Interesting and Fun Aviation Facts

The world is filled with airline and aviation enthusiasts, more popularly known as #avgeeks. Their passion for aviation is usually beyond borders and they can never get enough of learning about this dynamic industry.

So to all the avgeeks out there, here are some cool and quirky aviation facts that may surprise even the biggest aviation buff, and help with any future aviation trivia. Did you know…

1. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is the world’s oldest airline, established in 1919; while Qantas is the world’s second oldest airline, established in 1920.

2. The wing-span of the A380 is longer than the aircraft itself. Wingspan is 80m, the length is 72.7m.

3. The strobe lights on the wingtips of an Airbus flash twice, on a Boeing – once. So the next time you see an airplane in the sky, you can tell the make just by the wingtip strobe lights!!

4. About 1/3 of your taste buds are numbed while flying and act differently due to pressure changes, which is why airlines have to be careful with the food they give you. For example, you can’t taste salty things that well. Maybe that meal was not bland after all?

5. Passengers account only for about 10% of the plane’s take-off weight. Fuel takes the biggest part.

6. Pilots and co-pilots are required to eat different meals in case of food poisoning.

7. 5% of the world’s population has never been on a flight. That means 7,410,000,000 people have never boarded an aircraft!! Think about that aviation growth potential…

8. In 1987, American Airlines saved $40,000 annually by removing one olive from their first-class salads.

9. The reason why airlines dim the cabin light during a night flight isn’t solely about letting passengers sleep better. It creates a safer environment by making the emergency exits easier for passengers to locate while also allowing passengers to adjust their vision incase an emergency occurs. #SafetyFirst

10. The tray table is the filthiest place on an airplane. The bacteria levels found on tray tables is three times higher than levels on a toilet flush button. #WipeThatTable

I hope you enjoyed these quirky aviation facts, please share with us your interesting facts about the #aviationindustry in the comments below.

Author: Nikita N Bhatia

Flight Planning – Why is it important? & What are its benefits?

Flying an aircraft is not as simple as driving a car, you need to be completely prepared and know the route that you are taking. It is crucial that all flights have an organized and well-structured flight plan, which will not only maximize the safety of those on board but also minimize costs where necessary.

Aviation flight planning comprises of a lot of different elements. From fuel calculation to weather conditions to checking if all the routing restrictions are met, the flight planning process takes care of it all. A take-off can only be initiated once the operator is sure that the flight planning process is complete.

In this blog post, we aim to tackle questions about aviation flight planning and how assistance from a trip support company makes it all easy for operators.

What is flight planning?

Flight planning, crucial for both domestic and international flights, is producing an operational flight plan for an aircraft operating from point A to B. The ultimate goal of flight planning is to create a unique plan for the safest flight on a particular day and for a particular aircraft. As conditions are never the same for any flight, the calculations must always be tailored to the flight in question.

Flight planning involves two main things. First is the fuel calculation, through which it is ensured that the aircraft reaches its destination safely. And secondly, it is to ensure that the flight meets all the routing restrictions between point A and B.

Who can make a flight plan?

Most countries aviation authorities have made it mandatory for a person to obtain a Flight Dispatcher License to be able to generate flight plans. Obtaining the license involves rigorous knowledge testing on the subject.
Grand Petroleum operations team consists of employees that are certified Flight Dispatchers, so rest assured your flight planning will be in good hands.

How does a Flight Dispatcher minimize the overall cost of the flight?

A good Flight Dispatcher helps to minimize the cost by selecting the best route according to the height and speed of the aircraft. The Flight Dispatcher will plan the route that enables the minimum necessary aviation fuel on board.

Why is a flight plan important?

1. Safety of the flight
For aviation flight planning, the primary goal is always safety. We use technologies to ensure maximum safety for the passengers and crew on board the aircraft. The Flight Dispatcher checks the NOTAMs, for both the arrival and departure airports, and also for the regions where the aircraft will overfly.
Air Traffic Services also make use of the final flight plan for air traffic management services, like flight tracking and finding aircrafts during search and rescue missions.

2. Cost-efficient flight plan
A skilled Flight Dispatcher will try to limit the hazards and try to minimize the fuel consumption, to avoid unnecessary expenses. Using a flight planning software, our experienced staff generate flight plans making the flight both time-efficient and cost-efficient.

3. Compliance of Regulations
When planning a flight from point A to B, it is important to make sure that you follow the regulations for all territories that you will be departing from, arriving at, and overflying during the journey. This could include obtaining PPR, overfly permits, landing permits or even abiding by recently added Covid-19 restrictions by various countries. A trip support company’s assistance is always useful in making sure that all latest rules and regulations are followed by the operator.

Flight Planning Services

To ensure that all the factors are taken into consideration for flight planning, it is always important to work with an experienced flight support company like Grand Petroleum. At Grand Petroleum, we consider all factors including aircraft performance data, fuel burn estimates, routing restrictions, and airport data to make the most fuel efficient & cost-effective flight plan for your journey.
Grand Petroleum Flight Planning services includes-

• Route planning
• Computerized flight plans
• ATC flight plan filing
• Flight tracking
• Runway analysis
• NOTAMs
• Weather briefings

Hope we covered all your doubts about Flight Plans. For any more queries, feel free to contact us on ops@www.grand-petroleum.com or leave a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

Looking for flight planning assistance for you next trip? Contact #GrandPetroleum for all you flight planning and trip support needs.

Author: Nikita N Bhatia