For people who always travel by plane, there are a few things that have always been a mystery, like the need for turning phones off during flights or why plane food is always just so-so. There are reasons behind these mysteries, and here are five things that people probably didn't know about air travel.
Planes Having Ashtrays Even though Smoking Isn't Allowed
According to the Daily Mail, the Federal Aviation Administration actually states that airline companies must have ashtrays on their planes. Even if smoking isn't allowed, some passengers still violate rules and it's better to have ashtrays around for the proper disposal of the cigarettes.
Lights Are Dimmed Upon Landing
You might be wondering why the lights are dimmed as the aircraft lands. It's actually for the passengers' safety because dimming the lights would help the eyes adjust to the darkness. If anything goes wrong, the people wouldn't have so much difficulty seeing in the dark.
Plane Food Tastes Bad
If you ask every passenger about how plane food tastes, they would probably say the same thing that it's bland. However, it's not actually the food that's the problem--it's your taste buds. Being up in the air, along with the cabin pressure, makes your taste buds confused and your taste level goes down to about 30%.
Can Oxygen Masks Really Save Your Life?
According to Travel & Leisure, oxygen masks can indeed save your life but flight attendants don't usually tell passengers that it would only last for about 15 minutes. It might sound useless and scary but it's not because 15 minutes is enough time for the pilot to maneuver the plane to an altitude level where passengers can breathe normally.
Airplanes Can Withstand Lightning
Whenever you're flying and see a bolt of lightning out your window, don't get scared--planes are designed for that type of situation. Planes are designed to take the hit and have the electric charge run through it.
There are still more things that you probably don't know about air travel but these five facts might help ease your mind. If ever you travel next time, these things might even be good conversation starters!
