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On average, 2.9 million passengers fly every day in and out of U.S. airports. But even though air travel has become so prevalent, it remains much more mysticized than, say, driving a car or riding a train.
I guess going 550 miles per hour (885 km/h) over 30,000 feet (9,000 meters) above ground comes with its fair share of mystery.
To dispel it, Reddit user BluPillow made a post on the platform, asking: "People who work in the airline industry, what are some things you think everyone should know about flying?"
Immediately, pilots, flight attendants, and other professionals started sending in their answers. Here's what they wrote.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
When you experience a hard landing in bad weather it wasn't because of a lack of pilot skills but it is in fact intentional. If the runway is covered in water the airplane has to touch down hard in order to puncture the water layer and prevent aquaplaning.
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#2
Flight attendant here. I think everyone should know or at least keep in mind that airline travel is difficult.
You and your fellow passenger can expect to have: Stress, An altered food schedule, Lack of sleep, Swelling, Dehydration, Discomfort, Confusion trying to figure out new things, Social anxiety, Changing ambient pressure, Loud noises, Nausea, Being hot or cold, Boredom.
Please remember your fellow passengers are traveling for various reasons. Hopefully it’s vacation but very frequently I run into people going to funerals, going to get medical treatments and commuting to work away from their families.
Everyone has a different story and many of us are having a rough day onboard we all have the same goal. Get there quickly and safely. Including the staff. Have patience with each other and us.
Leo Domitrix 2 years ago
Thank you for this. :-) This is also true in hospitals. We're not there to give you a spa experience, much as we'd like one, too.
#3
Former pilot here — turbulence will break your nose or your neck before it knocks the plane out of the sky. Buckle up when the light is on and take comfort in the fact that turbulence hasn’t crashed a plane since the 1970s.
#4
Before being a prick to a flight attendant, keep in mind that their actual job is to save your life in an emergency. If I'm flying and know that there are 2 people who will make it a priority to keep me alive even if I'm unconscious, I'm going to make sure I'm on their good side. Just sayin..
#5
I learned that flight attendants don't get paid for the time before and after flights when doing a s**t ton of work to clean up and get people on/off, and frankly, I think that's s**tty. We would never work before clocking in, why is it okay for them?
#6
No one is physically capable of opening the cabin door while in flight because of the aircraft pressurization. So take comfort in knowing that if a crazy person gets up and starts frantically trying to open the door in the middle of a flight, they're not going to be able to do it at all. You could sit in your seat and watch them work on it for hours and it still won't happen.
Auntriarch 2 years ago
Well that's good to know. Though to be fair I'm going to be off my face on diazepam just giggling at the crazy person
#7
If you checked your Dog there's about a 30% chance it's terrified before it even gets on the plane, who knows how scared it gets during the actual flight. Bag room agents will usually try to comfort a scared animal, but all we can really do is talk to it, so if you write your pet's name on their carrier it usually helps a lot.
I've never seen a cat who was scared in the bag room, cats don't give a f**k.
#8
When you are seated, buckle your damn seatbelt. I don’t want you to be paralyzed because we hit turbulence and you smacked your head on the ceiling. So much paperwork.
Paddling Panda 2 years ago
It's the paperwork that gets you every time. So just buckle up. People hate paperwork.
#9
When a plane is landing at night, they dim the interior lights incase you need to evacuate upon landing... your eyes are already adjusted to the darkness so you'll be able to see better once outside the plane.
#10
Not every landing is going to be smooth. Sometimes we purposefully land a little firmer. Just know that if it was a rough landing, the other pilot is making fun of the one who made the landing.
#11
The reason you are supposed to open your life vest outside the aircraft in case of an emergency ditching is so that you don't float upwards while still inside the plane. This will trap you and increase your risk of drowning.
Always open them outside or immediately before you leave the aircraft, should you need to evacuate on water.
MyOpinionHasBeenServed 2 years ago
In this situation I don't think I'd be able to think straight.
#12
It is NOT a right. It is a privilege.
Be kind, behave, or be gone.
