Things You Didn’t Know About Flying: 9 Air Travel Cold Facts

By MOOK Scenic Spots Family, compiled and reported
 
Amid the trends of globalization and the global village, airplanes have become the fastest, most convenient, and most common mode of long-distance transportation. Nearly 4 billion passengers take flights every year. And in such flight processes, there are many lesser-known little secrets. The following introduces seven aviation cold facts to tell you all about them.

1.There is no safest seat on an airplane
 
According to research by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, there is no so-called safest seat on an airplane. Although many aviation accident statistics show that the middle seats in the rear section of the aircraft have the lowest fatality rate in crashes, data indicates the fatality rates in plane accidents are: 38% in the front section, 39% in the middle section, and 32% in the rear section. However, there are many variables in accidents, and plane crashes are extremely rare cases. Therefore, these figures are just data and don’t signify anything definitive.
 
2.Airplanes are not afraid of lightning strikes
 
On average, an airplane encounters a lightning strike about once every 1,000 hours of flight. Airplanes are designed with the anticipation of being struck by lightning, so their structure allows the lightning current to pass through the fuselage and exit. Therefore, under normal circumstances, it causes absolutely no damage to the aircraft.

3.A plane with only one engine can still fly
 
Every commercial airliner can safely fly with just one engine. The aircraft will operate at half power and fuel efficiency will be reduced, and of course, its range will also be shortened. Due to the glide ratio, most planes can fly an astonishing distance even if all engines completely stop. For example, a Boeing 747 can glide 2 miles for every 1,000 feet of altitude, providing enough time in case of an emergency for pilots to react appropriately.
 
4.Why is there a tiny hole in airplane windows?
 
Have you ever wondered why there’s always a tiny hole in the window when you sit by the airplane window? This little hole serves to control the cabin pressure. Most passenger airplane windows consist of three layers of acrylic: the outer layer insulates and maintains cabin pressure, the middle layer acts as a safety backup in case the outer layer fails, and the inner layer manages air pressure to ensure the middle acrylic doesn’t get damaged before it needs to function.

5.Airplane tires don’t blow out upon landing
 
Airplane tires are designed to withstand extremely heavy weights—about 38 tons—and can handle landings at speeds of 170 miles per hour. They can make over 500 landings before needing replacement. Moreover, airplane tire pressure can reach up to 200 PSI, which is six times that of a regular car tire.
 
6.Cabin lights are dimmed during landing
 
When an airplane lands at night, the crew dims the cabin lights in case the landing doesn’t go smoothly, an accident occurs, or an evacuation is needed—the passengers’ eyes will already be adjusted to the dark. Also, during landing, the crew asks passengers to raise the window shades so they can observe the outside conditions at any time in case of emergencies, assess the situation, and make the correct decisions and responses.

7.You lose about one-third of your taste in the air

The reason airplane food often tastes bad actually has an explanation: our ability to perceive sweet and salty flavors decreases by nearly one-third at an altitude of 11,000 meters. The relatively low air pressure and humidity inside the cabin also affect the olfactory mucosa responsible for perceiving smells. So next time, don’t blame the chefs so much.
 
8.Oxygen masks actually only supply oxygen for15 minutes
 
When the cabin loses pressure, the pilot will deploy the oxygen masks and bring the airplane down to below 10,000 feet, where passengers can breathe normally. Usually, descending to that altitude doesn’t take 15 minutes, so the oxygen masks—which only supply 15 minutes of oxygen—are more than sufficient.