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  • Psychological tricks to make you feel at home in the cabin?

  • Pilots and flight attendants hiding their own secrets from passengers?

  • Whoopie cushions left on the seats in economy class?

  • Well maybe not that, but what other mysteries are you unaware of each time you step onboard?

  • Heh, more than you’d think!...

  • 1.

  • Flight attendants assess you as you're boarding the plane.

  • It has nothing to do with being judgmental - just a part of their job.

  • For one thing, cabin crew members have to figure out if you're going to be a safety

  • concern on the flight.

  • Next, they need to understand whether you might be a valuable resource in case of an

  • emergency.

  • (Spoiler: if you're physically fit and reasonably dressed, you are.)

  • 2.

  • An extra seat behind the pilot and the co-pilot in the cockpit isn't reserved for special

  • VIP passengers.

  • It's for flight attendants during take-off or landing and for inspectors who monitor

  • the flight.

  • By the way, this seat is called a jump seat because when you get up from it, it immediately

  • folds (orjumps”) back up.

  • 3.

  • The cockpit is typically off-limits not only for passengers but also for flight attendants

  • during the flight (unless pilots request something).

  • But most crews would go the extra mile to help passengers have the best flying experience.

  • That's why some kids and extremely nervous flyers sometimes get a sneak peek inside the

  • cockpit to either quench their curiosity or calm down their nerves.

  • 4.

  • Airplanes can safely operate with one engine, even during take-off and landing!

  • The situation when both engines fail at the same time is almost unheard of, but even if

  • something like that did happen, a plane wouldn't drop from the sky like a rock.

  • If all engines stopped working at a high altitude, pilots would still have at least 20 minutes

  • to find a suitable place to land.

  • 5.

  • Planes can also land when their wheels are broken!

  • It may sound terrifying, but if the landing gear gets stuck, pilots just skid the plane's

  • belly down on the runway.

  • If everything's done correctly, such landings are quite safe.

  • 6.

  • Are you still hungry after your meal?

  • Ask for an extra portion, and if it's available, no one will frown upon it (provided you ask

  • politely, that is).

  • The sad truth is that all leftovers must be discarded after the flight.

  • And if your stomach begs for more... well, less food wasted!

  • 7.

  • Modern planes have special systems that detect other aircraft, mountains, and unexpected

  • solid objects in their path.

  • These systems' main purpose is to inform pilots about any nearby obstacles.

  • Ten miles away from another plane - and a voice starts saying "traffic, traffic, traffic..."

  • That could get on your nerves.

  • Five miles closer, and the same voice begins to direct pilots where to go.

  • And the voice now sounds like the pilot’s mother.

  • No I made that one up.

  • 8.

  • Pilots often work long, long hours.

  • No wonder that during particularly tedious and uneventful flights (which are the flights

  • we passengers love the best), they may feel sleepy and start to nod off in their seats.

  • It'd seem that reading a good exciting book would help fend off the drowsiness.

  • Unfortunately, books aren't allowed in the cockpit - they're considered a distraction.

  • 9.

  • Ever experienced such a hard landing that you jump in your seat and go white?

  • Unlike what most travelers believe, it's not necessarily a sign of an inexperienced pilot.

  • There are some conditions when a gentle touchdown is outright dangerous.

  • The most common situation when a plane must touch down firmly is when the runway is wet.

  • Then the machine has to break the water surface to avoid hydroplaning.

  • A hard touchdown is also necessary if a runway is too short - in this case, it helps increase

  • the plane's braking capability.

  • 10.

  • Flight attendants aren't there just to serve food - they're highly trained professionals.

  • They know how to deliver a baby, are skilled in hand-to-hand combat, know how to survive

  • in extreme conditions, and can extinguish a fire 30,000 ft in the air.

  • 11.

  • Airlines are going to address the dreaded middle-seat problem pretty soon.

  • A new design has already been developed, and new chairs will be available shortly.

  • These improved middle seats will be a bit lower to the ground than the aisle and window

  • ones, and they'll have 3 more inches of additional space!

  • 12.

  • Most passengers have a misconception that co-pilots are just sidekicks or understudy

  • characters who know little about flying.