Joann Pheasant 2 years ago
Not a right. It's a contract for carriage. You (as a passenger with a paid ticket) are party to a contract as a business invitee. The contract is with conditions, lots and lots of conditions. The contract can be voided at any time by the carrier. They may have other obligations to you as the "business invitee" like possible repayment of your ticket when your ticket is revoked but they don't have to board you and they may deplane you too. Sorry, not a right. Contract law.
#13
We fly with broken s**t on the airplane all the time. We have a list that tells us what can be broken and still be able to fly safely and legally.
Leo Domitrix 2 years ago
Very true. Also true of cars. It's pretty amazing we get anywhere alive, really.
#14
Both pilots are equally qualified — the captain just has more responsibility and more experience (usually). We trade off who is flying and who is monitoring the radios every other flight (sometimes every two flights).
Niffler_13 2 years ago
Each airline flies a different type of plane. First Officers must train and become qualified to fly, then typically have to fly with the airline for 2 years, or so many hours. Then they can go through the training to be a Captain.
Guy Mckee 2 years ago (edited)
Not true, most airlines have what’s know as a seniorty system to advance. That means when your number comes up you move up. Experience normally is attained as you get more time. Both pilots train in the same manner while Captains are asked to taxi along with other specific things like auto landing. In the end traditionally both pilots are well trained and qualified.
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Anne Mitchell 2 years ago
Just note that qualifications and experience are two different things.
Don't Look 2 years ago
Well pilots have to have their first flight some time. And it’s not like they get to train (atp) in anything other than a simulator.
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Alex the Country Dog 2 years ago
What “studies” random “fact” dude. Sources please.
Load More Replies... #15
My husband was a plane mechanic for years and he says that flying is hands down safer than driving.
Gregory Gibbs 2 years ago
Trouble is, when two cars collide, it doesn't result in 600 casualties!
#16
Everything is expensive as hell! If you want your flights to be cheaper, take care of the aircraft while flying. The seat is rented by you, NOT owned! Just a simple tray table fix can cost $1000. The airline industry just passes the cost to the customer. Simple computers can cost tens of thousands of dollars. The FAA sticker of approval can triple, quadruple, or exponentially raise costs of things, hence the $6000 coffee maker.
#17
A flight attendant told me that in the event of a situation where passengers have to cover their heads you do not 'lock' your fingers overhead but place one hand on top of the other. If something falls on your hand/head, you'll still have one good hand to use.
#18
Not an airline worker, but when I sit down, during the safety lecture, I count the number of rows to an exit. If an evacuation is necessary, it's a good number to know.
Leo Domitrix 2 years ago
This. I'm also this person. I map my exits and often will volunteer to sit in an exit row.
#19
Interfering with the air crew is a felony. If you have grievances you can address them with the airline after you disembark.
Random Anon 2 years ago
We should have a brig on planes and a lever to send unruly passengers there.
#20
Bring an unopened bag or box of chocolates for the flight crew, especially on long flights...they'll treat you like a king for the whole flight.
AnnaBanana 2 years ago
I've always wondered how to approach that. Seems a bit weird to give them something at the beginning of a trip, rather than the end. And if you give them something at the beginning, don't they consider it 'bribery' to get on board perks or something??
#21
There are no parachutes on commercial flights, so please stop asking. If the plane is going down there is nothing you can do but pray and ask forgiveness for your sins.
#22
The captain has almost limitless authority when the doors are closed. He is allowed to arrest people, write fines, and even take the will of a dying passenger.
#23
Don't show up to the airport late, give airport staff and security your bulls**t attitude because you couldn't be bothered to get there on time, and then get all offended when they give you your attitude right back to you. Seriously. F**k off with the entitlement.
#24
As pilots, we are just darn lazy. We focus our attention on finding ways to avoid anything becoming busy, rushed, or any time our capacity might be stretched.
We do everything for a simple life. Sometimes that means using the autopilot as much as we can. Sometimes it means manual flying and looking out the window.
