Let’s Ask A Pilot

Blog Posts, Travel Blog | 0 comments

Have you ever thought how great it would be to sit and ask a pilot all the questions you have about flying, traveling and seeing the sights around a city?  After all, they are the ultimate road warrior, working 15 to 20 days per month, traveling around the state, country, and the world.

They are experts on travel safety and aircraft operations, yet they are connoisseurs of international cuisines, loaded with great shopping tips and of course they know the best place to sit on an airplane.

Here’s a chance to see just what they have to say about a thing or two.

Ask a pilot

Photo credit: ambrozinio

Photo credit: ambrozinio

  • If you are a nervous traveler, try to take a morning flight. As the ground temperature rises during the day, it causes bumpier air. Thunderstorms are also more likely to occur later in the day. (Reader’s Digest)
  • Seating advice (Reader’s Digest):
    • The place to sit for the smoothest ride is typically near the wing.
    • The air flows from the front to the back, so the freshest air is towards the front. It is also warmer towards the back of the plane.
    • If you’re wanting a seat which gives you better survival in case of a crash, each accident is different, and there is no way to predict outcome and/or the circumstances of the accident before it occurs according to  NTSB spokesperson Keith Holloway
    • You improve your chances of survival by listening to flight attendants’ preflight briefings, knowing where primary and secondary exits are and reading how to operate the exits.
    • Knowing where emergency equipment is stowed and how to use it is another way to keep yourself and others around you safe.
    • Pilots will assure you it’s very important to count the number of rows between them and the two nearest exits before your flight leaves the gates.
    • Know the “brace for impact” position—head down, arms crossed. Flight attendants will shout this command
    • Pilots will tell you to focus more on the comfort of your flight.  Flying is still safer than driving, boating, even walking.
  • You are more likely to get sick from what you touch than from what you breathe, so do not assume the tray tables and armrests are safe to touch and then eat without sanitizing your hands. (Reader’s Digest)
  • If your flight is struck by lighting your airplane will not fall out of the sky. Most pilots have been on a flight struck by lighting.  It’s shocking by the aircraft is built to take it.
  • Using your cell phone on an airplane is more about the number of cell phone users.  Multiple calls can cause false readings on their instruments.
  • Why is it so important to be on-time. The Department of Transportation has put great emphasis on on-time performance to avoid delayed flights.
  • Pilots appreciate hearing “nice landing” as you get off the plane as many consider it to be a good indicator of their skill as pilots. (Reader’s Digest)
  • Just because the weather is okay in the departure and arrival city does not mean there can’t be bad weather between them. (Reader’s Digest)
  • Sometimes you can ask to visit the cockpit before the plane takes off or after the plane lands. It can be an educational experience for kids or help nervous flyers ease their worries. (Budget Travel)
  • One natural way to induce sleep when needed is to eat Brazil nuts and drink milk. This can help you recover from jet lag. (Headlines & Global News)
  • Turbulence is not viewed as a very dangerous occurrence, but more of an annoyance. Many anxious travelers worry that turbulence will cause damage to the plane, but pilots assure it will not. It is more likely that a passenger will be injured if they do not stay in their seat with the seatbelt on as much as possible. (Woman’s Day)
  • Checking your bags at the gate may help you avoid fees and it might also ensure that your baggage is among the last to be loaded onto the plane and among the first to arrive on the baggage carousel. (Next Shark)
  • To maximize more seat space, run your hand under the armrest and there will be a button that, when pushed, will lift the armrest up. (Next Shark)

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