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