  • This belief can't be further from the truth.

  • Co-pilots are totally capable of flying a plane, and they do it regularly!

  • It's a typical situation when the captain flies the plane to the destination, and the

  • co-pilot operates it on the way back.

  • 13.

  • Flight attendants have the same problems with jet lag as you do.

  • Imagine flying all the way across the globe on a regular basis, AND dealing with the dimming

  • of cabin lights during daylight!

  • Their bodies get confused, and it doesn't pass with time or work experience!

  • 14.

  • Airplane manufacturers use a special trick to make the cabin look bigger and more spacious.

  • For example, the walls have a particular structure that reflects light.

  • That, and theyre painted white, which always visually expands a space.

  • The illumination between the ceiling and overhead bins makes the ceiling look higher.

  • It helps people with claustrophobia to deal with being in an enclosed space for hours.

  • 15.

  • Passengers are also happier when their airplane has a wider entrance, and its lighting is

  • brighter.

  • Research shows that in this case, people are sure that their meals taste better and their

  • seats are wider, while the only different thing is their surroundings!

  • 16.

  • Pilots recommend nervous flyers to pick seats in the middle of the cabin.

  • When turbulence occurs, it affects the front and rear parts of the cabin the most.

  • The middle, over-the-wings section doesn't get shaken that much.

  • Imagine it like a seesaw!

  • 17.

  • Deploying an emergency slide when there's no emergency is a very bad idea.

  • It can cause hour-long delays and costs airlines thousands of dollars to pack the undamaged

  • slide back into its container.

  • Why would someone do it?

  • Apparently, to "get off the plane faster."

  • Well, just keep in mind that it doesn't work this way.

  • 18.

  • If you want to be a pilot, be prepared for endless tests and examinations.

  • Pilots have their skills checked every 6 to 8 months.

  • They have to go into simulators and practice all kinds of emergency situations.

  • After that, examiners assess them.

  • Safety and technical testing and medical examination are also regular and crucial.

  • 19.

  • Some airplanes have secret bedrooms for those crew members who need to catch some shut-eye.

  • "Crew Rest Compartments" are located either at the back of the plane or behind the cockpit.

  • 20.

  • Pilots are very careful with what they say and how they deliver it.

  • You'll never hear them announcing anything dramatic, like "fail" or "malfunction."

  • They downplay any existing problem by replacing "zero visibility" with "some fog," or "something's

  • broken" with "some technical problems."

  • It's called "positive scripting," and flight attendants follow it as well.

  • But passengers perceive pilots' announcements as more important and, statistically, listen

  • to them more attentively.

  • But if there's a really serious problem you need to be prepared for, don't worry, you'll

  • be informed!

  • 21.

  • Some airlines skip particular row numbers because theyre considered unlucky in certain

  • cultures.

  • Number 13 is the one most commonly avoided by airlines and manufacturers.

  • Another row number you might not find on your flight is 17 – it’s unlucky in some parts

  • of the world too!

  • 22.

  • If youre in a window seat, you can notice the way the airplane wings flex.

  • Sometimes they flap so much that you get worried they'll fall off!

  • What you might not know is that the wings are supposed to flex and are specially designed

  • this way.

  • If they were stiff, they’d snap off as soon as the lightest turbulence hit the plane.

  • 23.

  • The way the cabin is pressurized has a big effect on your taste buds: you lose up to

  • 30% of your ability to taste sweet and salty things.

  • In other words, it's not that airplane food isn't tasty - you just can't feel its full

  • flavor.

  • That's also the main reason why airline catering companies add extra salt and spices to the

  • dishes they cook.

  • 24.

  • The first airline to offer its customers online check-in was Alaska Airlines, and it happened

  • in 1999!

  • The system was available to a limited number of passengers and worked only for selected

  • flights.

  • Welllook how far weve come!

  • Hey, if you learned something new today, then give the video a like and share it with a

  • friend!

  • And here are some other videos I think you'll enjoy.

  • Just click to the left or right, and stay on the Bright Side of life!

Psychological tricks to make you feel at home in the cabin?

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