5 curious facts about flying in an airplane that you did not know

Every day more than 1 million people cross the air in one of these metal giants, being the means of transport par excellence for tourists, businessmen and even high-ranking diplomats. Safe, fast and reliable, airplanes have everything we are looking for when it comes to traveling.

However, there are so many things we don’t know about them… and there is a reason for that. Probably, if you knew any of the dark secrets that airships hide, you would think twice before getting on one.

Before buying your ticket, take a good look at this list of 5 curious facts about flying by plane that you did not know.

Cosas que no sabías de viajar en avión

5 curiosities of traveling by plane

1. The plane may run out of fuel

Have you ever been stranded in the middle of the road, out of fuel? Now imagine that … in midair. From the myriad air safety protocols that airlines are subject to, you would think this is insane. However, there are many things about airplanes that you don’t know .

Let’s start with the fact that running out of fuel is not an unprecedented situation: on August 24, 2014, Air Transat Flight 236 lost power to its engines while flying over the Atlantic Ocean. The Airbus A330-200 model aircraft with 301 passengers on board suffered a leak that drained much of the fuel from the tanks.

Fortunately, the pilots in command acted immediately and managed to make an emergency landing at the nearest airport in the Virgin Islands, after hovering for at least 10 minutes. This feat was made possible by the impact air turbine, called RAT ( Ram Air Turbine ), which serves as an alternative emergency power source.

RATs use energy from the air running past the aircraft to generate electricity, giving pilots access to important flight instruments.

Complicaciones con el combustible durante un viaje en avión

2. The passenger bathroom door is never truly closed.

We have all gone through the painful accident of forgetting to close the bathroom door and, consequently, be exposed in one of our most intimate moments. Far from happening just in the comfort of home or in a shopping center, it is something that could happen on your next plane trip.

That’s right, believe it or not, airplane toilets are not as private as you imagined . In fact, it is possible to access them externally even when they have been blocked. In some aeronautical designs, it is as simple as lifting the sign that says “Lavatory” and sliding the handle located underneath the sign. These doors have external locking and unlocking ways for multiple reasons: it allows flight attendants to quickly access toilets in case of emergencies, as well as allowing them to restrict their use during takeoffs and landings.

So, if you were thinking of having a fun adventure with the purser, think twice. These spaces are not as private as you think.

Curiosidades de viajar en avión

3. The folding tables are dirtier than you think

Anyone would like to be able to clean at the speed of light. However, since Flash does not work with cleaning companies that serve airlines, planes are often not as clean as you think .

While airlines make an effort to keep planes very clean, the long rows of seats and the short time between flights don’t allow every surface to be cleaned.

According to a study in microbiology carried out by Travelmath , folding tables are one of the places with the most bacteria on any aircraft. Around 2,155 colony-forming units per square inch were found in this area, while in the sinks, for example, the average was around 265.

If you didn’t know before, you may never want to use them again.

Cosas que no sabías de la mesita plegable de los aviones

4. Some aircraft are equipped with body lockers

While this sounds kind of scary, if you put it in perspective, it’s not entirely far-fetched. Millions of people get in and out of a good number of planes a year, making it inevitable that at least a couple of times someone dies during a flight. Although the crew will do their best to divert to the nearest airport, sometimes it will not be possible. For this reason, some models of airplanes have cabinets for dead bodies , in case of an emergency like this.

Singapore Airlines, which operates a fleet of more than 100 large long-range aircraft, keeps its aircraft equipped with “body lockers” designed to respectfully store the deceased on long flights. So there is nothing to fear: you can be sure that if you die during a flight, your remains will be safe. However, let’s hope you never have to travel with someone else’s.

Cosas de viajar en avión que no sabías

5. Oxygen masks only work for a few minutes

Anyone who enjoys movies has seen at least once that scene in which a plane has an accident, and oxygen masks fall on the heads of passengers. You may never have come across one — we hope not — ¸ but there are a few things you should know about how they work.

Oxygen masks are an essential part of all aeronautical safety protocols. It is the duty of the cabin crew to explain to passengers before each flight how they work. They serve to provide oxygen to the people on board in case the plane loses pressure. To use them, the passenger must remain in their seat and locate the closest oxygen mask. Then you must pull it down to start the flow of oxygen.

But have you ever wondered what happens when you do it? In most cases, this action activates an oxygen chemical generating mechanism located on each seat. However, this supply does not last forever: it has oxygen for 14 or 20 minutes, an estimated time that it should take for an airplane to descend from 1,500 to 2,500 meters.

Complicaciones con las máscaras de oxígeno en un avión

References

  • Zhang, B. Crazy facts about plans that airline workers won’t tell you, for Business Insider [Reviewed July 2017].