9 Interesting Facts About Aviation That Everyone Should Know
We might not be able to travel as much as we want to right now, but that doesn’t stop someone with wanderlust from thinking about travel as much as possible! And remember: if you really want to go on a trip, you still can. Though the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for Americans to travel internationally right now, there is still a lot of travel to be had within the country. The great thing about the United States is that the country is vast, and you can have a vast number of different experiences when traveling from one coast to another around the United States. Furthermore, the travel bans that we are currently dealing with are not going to last forever. Once a coronavirus vaccine has been given to the majority of the population, it will be much safer for people to travel again. But just because you can’t travel far now, or perhaps can but don’t feel comfortable with the idea of traveling yet, doesn’t mean that you can’t start planning to travel. In fact, now may be the time to begin booking parts of your travel plans, like plane tickets, as the rates may be lower now than they will be in the future. As long as you’re able to cancel and get a refund, you have nothing to worry about; and if a partial refund only is on the table, it may be worth the risk. Of course, if you’re planning on traveling far, you’re probably thinking about flying. That’s why we’re looking into some interesting facts about aviation. Not only are planes and airlines probably a part of your future travel plans; they’re also interesting on their own.
Maybe you’ve never flown before, and are simply aspiring to fly while also being a little intimidated or worried too. That’s okay! Planes are still relatively new to the travel industry, and a lot of people have issues with flying due to a lack of knowledge about it. With that being said, let’s look into some of those interesting facts about aviation. The more you know about aviation, the less you’ll have to worry about your future travel plans. So, let’s dive into some facts you should know about aviation, as well as some facts that are just fun to know.
1. A Boeing 747 Is More Complex Than You’d Think
The Boeing 747 is one of the most famous types of planes in the industry. There are a lot of benefits to this plane compared to others, which is quite large and distinctive. Once you begin looking up interesting facts about aviation, you’ll quickly realize that one of the reasons why a Boeing 747 is so large is that it has many different parts; probably more than you would think. In fact, a Boeing 747 plane has 6 million different parts. A wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transportation aircraft, it’s often referred to as a Jumbo Jet or Queen of the Skies. Just a few buttons and switches make it possible for a pilot and co-pilot to control a Boeing 747 and also making it a dream for engineers to explore. Its gas tank alone is massive, holding up to 48,445 gallons of fuel. That means that it can hold 17,248 as much fuel as the gas tank of a Dodge Ram pickup truck. The Boeing 747 makes large scale travel a lot easier, and it’s an important plane we rely upon to this day.
2. Flying Is More Exclusive Than You’d Think
When commercial airlines began operating in the middle of the twentieth century, air travel remained quite exclusive. Only the upper levels of society flew on a regular basis to the expense of airline tickets for quite some time. Though flying has become more attainable, it’s still not common for everyone to fly; or at least not as common as many might think it is. While there are budget airlines available for those who are traveling on a budget, some, especially those with a fear of flying, remain more comfortable with more expensive, mainstream airlines. The fear of flying also keeps a lot of people from flying as much as they would otherwise. It’s believed that just 5% of people have flown, though the aviation sector is expanding — as seen through the fact that you’re reading interesting facts about aviation right now!
3. Planes Aren’t Depending On Engines
In horror movies, a plane experiencing an engine failure would cause it to crash immediately, and that has affected how many people viewing flying. If you feel like the smallest issue could cause a plane to immediately fall out of the sky, all the interesting facts about aviation wouldn’t lead you to try flying. But the truth is that a small issue, let alone something as crucial as an engine failure, will not ruin a plane that easily. Indeed, an airplane can last up to five hours in the air following an engine failure. While some planes so differ, this measure was raised after the Boeing 787 was tested. Ultimately, as long as pilots responsibly measure the issue in cases like these, they are able to safely land before the problem become severe. In reality, many of the issues that worry people who haven’t flown before are either extremely rare or impossible. While you may imagine that collisions happen in the air, the reality is that this is highly unlikely when you’re traveling aboard a major commercial plane.
