There are many odd things about flying that most passengers wonder about as the world of commercial aviation is still a complex and mysterious place. But here are 10 things you should know.

#1 The Safest Seat

There is no safest seat on the plane, though a study of plane accidents found that the middle seats in the back of the plane had the lowest fatality rate in a crash. However, there are so many variables at play that it’s impossible to know where to sit to survive a crash.

Don’t worry, plane crashes are incredibly rare.

#2 Secret Bedrooms On Planes

Some aeroplanes have secret bedrooms for flight crew especially aeroplanes that are used for long-haul flights. On such flights, cabin crew works 16-hour day and to help combat fatigue some planes are outfitted with tiny bedrooms where the flight crew can get some rest. The bedrooms are accessed via a hidden staircase that leads up to a low-ceilinged room with a few beds, a bathroom, and sometimes in-flight entertainment.

#3 Ashtrays In The Bathrooms

Smoking on planes was banned years ago but aeroplane lavatories still have ashtrays in them, why? Reason being, airline and the people who design plane figured that despite the no-smoking policy and myriad no-smoking signs, a smoker at some point might decide to light up a cigarette on the plane. The ashtray is placed hoping that if someone does violate the smoking policy, they will do it in the relatively confined space of the bathroom and dispose of the cigarette butt in a safe place—the ashtray and not any other place where it could theoretically cause a fire. Even after all the warnings you still smoke in the bathroom, be prepared to expect a massive fine.

#4 Oxygen Masks

The safety instructions on most flights include how to use an oxygen mask that is deployed when the plane experiences a sudden loss in cabin pressure. However, what the flight attendants don’t tell you is that the oxygen masks only have about 15-minutes worth of oxygen.

Sounds frightening? Not to worry as that should be more than sufficient.

 Oxygen masks drop only when the aeroplane cabin loses pressure and that means the plane is also losing altitude and in such a situation a pilot will move the plane to an altitude below 10,000 feet, obviously after donning the oxygen mask. At 10,000 feet passengers can breathe normally without any external support. The rapid descent usually takes less than 15 minutes, meaning those oxygen masks have more than enough air to protect passengers.

#5 Aviophobia

About 1 in 5 people have some fear of flying and thus suffer from “aviophobia”.

#6 Emergency Doors

It only possible to open the emergency doors while still in the air in the movies, in real life it is actually impossible. Planes are designed in such a way that rather than relying on the door mechanism Physics does its work to keep the door shut. At a cruising altitude, there is so much pressure pushing against the door that it can simply not be opened.

#7 Different Food For Pilots & Co-Pilots

Most pilots and co-pilots on major airlines are not allowed to eat the same food just to avoid the possibility of food poisoning and sickening the entire flight crew.

#8 Enemy Of The Aircraft

Mercury is the biggest enemy of them all and even a small amount is not allowed on a flight as it can seriously damage Aluminium, which is what most planes are made from. Aircraft that are exposed to mercury is usually quarantined.

#9 The Scariest 11 Minutes

The three minutes after take-off and the last eight minutes before landing is when you should probably be awake and alert. Research has shown that these 11 minutes are when 80 percent of plane crashes occur so the next time you are onboard don’t even think about ignoring the flight crew’s instructions.

#10 Travel First Class

Only around 25% of first-class passengers pay full fare. The rest are upgrades, frequent fliers and airline employees. Try upgrading the next time you travel, you might get lucky.

                                                                                                                                            Written By:- Pallavi Jaisinghani