From genius engineering feats to little-known secrets about aircraft, these airplane tidbits will elevate your aviation knowledge to new heights
13 Fascinating Airplane Facts That Will Make the Time Fly By
Updated on Mar. 04, 2025
Modern planes really are just flying ships
Next time you’re on a plane, take a moment to appreciate its nautical roots. Vanhoenacker points out that the word “pilot” is a prime example since the word originally referred to someone who steers a ship. “Airliners today have ‘rudders’ and ’tillers,’ we measure our speed in ‘knots’ (nautical miles per hour), and we speak of the ‘port’ and ‘starboard’ sides of the aircraft,” he explains, highlighting the many connections between airplanes and ships that float on water rather than air. Even a pilot’s navigation lights—red to port, green to starboard—are arranged just as they have been on ships for generations. “All these traditions are worth keeping in mind whenever you look up at the lights of a plane or when you’re on board an airliner, gazing out the window as you soar across entire oceans,” he says. “You’re surrounded by some of the most sophisticated technology on earth, and yet your journey has much in common with the journeys of your ancestors.”
Planes sometimes make strange barking sounds
Have you ever heard a bizarre barking noise coming from an Airbus passenger jet after it reaches the gate? Dan Bubb, a former commercial pilot and first officer, reveals that it’s not dogs down in the cargo hold, but rather the Power Transfer Unit (PTU) kicking in to maintain hydraulic pressure when the engines are turned off. “It is one of the strangest sounds people will hear” when flying, he says, noting that “hydraulic pressure helps the pilots with the flight controls, thrust reversers, brakes, and extension of the landing gear.” So, while that noise may sound odd, it’s actually just the plane ensuring everything is working as it should.
Airplane wings are meant to bend, especially in severe turbulence
Aircraft manufacturers put plane prototypes through rigorous tests before they are delivered to carriers. “Planes can withstand far, far greater turbulence than they will ever experience in service,” BA pilot Vanhoenacker says.
And Bubb reassures passengers that airplane wings are designed to flex in rough air, so they won’t break. “This can be somewhat concerning to passengers, but it always is good to see the wings flex in turbulence,” he says.
In fact, Vanhoenacker always requests window seats when flying as a passenger because he loves to watch wings in motion. “As you accelerate for take-off, you can see the wings begin to bend upwards as they start to generate lift,” he marvels. “They are incredibly flexible and strong. I find it reassuring to watch them work.”
Still uneasy about turbulence? Bobby Dutton, a commercially licensed pilot and certified flight instructor, suggests booking an early flight. He explains, “There’s generally less turbulence in the mornings, because the air tends to get still at night, and move around throughout the day, as the sun warms different surfaces up at different speeds.”
There’s a reason why flight attendants turn the lights on—then off—before landing
If you’ve ever been jolted awake on a commercial nighttime flight by the cabin lights brightening—only for them to dim again shortly before landing—you might have wondered if the crew was just messing with you. It turns out there’s actually a critical safety reason behind it. “This is to ensure that everyone is awake, and their vision is adjusted to see in the dark,” Dutton points out. “If there was a problem with the landing, they’ll need everyone alert and able to see as best they can.”
Planes are made to withstand lightning strikes and thunderstorms
While lightning strikes can potentially damage planes, Bubb notes that such occurrences are quite rare. The reason? “Commercial planes have static wicks that dissipate electricity from the lightning strikes,” he says of the safety feature. Additionally, planes also have what’s called a Faraday Cage within the airframe—a structure made of conductive materials designed to manage and block the intense electromagnetic current and electrical charges caused by lightning.
Crews are often resting behind the scenes
Ever wonder how flight crews manage to stay sharp on ultra-long-haul flights? “One of the secrets of long-haul airliners is that pilots have a wonderful little bunk room—a small compartment above the passenger cabin where we can go to take our required rest on longer flights,” BA pilot Vanhoenacker reveals. On the Dreamliners he flies, the space includes two private beds and a reclining seat. “We can set the temperature to our preferences, and there’s even a screen for watching movies,” he adds.
According to Vanhoenacker, these hidden rest areas are essential since many long-haul flights have three pilots on board, so one can rest while the other two remain in the cockpit. “On our longest flights, from London to Singapore, for example, we have four pilots, so two may rest while the other two are flying,” he says. Flight attendants also usually have designated rest areas on international routes, often hidden above or below the passenger cabin.
Plane doors are designed to stay closed
We’ve all read the stories of unruly passengers attempting to open a plane door during mid-flight—but there’s a reason they never succeed. “It is exceedingly difficult to open airplane doors during flight because the planes are pressurized,” Bubb explains. The pressure inside the aircraft keeps doors sealed tight in their frames, essentially locking them into place with thousands of pounds of force. So, while these incidents involving wayward passengers popping open doors may sound dramatic, rest assured—doors aren’t going anywhere at 35,000 feet.