4. Flying Is Safer Than Driving
if you remain afraid of flying, it’s worth considering what you probably do on a regular basis that could potentially be much more dangerous. Every day, you probably get in your car and drive; but do you think much about what can happen when you do so? For a lot of people, getting hurt in a car accident is an abstract concept, but it can happen to any one of us under the right circumstance. You’re actually much more likely to be hurt or even killed in a car accident than you would be during a plane ride, which is why you need to weigh your options carefully. While a long road trip may help you avoid a potentially scary trip by plane, you’ll actually be more likely to get hurt if you drive the whole way. For that matter, it’s often more economical to take a long plane ride over a car ride. Yes, a plane ticket may seem expensive at first, but compared to the money that you may spend on gas, food, and accommodations while driving cross country, it may not be that much of a problem after all. It’s also, of course, much easier to fly by plane than drive by car. In some areas, traveling by plane has actually become much more of a norm; in Europe, for example, extremely affordable flights have made it much easier to travel between countries. The next time you’re debating driving or flying, just think of the issue in those terms.
5. Bring That Moisturizer On Board
When flying, you may check some of your bags; but you’ll also typically be allowed a carry-on item as well. When filling your bag with goodies, you might want to consider including a moisturizer, especially if you can ensure that it contains the right amount of liquid, as instructed by the TSA. Why? Well, the air on an airplane is certainly healthy for you to breathe, and the on-flight air conditioning system will keep it temperature controlled and comfortable. But it will remain quite dry, regardless of what airline you’re flying with. Typically, the humidity on a fight will sit at less than 20%, compared to the Mojave Desert, where the humidity will be at levels around 50%. That kind of dry air isn’t bad for you, but it can dry out your skin. Therefore, you may want to bring a moisturizer for your face on a long flight, as well as moisturizing lotion for your legs. These types of interesting facts about aviation may be more focused on your personal comfort than the plane at large, but they’re important to consider.
6. Airline Food Can Cater To Your Diet
If you’ve never flown on a plane before, you may be looking up interesting facts about aviation specifically to see if you can bear to fly in the first place. Where once planes were not known as the most comfortable places on earth, major airlines as well as some smaller lines are making steps to change that. One step that has been taken is the act of offering different food options for travelers with specific dietary needs on the flight. Of course, some of the first changes made involved offering travelers with allergies hypo-allergenic meals, as well as lactose-free meals to lactose-intolerant flyers. But in more recent years, Kosher meals, as well as vegetarian and vegan options, have been offered to travelers as well. While you might feel guilty about asking questions regarding special dietary restrictions before you book your flight, this is important. American Airlines, as well as Delta Airlines, take the step to offer vegan meals because they understand that this is important for travelers and must be tended to. Make this request ahead of time if you can; if it isn’t offered ahead of time, verify that it will be offered on board the flight before you book. But with that being said, never settle for a long flight in which you cannot eat. When a flight is long, you need to be able to eat, and that is part of what you pay for when you buy a ticket.
7. Planes Are Advancing
The design of airplanes is not stagnant. In fact, a lot of the most interesting facts about aviation center around the changes being made within this field. Of course, what most aviation engineers, especially new aviation engineers, are primarily concerned with the safety of passengers. Aviation engineering jobs are focused on advancing airplanes and creating the safest flights possible. For example, in 2016 a Ukrainian engineer created a plane that could have its cabin ejected through a system operated by pilots following an engine failure. This would mean that, in cases like these, the cabins would have parachutes deployed and float safely to the land. While most airplane crashes occur due to issues with takeoff and landing rather than engine failure, this design ideally won’t need to be used much in the future. But it’s certainly something to consider.
8. Plane Doors Don’t Open Mid-Flight
Again, if you’re afraid of flying, you’re probably looking up interesting facts about aviation as a way to calm yourself. Let us help you out. Are you every afraid that the plane’s door will open mid-flight? If so, you really needn’t be. To ensure the safety of the passengers, this door is available so that during an emergency landing it can be opened and the passengers an evacuate. However, the air pressure is so high when you’re flying that it’s virtually impossible for the door to be opened mid-flight.
9. Yes, There Are Aviation Lawyers
While browsing interacting facts about aviation, you may be curious about the laws regarding issues on airplanes. Fortunately, aviation lawyers exist to help people navigate these laws and to ensure that law and order is still followed on airplanes. Essentially, aviation law covers all issues regarding aircraft, their navigation and maintenance, and the safety of air traffic control and pilot licensing. It’s important that rules are followed on flight. Ultimately, this will result in everyone being much safer in the long term.
Again, it makes sense if you’re scared while flying at first, and don’t relax until the plane’s tires hit the ground. But there’s no reason why you should feel that way. You need to be careful about the airline that you fly with. You certainly don’t want to spend too much on a plane ticket; but at the same time, don’t work with a budget airline that may source their plane and helicopter parts from unreliable sources. As long as you’re careful about who you fly with and keep track of interesting facts about aviation, however, you should be perfectly safe!