Whilst some of us might secretly relish the opportunity to go off-piste and demonstrate our prowess as great aviators in adverse circumstances, no one wants a sweaty day. The imagery of seasoned sky gods wrestling with the controls are all well and good in the movies, but that’s exactly the sort of stuff we are determined to avoid. In fact, most of us are just plain boring.
Come say hi - either before after. Small kids and big ‘kids’ alike.
#25
Electronics do absolutely nothing to a plane. Your phone or iPad or laptop isn't going to make the plane magically drop out of the sky. It's not going to suddenly make the navigation system go offline. Planes have triple redundancy in EVERY system. Also, all of the sensitive electronics are so heavily shielded against the radiation that the atmosphere produces (which is several factors stronger than your iPhone) so you don't have to worry.
Source: I'm an aerospace engineer and also the a**hole that texts from 35000 feet.
Gin. No tonic 2 years ago
But how doest the text reach its recipient? Can a mobile signal reach that high?
#26
Your tastebuds are reduced by 30-60% on flights. So more salt and seasoning are added to the food so it doesn't seem bland. Might also be the reason so many crave tomato juice or bloody mary mix ONLY on planes.
The air in flight is drier than most of the deserts in the world, this impacts the taste of the food as well as your need to hydrate. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water on the long trans-oceanic or even transcontinental flights.
Flight attendant jumpseats are waaaaaay more uncomfortable than anything you are sitting on and are usually right by a stinky lav. So keep that in mind when you complain to a crew member about your seat. Jumpseats are about as comfy as those old plastic fold-up lawn chairs.
AnnaBanana 2 years ago
I once sat in a jump seat for a five hour flight. I had food poisoning and the poor flight attendants had no choice but to put me in their seats between the two toilets at the back of the plane, with an airsick bag in case the toilets were occupied. Not my most pleasant flight!!
#27
Alcohol has a greater effect on people at higher altitudes so know your limits and don’t push them. Even if you have had a drink in the airport it can still affect you during the flight. As flight crew, we do not care that it’s your holiday, birthday, stag party, hen party or that you are nervous, if you are drunk and behaving like a prick it will not be tolerated and you can be arrested get a ban from the airline. And because airlines share their ban passenger list you could find yourself banned from a few airlines.
Tenacious Squirrel 2 years ago
I think they should just stop serving alcohol on flights. Especially non-long haul - you can survive a few hours without alcohol. If you seriously need alcohol to relax you to fly then go to your doctor and get medication or treat your fear of flying another way.
#28
Don’t make jokes about the pilot drinking. “Oh, didn’t I see you at the bar late last night hur hur hur”. We then (for safety and to make sure there is no doubt) will take a BAC test to show we are stone sober. It makes s**t unnecessarily difficult.
#29
Almost every commercial flight you ride-on has a dead body on board. Possibly 2 if you're on a wide-body (large) aircraft.
Marco Conti 2 years ago
As long as they remain in their container and don't try to eat me, I am fine with it.
#30
My dad's been an airline pilot for almost 20 years, and apparently, planes get struck by lightning all the time. Also if a passenger is causing a scene in the jetway he can refuse to let them on and take off without them.
What do you think ?
Kusotare 2 years ago
The bag that is part of the oxygen mask won't inflate. They tell you that in their spiel. What they don't tell you is what the bag's true function is. That bag is to contain your barf that you might upchuck as a result of nausea caused by the sudden decompression. The same sudden decompression that released the masks in the first place. It keeps the former contents of your stomach from clogging your tube and blocking the flow of sweet, sweet air.
Jo Choto 2 years ago
I fly so, so much. My tips would be, take hand sanitizer and some tissues and clean all the wipeable surfaces before you use them. Sanitize after leaving the toilet. Be really, really polite and appreciative of everything the flight crew do, because believe me, they can choose to be VERY unavailable if they take a dislike to you. Always wear your seat belt the whole flight. Don't wear tight shoes because your extremities swell. Hydrate and don't drink too much.
the annoying theatre kid 2 years ago
one thing i know is that you should always wipe down your tray table cause they don't clean it
Steph 2 years ago
A good advice in general, but not always true. I have worked as a flight operation manager: it much depends on the cleaning staff of each airport, not even the airline itself. And also on how long the plane is „sitting“ until next take-off.
