10 Airplane Secrets You’ll Be Surprised to Find Out

Most of us have entered an airplane at least once in our live and many of you do it more frequently. But chances are that you are not aware of many things that go on inside a plane. That’s why we decided to collect 10 important pieces of information you will definitely find to be incredible.

1. Pilots have a secret tool.

Although it is hidden from the passengers, pilots have a crash axe at their disposal that they can use either for opening panels to fight a fire, or to break a window, if it is necessary. It could also come in handy when they need to survive in an unfriendly environment, like a jungle.

2. Why are the seats blue?

The first blue seats came into use several decades ago, and now all airlines choose upholstery of this color. According to British scientists, most people associate the color blue with reliability and safety, that’s very important even for the passengers who don’t suffer from aerophobia. Also, according to research, 90% of people subconsciously make a decision about the attractiveness of a company depending on the brand colors.

There is a practical reason why airlines choose blue seats — dirt, stains, and scrapes are less visible on this color, and, therefore, these seats can be in use for a longer period of time in comparison with ones covered with a lighter colored upholstery. However, since fewer people can afford to fly first class, airlines use bright upholstery there more often as the fabric wears out slower.

An interesting fact: In the 1970s and 1980s some airlines tried to use red upholstery. However, later on they had to change it to blue, as it turned out the color red increased the level of aggression among the passengers.

3. Yes, airplanes have a pair of handcuffs.

Pilots do have certain rights up in the air since they are in charge of the plane. The captain has the most power, and they can also restrain a passenger if they deem it necessary. If somebody is a troublemaker during a flight, and after repeated warnings, they still continue to act aggressively, the captain has the right to call the police on the ground and also ask the crew to restrain them with handcuffs.

4. There is a way to get bumped to business class.

If you want to get business class service when you have an economy class ticket, you have to be polite and nice to the flight attendants, use their names when talking to them, and smile at them. Flight attendants say that they are happy to move people to business class for free if they like a certain passenger and if they have a free seat.

5. Why are the seat made of fabric or leather?

As for the materials, the seats can be upholstered with either artificial leather or fabric. As a rule in aircrafts used for long-distance flights like transatlantic ones, the seats are upholstered with fabric because it allows for the skin to breathe, so the passengers will not sweat or experience any discomfort. But artificial leather works perfectly for short flights. It’s extremely wearproof, so even spilled drinks will not leave stains on it.

6. Where does the air come from?

Have you ever wondered where the air we breathe onboard comes from? It’s actually being bled from a compressor stage of each engine turbine. This is perhaps what served to fuel a superstition that airplane air is dirty. However, no need to worry: the air is filtered and cooled first, and the filters, in fact, retain up to 95% of bacteria.

7. There are escape ropes to evacuate the aircraft.

In each cockpit, there are 2 ropes that can be used to evacuate the airplane through the windows. The ropes are a few meters long and they are also knotted. This helps the pilots to slide down more easily.

8. Why don’t plane windows match the seats?

Have you ever sat near the window but actually saw nothing through the window itself? Did it happen because it was on the same level as the back of the seat or even right behind it? It turns out that this happens because airlines try to squeeze as many seats into one plane as possible. Aviation companies provide airlines with recommendations on how to install seat rows correctly, but no one usually follows these rules.

Tracks on the floor of the aircraft allow rows of seats to be organized at the airline’s discretion and companies use this opportunity to increase their bottom line.

9. This is how you overcome jetlag.

Experienced flight attendants recommend choosing a flight so that it arrives at the destination in the evening, at about 4 p.m. This way, you will have enough time to get to the hotel, take a shower, have dinner, and go to bed.

If you are going to fly East, 3 days before the flight, try to go to bed and wake up earlier than usual. When boarding the plane, set your watch to the time of your destination to make your brain start to get used to the new time while you are flying.

10. What does the black triangle mean?

You probably noticed those small black triangles onboard some airplanes. As an Airbus A320 captain says, they mark the places where the wings can be best seen from. A visual examination may be required if pilots have doubts regarding the positions of the flaps and indicators are out of order. Fortunately, this is a rare case.

There are so many things about airplanes that we don’t know, like for example why it’s not a good idea to board first. And maybe it’s films that make us believe many things that are not actually true.