If you fly often, you probably wonder what goes on behind the scenes. When do flight attendants sleep? Do pilots drink in the cockpit? How does your luggage make it from plane to baggage console and vice versa so quickly? Does somebody ride down on the terminal as it’s lowered to the plane?
While we can’t answer all of your questions regarding the inner-workings of air-travel, we can put to rest some key concerns.
While these facts are somewhat concerning, many argue that flying is in fact, the safest way to travel. That being said, definitely keep these in mind in the future!
1. Pilots Get Served Different Meals in Case of Food Poisoning.
Most of us cross our fingers that, when we eat in public, we don’t get food poisoning. Pilots, however, can’t take any chances–even if they do cross their fingers. After all, they’re charged with getting hundreds of people to safety on any given trip. So, to prevent anything bad from happening to them during flight–such as coming down with food poisoning–they get served a completely different meal than everyone else. Is it a better meal? That we can’t say for sure.
2. Pilots Have Admitted to Dozing Off In Flight.
Um, excuse me? Aren’t they supposed to be flying the plane?
Unfortunately, this statement is very much true, and has been confirmed by several commercial pilots. Fortunately, much of the actual flying is done by auto-pilot settings, so even if your pilot does decide to take a nap mid-flight, you should be just finnneeee.
3. There Are Guidelines to How Many Screws a Plane is Allowed to Fly WITHOUT.
Yes, you read that correctly–a plane is allowed to fly with some many of its parts. How many? Good question. But in all honesty, would knowing the answer really make you feel any better?
4. Airplane Water Has 100 Times the Allowable Limit.
No wonder everyone gets sick while on vacation. The airlines lead you to believe it’s the change in atmosphere that causes your sudden illness, but really, it’s all that dirty airplane water…
5. Someone Has DEFINITELY Changed a Diaper On Your Airplane Tray.
Think about it…it’s a cramped flight, the line for the bathroom is always long, and the last thing a mother wants is her little one sitting in their own waste for long periods of time. So what do they do? They make a changing table out of your airplane tray. Yep, we went there.
6. Flight Attendants Can Delay Food Service Until More People Fall Asleep.
Why is this allowed? So flight attendants don’t have to do as much work. So if you get hungry in flight, stay awake!
7. Planes Frequently Get Struck By Lightning.
Your chances of getting struck by lightning are 1 in 1 million–except, you know, when you’re thousands of feet in the air. And then they’re like, 1 in every lightning storm.
8. Those Blankets and Pillows? They Rarely Get Washed.
As if the bacteria levels in the water wasn’t bad enough, now you can rest (un)easy knowing that when you lay your head on a plane pillow, you’re probably sharing germs with dozens of other past passengers.
9. Even the Headphones in Wrappers Have Probably Been Used.
And here’s one more goody for you to think about next time you’re standing in line to board an airplane. Yep, that’s right: flight attendants repackage headphones to get the most use out of them.
Happy Flying!
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