Know About Yourself :- Did you know that the longest bathroom break lasted for almost an hour? Or that there is a documented case of someone sneaking on the plane again after being caught drinking onboard?
Or that one flight had to make an emergency landing because an intoxicated passenger began screaming and tried to open the emergency exit?
We document our lives with photos, videos, and even drawings. But we rarely ever write down the funny things that happen in our daily lives.
It’s these little details about everyday activities that are usually forgotten or overlooked. From trivial things to weird experiences,
here are some facts you probably didn’t know about flying—or anything else for that matter.
Know About Yourself
1) Flying Facts
– We weigh less when we fly. This is due to mild low-pressure conditions at higher altitudes. – The air inside the cabin is completely replaced every two to three minutes.
The pilots and crew are required to remain silent during takeoff and landing, as the noise inside the cabin is louder than the vibrations coming from the engines.
The autopilot on most commercial flights is programmed to climb to an altitude of 35,000 feet, and then cruise at that level until it reaches the destination.
At cruising altitude, the air inside the cabin is actually less dense than the air outside. That’s why you’re able to open the window shade, and see the clouds outside.
2) Bathroom Break
If you’ve ever wondered how long it takes for the average person to relieve themselves on a long flight, the answer is about 13 minutes.
The record for the longest flight is held by a passenger who spent almost an hour in the lavatory. According to the flight attendants on the plane, the man spent the entire flight in the bathroom.
His fellow passengers grew suspicious of his activities and reported him to the flight crew. The pilot made an emergency landing at the next available airport and the man was arrested upon landing.
While there are no records regarding the longest amount of time spent on the toilet by children, there is one documented case of a grown man who, due to an expired ticket, sneaked into the bathroom and hid in the toilet.
He was able to avoid detection and was apprehended by authorities after the flight had landed.
3) Airline Proposals
There are more than 200 documented cases where a passenger proposed to his/her partner during a flight. Darren Firman was traveling from Sydney to London on Valentine’s Day in 2004 when he noticed the woman seated next to him was wearing a promise ring.
After some light conversation, he asked her if she was engaged to be married. When she said she wasn’t, he pulled out a ring and asked her to marry him.
She said yes, and the two were married a year later. In 2009, an Indian man flying from New Delhi to Paris proposed to his girlfriend with the help of the flight crew.
The pilot had the couple’s names and wedding date written in the sky using lights from the plane.
4) Confirmed Drunk Passengers
In 2007, a drunk passenger on an Air New Zealand flight caused a substantial amount of damage to the aircraft. After consuming a large amount of alcohol,
he attempted to break into the cockpit while the plane was still on the ground. Once the flight had reached cruising altitude, the drunk passenger began kicking and damaging the emergency exit.
Once the flight crew had subdued him, he was arrested upon landing and charged with reckless endangerment, criminal damage, and breaching airport security. In 2010, an intoxicated passenger on a British Airways flight became belligerent and started trying to open the emergency exit.
After several attempts to calm him down and a few threats of restraining him, the pilot made an emergency landing in Iceland. The intoxicated passenger was arrested and sent back to London on the next flight.
5) Emergency Landings Due to Intoxicated Passengers
In the past 25 years, there have been 15 emergency landings whose sole cause was an intoxicated passenger. In 1999, a woman who had been drinking alcoholic beverages on the beach became angry when she couldn’t find her drink.
She then started screaming and threatening to kill everyone on the plane. The crew took notice of her increasingly belligerent behavior and decided to divert the plane to the nearest airport to remove her from the flight. In 2002.
an intoxicated passenger on a Virgin flight from London to New York threatened the pilot and attempted to open the emergency exit.
The flight crew made an emergency landing in Boston, MA, and the man was arrested upon landing.
6) Unlimited Baggage Fee
There is a record of a passenger bringing a concrete mixer as their carry-on bag. The mixer was confiscated by security, but was not destroyed or disposed of.
It was loaded onto the flight and sent to the passenger’s destination. The mixer was then unloaded from the plane and the passenger was charged an additional $100 for having an extra bag.
There is also a documented case of a passenger who was allowed to bring their pet snake onboard as a carry-on.
The passenger claimed the snake was a service animal, and that it helped them cope with anxiety.
7) Seatbelt and Mask Confusion
There are documented cases of passengers wearing their seatbelts during takeoff but removing them and putting on their oxygen masks once the captain announces the flight will be above 10,000 feet.
This is a big mistake because the seatbelt is the only thing keeping them secured during the turbulent parts of the flight.
There are also cases of passengers putting on their oxygen masks before buckling their seatbelts, which is against FAA regulations.
The FAA states that passengers should put on their seatbelts first, and then put on their oxygen masks if the cabin loses pressure.
The majority of passengers don’t know that the oxygen masks have to be above your head, or else they’ll just be useless pieces of plastic in your hands.
If the cabin loses pressure and the air gets thin, these masks give you the only thing you need to stay alive: oxygen.
8) The Shortest Flight of All Time
In 2007, a pilot accidentally activated the plane’s engine while pressing the brakes. The plane rolled down the runway and took off before the pilot realized what had happened. The plane flew for only 41 seconds before the pilot realized the mistake and was able to land the aircraft safely. This is the shortest flight of all time, and it is currently held by a turboprop aircraft flying from Glasgow to Edinburgh.
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Conclusion
Flying is a convenient way to travel, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely devoid of oddities. From trivial things to weird experiences,
here are some facts you probably didn’t know about flying—or anything else for that matter. The air inside the cabin is completely replaced every two to three minutes.
The pilots and crew are required to remain silent during takeoff and landing, as the noise inside the cabin is louder than the vibrations coming from the engines.
The autopilot on most commercial flights is programmed to climb to an altitude of 35,000 feet, and then cruise at that level until it reaches the destination.
At cruising altitude, the air inside the cabin is actually less dense than the air outside. That’s why you’re able to open the window shade, and see the clouds outside.