15 Aviation Facts That May Surprise Even the Most Experienced Travelers
- Pilots usually get hotel rooms on top floors because they are quieter. For this profession, good rest is extremely important.
- American pilots are not allowed to have beards. Facial hair might look unkempt, and it’s not good for aviation. There’s another reason why pilots should be well-shaved: oxygen masks. At high altitudes, pilots often put them on, and beards might not allow it to be a snug fit. Outside the US, the rules are not that strict, so you might see pilots with mustaches and well-kept beards.
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- To avoid confusion with similar sounding consonants, pilots use their own alphabet: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Juliet, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, X-ray, Yankee, Zulu.
- Pilots pronounce most numbers normally with these exceptions: Zero (0) is always “zero,” not “oh.” Three becomes “tree,” five becomes “fife,” and nine becomes “niner.”
- Drinking tap water on planes is dangerous for health. Recent studies found microorganisms in the water, including the total coliform bacteria. Scientists recommend drinking bottled drinks instead of tea and coffee. Also, don’t wash your hands on the plane, but use a sanitizer instead.
- It’s better not to take off your shoes on the plane, or you might catch a fungal infection. Cleaners only have 15-20 minutes between the flights, and deep cleaning is only done once every 4-6 weeks.
- Besides, it’s not safe to take shoes off, because they might hinder evacuation. And it’s easy to leave the place if you have good shoes on your feet.
- According to statistics, lightning hits every plane more than once a year. Fortunately, modern planes can take a lightning hit. All you can see is a flash and some noise, but nothing serious will happen.
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