Those numbers you hear and see during flights aren’t just random
If you pay close attention during flights, you can glean subtle clues that reveal more than you might expect. Flight instructor Dutton explains that eastbound aircraft typically cruise at odd-numbered altitudes (like 35,000 feet or 37,000 feet), while westbound planes fly at even-numbered altitudes (such as 34,000 or 36,000 feet). “This helps maintain separation since airplanes flying in opposite directions will generally be separated by at least 1,000 feet vertically,” he says. Even runway numbers offer hidden insights for savvy travelers. According to Dutton, adding a zero to the end of a runway number gives you its compass heading. For example, runway 18 points south (180 degrees), while the opposite end of that same runway would be labeled 36, indicating a northbound direction (360 degrees).
One working engine is enough to keep your plane in flight
Twin-engine planes are built with safety in mind, which is why airliners can easily keep flying on one engine for hours and hours, even if one fails. “That’s part of the redundancy that makes flying such a safe way to travel, and it’s something we practice in our rigorous training and exams that take place every six months in a full-motion flight simulator,” Vanhoenacker says. “If we must fly on one engine, we use the rudder on the tail of the aircraft to compensate for the side of the aircraft that is not generating thrust.”
Bubb adds that before a plane enters service, the FAA requires it to demonstrate the ability to climb at 500 feet per minute using only one engine—even at maximum takeoff weight as if it were loaded with full fuel, passengers, and luggage. “That is how powerful each engine is and why these planes never cease to amaze me,” he says.
Backup systems all around you keep planes incredibly safe
Airplanes are built with multiple backup systems to ensure they can operate safely even if something goes wrong. Just like engines, nearly every crucial system has redundancies in place so that if one fails, others can take over. “There are many levels of safety, including highly trained flight crews,” Bubb says.
One example is the landing gear. “Usually,the landing gear is extended through hydraulic pressure, but if a plane loses hydraulic pressure, which is fairly infrequent, there is a backup system where pilots can manually extend the landing gear,” Bubb explains.
Vanhoenacker notes that redundancies like these are a core principle of aircraft design. “Whether it’s something as important as the engines or something as seemingly trivial as the heating systems that defog the cockpit windows, redundancy keeps us safe at every stage of a flight,” he says.
The airplane’s environment can affect you in multiple ways
Airliners are pressurized to allow planes to fly at higher altitudes, where air is thinner and more efficient for long-distance travel. Flying at these heights also allows pilots to stay above most weather patterns for smoother flights. Bubb notes that cabin pressure is usually set to around 8,000 feet, striking a balance between human comfort and the structural limits of the aircraft. Any higher, and passengers could experience hypoxia, a condition caused by lower oxygen levels in the air. He also warns that many passengers don’t realize the effects of alcohol at this pressure: “One glass of wine or beer is the equivalent of drinking two” at this dehydrating altitude.
But not all aircraft are created equal these days. Vanhoenacker says that the British Airways Boeing 787s he pilots now offer even better cabin conditions than earlier generations. “The atmosphere on board has a more natural level of humidity,” he explains. “For these reasons, passengers tend to feel better when disembarking after a long flight and may find that the more natural air on board helps to minimize the effects of jet lag.”
There’s a key reason seats are configured the way they are
Despite all the advancements in aviation technology, the seat configuration on planes has remained largely unchanged. Why? The answer comes down to dollars. “Airlines try to maximize profits by installing as many seats as they can,” Bubb says. “This includes the dreaded ‘middle seat.'” While a redesign could improve passengers’ comfort, it would likely ding the airline’s bottom line. As Bubb explains, fewer seats or more spacious layouts could reduce the incentive for passengers to purchase more costly tickets in business or first class.
Airplane talk pervades our lives
Next time you’re on a plane, take a moment to consider all the flying-related expressions we casually use in daily life. Even those who do not work in aviation may take a “30,000-foot perspective” or describe a project as “ready for takeoff.” “I think that kind of language speaks to the enduring fascination our species has with flight, more than 120 years after the incredible achievements of the Wright brothers,” Vanhoenacker says.
Even pilots have their own set of classic sayings that reflect the unique nature of their profession. Dutton shares a couple of examples: “If you can walk away from it, it was a good landing. If the airplane can be used again, it was a great landing.” Another one he enjoys is, “It’s better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air than in the air wishing you were on the ground.”
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Sources:
- Mark Vanhoenacker, captain on British Airways. and author of How to Land a Plane and Skyfaring: A Journey with a Pilot.
- Bobby Dutton, commercially licensed pilot and certified flight instructor
- Dan Bubb, PhD, associate professor in residence in the UNLV Honors College and a former pilot
