1. Air travel is the safest way to travel

Myth. Although airplanes are at the top of the list of safest means of transportation funds, but do not occupy the first line. Number one for safety is actually… the elevator. It is a pity that he will never be able to take us where any modern Boeing or Airbus can easily do.

2. Pilots at work are never served the same meals and side dishes

Fact.In fact, there is no such formal rule. However, most airlines strongly advise the captain and co-pilot not to eat the same food. The reason is clear – no one wants to get into a situation at an altitude of 10,000 meters, when both professionals at the same time fall down with an upset stomach or even get poisoned. Therefore, in this case, the question: “Chicken or fish?” sounds very serious.

True, there is an alternative solution to the problem: according to the instructions, pilots are ordered to dine at different times. However, personal experience shows that usually a flight attendant enters the cockpit with a full set of cassettes for all crew members.

3. Air conditioning systems are the main culprits in the spread of viruses throughout the cabin

Myth.Air conditioning in aircraft is a very complex and yet perfect process. At such altitude, speed and ultra-low temperatures, literally everything has to be regulated and corrected, including humidity. Part of the “exhaust” air is discharged back outside through special channels, and a fresh portion is sucked in parallel from the street. The other “half” continues to recirculate, passing through numerous filters. They just collect bacteria, viruses, dust particles, and even the smell from the clothes of smokers. But what they definitely “do not know how” is to spread germs around the cabin. If, of course, they are fully functional.
Experts say that the air in the cabin is actually much cleaner than the one we breathe in our own cars.

By the way, the cockpit, or as it is also called, the “flight deck” has its own own, separate from passengers, filtration system. Even if smoke occurs in the cabin, the pilots will not feel it, but will notice it only on instruments.

4. Tomato juice on board the plane is different, not from the store

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Fact. More precisely, the other one on the plane is not the juice itself, but its taste. The largest European association of applied research institutes, the Fraunhofer Society, discovered back in 2010 that tomato juice is drunk differently on board an aircraft than on the ground. It is sweeter and much more like real tomatoes. This is due to the lower air pressure at an altitude of 10,000 meters, which just affects our taste buds.

By the way, in the ranking of drinks served on board, tomato juice ranks second after water.

5 . Modern aircraft lack the 13th row of seats

Fact. With rare exceptions, airlines prefer not to check passengers for superstition and skip the unlucky number: from 12 to 14 at once. Would you really not take seat number 13 under any circumstances?

6. Routes are deliberately not laid over the Bermuda Triangle

Myth. About the Bermuda Triangle and its “sins” almost everyone knows. But how big this region is in the northern part of the Caribbean, on the contrary, many do not even know.

Indeed, the “triangle” became famous for the infamous myths about the myriad of ships and planes that disappeared without a trace here. There is even a version that they are abducted by aliens. However, it is easy to make sure by opening Flightradar that the planes are not afraid of anything and fly directly over the Bermuda Triangle.

7. Flying from west to east is faster than flying in the other direction

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Fact.It's all about the phenomenon known as “jet streams”. These are very strong high-altitude winds that approach our planet at a speed of 200 to 500 km/h. The earth rotates from west to east, so when flying in the same direction, the plane involuntarily uses this wind to good use. It is logical that in the opposite direction, jet streams slow down the movement of aircraft.

8. Flights from east to west affect the daily biorhythms of the body less

Fact.When we travel east, that is, from Kaliningrad to Komsomolsk-on-Amur, our day gets shorter, so we lose time. Having flown from Moscow to Ufa in 2 hours, in fact, we will find ourselves in the hour pole “+4 hours”. The internal clock of our body is forced to adapt. And they have no choice but to “reboot”. This inevitably causes a disruption of the usual daily biorhythms.

The flight to the west is perceived by the body easier: in this case, we get extra “time”, and the internal clock just has to slow down a bit.

By the way, how well a person can cope with a difference in several time zones depends largely on what chronotype he belongs to: owls are easier to travel to the west, and larks better tolerate flying to the east.

9. Mobile phones can wreak havoc on an aircraft's on-board electronics -znaem-o-poletah-na-samolete-697593b.jpg” alt=”Facts or misconceptions? What do we know about flying by plane” />

Myth.The potential impact of our gadgets on aircraft performance has been talked about for years. However, today we can say for sure that mobile phones, smartphones, tablets and other devices do not affect on-board electronics. Since mid-2014, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has allowed the use of electronic devices on board aircraft. We add that some airlines prohibit only phone calls. At the same time, this ban is not due to technical reasons, but in order not to irritate other passengers.

It turns out that the most dangerous part in our phones is the lithium battery. It really can ignite all of a sudden.

10. During a three-hour flight, the body loses 1.5 liters of water

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Fact. According to the findings of scientists, during the flight we lose about the same amount of fluid as if we were running on the ground. The difference is that in an airplane, the liquid leaves our body not through sweating, but through breathing.

Of course, the weather also has a great influence on the water balance. Just like in ordinary life, more water is lost on a hot, dry day. Therefore, advice: drink more water and don't worry about having to go to the toilet often. Moreover, it is useful to move, especially on long-distance air routes.