Truths About Flying That Airline Pilots Keep To Themselves

Do you ever really know what’s going on on your flight? It’s probably best that you don’t! Just a few feet away in the cockpit, the pilot has top-secret information at their disposal — information that could cause a lot of damage if it ever got out. Now, though, we’re finally getting a peek at the dark underbelly of commercial flights. And once you see it, you may never want to travel by air again.

Turbulence is getting worse

Because humans are slowly killing the planet, we’re making it worse to fly. And it’s all down to the way we've increased levels of carbon dioxide in the air. More CO2 may lead to more turbulence, and that means even bumpier flights. Turbulence is rarely dangerous, though, so there’s that at least.

Where does it go?

Airplane toilets are really nothing like the ones we use on the ground. They’re vacuums that suck up their contents using air pressure. And while most planes have no issue with this, there have been reports of raw frozen sewage falling from the sky. Wonderful.

Don’t trust the tap

Yes, hydration is extremely important before flying, but buy a way-too-expensive water bottle at the airport instead of getting any H20 on the airplane. In 2002 The Wall Street Journal found that some tap water on planes had as much as a hundred times the amount of bacteria allowed in the United States. Ew!

All wired up

Besides being fast and having an insane amount of parts, airplanes are also made up of a decent amount of wires. The Boeing 747, for example, contains around 150 to 175 miles of wiring. These mechanical marvels really are something else!