear. Aircrafts and ships have been passing the Bermuda Triangle for decades without much incidents. The 1,800-mile detour is not worth it.
Devices Should Be Kept During Take Off and Landing (But Not For The Reason You Think)
Again, contrary to what you’ve heard, your iPad cannot actually remotely mess up the flight control (old school laptops in the past can, however). But these and other electronic devices should be kept or stored, not just turned off, during take-off and landing because they can fly around and act as deadly projectiles in case something happens during these dangerous moments. You don’t want to risk getting hit in the head by a 20-inch HP Pavilion Dragon darting in at 200 miles per hour, do you?
Plane Toilets Are Required To Be Fitted With Ashtrays (But You Still Can’t Smoke)
Before the 1990’s, people are allowed light up a puff during the flight, but it has stopped since then (it took them two decades before realizing secondhand smoke in an enclosed cylinder 20,000 feet from the ground is actually a health hazard), but ashtrays are still a legal requirement in airplane comfort rooms. If broken, the law mandates it to be replaced within 10 days.
But no, it’s so you could ignite a roll in secret. It is so the crew can have a place to put out the cigarette in case some hardhead decides to smoke. Putting them in trash bins could start the fire and throwing them in the toilet can cause clogging. So ashtrays are the way to go.
Seats Should Be Up During Take-Off and Landing
You are tired and only wants to catch a nap, but the attendant insists your seat should be on the most uncomfortable position possible to man: upright. Because, well, the plane is taking off.
Again, this goes to the most hazardous moments during the flight. In case things go wrong, an upright and locked seat will allow more space for people to get out on the shortest time possible. Also, a reclining and unlock seat can act as a catapult that can throw you forward during an accident, which is fatal. Getting slingshot in the air is fun during lake parties. Inside a plane? Not much.
Pilots Eat Different Meals From Each Other
If Carl the captain gets a braised beef with asparagus and tartar sauce from First Class, Mike, his co-pilot, needs to make do with the brisket chili and cheese from Business, no matter how likes the same meal as Carl. No, Mike isn’t under reprimand and being punished, it is a rule most airline will impose to avoid a case of food poisoning for both aviators (both is the operative word here).
They can only afford to have one pilot to be incapacitated, as the other can still manage to fly the plane and do an emergency landing. Both navigators going down will literally take the plane with them.
Lightning Cannot Crash Planes…
Lightning can burn forests, incinerate houses, and smolder Iron Man. But can they crash airplanes? Not really.
Decades of aviation technology have discovered ways to protect planes from Thor’s wrath by wrapping the jets with aluminum (or any other composite material) to conduct electricity and let it travel on the plane’s surface, while keeping the insides (read: people) insulated. The last time an aircraft crashed due to Zeus’ bolt was in 1967. These days, planes respond with an alarming “meh.”
… But Pointing A Laser Can
No matter how drunk or bored you are and how fun it could be, NEVER point a laser to an airbcraft. It can be fatal for the passengers and it can land you in jail. We are not even discussing about the high-powered ones they use in NASA. We are talking about those pocket-sized novelty pointers lecturers and rave party goers prefer.
You see, planes use Plexiglass in their windows to maximize incoming light (helps a lot during night travel). The concentrated light from these miniscule pointers, no matter how weak they could look like, can become overly blinding and disorienting to pilots once it passes through the glass. Because of the dangers it could bring, FBI offers $10,000-rewards for information leading to laser-related arrests. Yes, you’ll be hunted down like a serial killer because you think pointing lasers to helicopters is cool.
Airplane Trays Are… Uhm… Eeww
What is the dirtiest part of your office table? That’s right. Your keyboard. And you are the only one using it. And you get to clean it regularly. Imagine something being used by hundreds upon hundreds of people from all over the world to place their food, things, and dirty napkins, with little maintenance. Yupp. You just environed the airplane tray.
The tray is a constant home to 2,155 germ colony–forming units per square inch, which probably involve E.coli, salmonella, and molds i.e. the usual suspects for food poisoning. Wipe the tray first with alcohol or sanitizing gel before using, and do not let it directly contact your food. Use a plate or mat instead.
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