Load More Replies... Leo Domitrix 2 years ago
I have to fly next month and now I want to hide under the bed instead.
Freya the Wanderer 2 years ago
Indeed. Some of these I need to add to my long list of Reasons to Drive Instead.
Load More Replies...
D K 2 years ago (edited)
As a nurse I’ve always wondered: what type of emergency medical equipment is carried on flight? I assume there would be equipment to measure vitals, blood glucose, a stethoscope, but anything beyond that?
Leo Domitrix 2 years ago (edited)
I got curious, googled: https://www.ashp.org/news/2015/01/13/know_what_s_in_airplane_s_emergency_medical_kit__two_pharmacists_say?loginreturnUrl=SSOCheckOnly
Load More Replies... 
Brobro McDuderson 2 years ago
I just want to tell you both good luck, we’re all counting on you.
arienne libbrecht 2 years ago
I listen to a podcast called Black Box Down that is actually scary, awesome, and informative at the same time.
George Smith 2 months ago
The reason they want you to sit in your assigned seat is not for weight & balance, your personal weight is almost inconsequential in an airliner; it’s to make your remains easier to identify in after-crash investigation. n
George Payne 2 years ago
I always feel great comfort for the little light bulb & the whistle on the buoyancy aid. After I've evacuated from my crashed plane in the middle of the Atlantic, it'll give me something to play with whilst waiting to drown....
Kusotare 2 years ago
The bag that is part of the oxygen mask won't inflate. They tell you that in their spiel. What they don't tell you is what the bag's true function is. That bag is to contain your barf that you might upchuck as a result of nausea caused by the sudden decompression. The same sudden decompression that released the masks in the first place. It keeps the former contents of your stomach from clogging your tube and blocking the flow of sweet, sweet air.
Jo Choto 2 years ago
I fly so, so much. My tips would be, take hand sanitizer and some tissues and clean all the wipeable surfaces before you use them. Sanitize after leaving the toilet. Be really, really polite and appreciative of everything the flight crew do, because believe me, they can choose to be VERY unavailable if they take a dislike to you. Always wear your seat belt the whole flight. Don't wear tight shoes because your extremities swell. Hydrate and don't drink too much.
the annoying theatre kid 2 years ago
one thing i know is that you should always wipe down your tray table cause they don't clean it
Steph 2 years ago
A good advice in general, but not always true. I have worked as a flight operation manager: it much depends on the cleaning staff of each airport, not even the airline itself. And also on how long the plane is „sitting“ until next take-off.
Load More Replies... Leo Domitrix 2 years ago
I have to fly next month and now I want to hide under the bed instead.
Freya the Wanderer 2 years ago
Indeed. Some of these I need to add to my long list of Reasons to Drive Instead.
Load More Replies... D K 2 years ago (edited)
As a nurse I’ve always wondered: what type of emergency medical equipment is carried on flight? I assume there would be equipment to measure vitals, blood glucose, a stethoscope, but anything beyond that?
Leo Domitrix 2 years ago (edited)
I got curious, googled: https://www.ashp.org/news/2015/01/13/know_what_s_in_airplane_s_emergency_medical_kit__two_pharmacists_say?loginreturnUrl=SSOCheckOnly
Load More Replies... Brobro McDuderson 2 years ago
I just want to tell you both good luck, we’re all counting on you.
arienne libbrecht 2 years ago
I listen to a podcast called Black Box Down that is actually scary, awesome, and informative at the same time.
George Smith 2 months ago
The reason they want you to sit in your assigned seat is not for weight & balance, your personal weight is almost inconsequential in an airliner; it’s to make your remains easier to identify in after-crash investigation. n
George Payne 2 years ago
I always feel great comfort for the little light bulb & the whistle on the buoyancy aid. After I've evacuated from my crashed plane in the middle of the Atlantic, it'll give me something to play with whilst waiting to drown....
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