Surprising Facts Pilots Keep from Passengers

The Federal Aviation Administration has shared that almost 3 million passengers take to the skies every day in the United States alone. Plane travel has grown so common that many people don’t even think twice about hopping on a flight. Aircraft undergo rigorous safety checks to keep everything in tip-top condition, but passengers often take for granted that they rely solely on two pilots to get them to their destination in one piece.

Pilots, extensively trained and skilled individuals, control enormous planes filled with hundreds of people at a time; however, they remain almost invisible to millions of travelers who fly with them each year. An intercom introduction may be the most interaction you have with a pilot, but have you ever wondered what flying is really like for them?

Pilots know the risks better than anyone, and often find themselves in situations that passengers may be totally unaware of. Their job goes far beyond sitting back and flicking the switches, often making them unsung heroes. Travelers smile and thank the cabin crew at the end of their flight, but after learning of these little-known insider details, you might consider passing your compliments on to the pilots.

Considering the many complexities of flying a plane, you may assume that the captain and co-pilot function as a well-oiled machine that have paired up on numerous flights. They must have worked together before, right? A lot of the time, the answer is “no.” Pilot John Bowles revealed the details on a Quora thread: “Some airlines have hundreds of pilots assigned to any one type of aircraft, and the chances are that we’ve never flown together before. A high degree of standardization during training assures that we know what each other is going to do in any given situation.”

The captain also likely hasn’t flown with the flight crew before, but it depends on the size of the airline. Some staff may end up working the same route more frequently as part of a smaller company. Either way, as Bowles mentioned, you likely don’t need to worry about it. Even so, the idea that the people you trust to fly you from A to B haven’t even had a chance to build a rapport yet is a little nerve-wracking, isn’t it? 

It’s no secret that many Boeing 737 Airplanes have had accidents; some worse than others. While no one hopes to encounter a scary situation mid-air, it does happen. In these scenarios, it’s the captain’s job to keep passengers and crew calm. If a truly dangerous turn of events has unfolded, they likely won’t regale you with the perils. Instead, the captain will use slightly different phrases to alert passengers that something has transpired without causing complete chaos and panic.

“You’ll never hear ‘One of our engines just failed,'” pilot Patrick Smith told WYZA. “What they’ll say instead: ‘One of our engines is indicating improperly.'” Even then, Smith admitted, it’s most probable that pilots simply won’t say anything in a case like that. Airplanes are legally required to be able to safely operate on just one engine, though they will lose some thrust. “You’ll also never hear, ‘Well, folks, the visibility out there is zero.’ Instead, they’ll say: ‘There’s some fog in the area,'” he continued. Sometimes, ignorance really is bliss — especially when flying at 30,000 feet.

Flying a plane isn’t exactly a straightforward business. Pilots have to follow lots of rules and regulations in order to ensure the safety of their passengers, but that doesn’t mean they fully understand all of them either. Experienced US Airways captain Jack Stephan told Reader’s Digest that he couldn’t quite wrap his mind around one particular situation.

“When we’re at 39,000 feet going 400 miles an hour, in a plane that could hit turbulence at any minute, [flight attendants] can walk around and serve hot coffee and Chateaubriand,” he explained. “But when we’re on the ground on a flat piece of asphalt going five to ten miles an hour, they’ve got to be buckled in like they’re at NASCAR.” Passengers have long questioned the need for seat belts when not in the air, though keeping them fastened while taxiing to or from a gate could be more important than ever due to growing concerns about ground collisions at busy airports. Interestingly, the rules around when flight attendants can stand and continue to work can vary from airline to airline, and may also be impacted by locality.

If your flight gets canceled or delayed due to weather, it can seriously impact your travel plans. While being at the airport and finding out before you’ve boarded the plane is irritating enough, being on a plane that’s delayed isn’t a walk in the park either. Pilots may tell passengers certain things, for instance, if the plane has landed but there’s no gate available, but quite often they’re limited on what they can reveal. If there’s something happening with air traffic control or a mechanical problem, they likely won’t tell you.

Pilot Nathan Burns explained in a Quora thread that he often simplifies the situation for passengers. On one occasion, he discovered the flight plan was wrong. “Instead of saying ‘Folks, we are having a problem with our flight plan and have to talk to dispatch to get it sorted out before we can take off, please bear with us,’ we opted for the old, ‘just finishing up some paperwork’ line.” Why? Because it was easier than explaining a complex situation that passengers may not have understood anyway.

Sometimes planes are forced to stay in the air for a little longer than planned. This could be for a variety of reasons, from an unexpected delay, problems with weather, or an incident at the airport. We would all like to think there’s enough fuel in the tank to keep us airborne if push came to shove, but there might be as much spare fuel as you think. According to pilot John Bowles, it’s all about that bottom line. 

“It costs fuel to carry fuel, so taking too much can make the difference between profit or loss on any given flight, especially a long one,” he said, via Quora. “We always have enough to get to the destination, of course, and enough to divert to another suitable airport (‘the alternate’) and to fly for thirty minutes thereafter.” Safety is always paramount, and though it’s rare to hear of planes crashing after running out of fuel, it has happened. If you know any nervous fliers, perhaps it’s best not to share this little nugget of info with them. 

If you’ve ever wondered what flight attendants actually consume on a long flight, you can bet it’s not the coffee. The pilots likely won’t touch it with a barge pole either, and for good reason. The coffee is made with water from the plane’s tank, which can be of questionable quality. A Redditor by the name of @DCS_Sport explained that as a pilot, he avoids the in-flight coffee like the plague for a disturbing reason. “The water tanks on airplanes are rarely, if ever, cleaned, and they use this water to make coffee on board. I don’t want to think about mold and bacteria growing in those tanks,” he shared, via The Street.

Judging by a 2019 study conducted by the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center at the City of New York and DietDetective.com, the pilot isn’t wrong. After examining the drinking water on a variety of major and regional airlines, researchers discovered that an alarmingly large portion of airlines were serving unhealthy water to passengers. Avoiding hot drinks, unsealed beverages, and those with ice is your best bet.

There are many common in-flight safety mistakes passengers make without even realizing it, but we expect our pilots to tow the line for all of us. After all, a misplaced bag in the aisle might lead to a sprained ankle, but it’s not going to be fatal. On the flip side, if a pilot makes a mistake, then it could be catastrophic.

Pilots are highly trained and skilled, but they’re also human like the rest of us — and humans don’t always get it right. Unfortunately, data has consistently shown that pilot error is the main cause of aviation accidents. In 2004, 75.5% of aviation accidents occurred because the pilot did something wrong, per NASA. By 2020, that figure had decreased to 69.1% (via Pilot Institute).

Thankfully, these sorts of events don’t happen all the time on commercial flights, and aviation is still much safer than some other modes of transport, like driving. But when these accidents do occur, there’s a good chance it’s down to the pilot mishandling something. Of course, pilots aren’t going to advertise this information, as they want passengers to trust them and feel safe while on board.

It’s a sad fact that climate change has made flights feel bumpier in recent years, with more passengers experiencing turbulence than ever. Having the plane shake and quake while you’re cruising at 30,000 feet is unsettling even for the toughest fliers at times, and the pilot will turn the fasten seatbelt sign on and ask you to buckle up; following that guidance eliminates much of the danger that turbulence poses. “Pilots find it perplexing that so many people are afraid of turbulence,” pilot Patrick Smith told WYZA. “It’s all but impossible for turbulence to cause a crash. We avoid turbulence not because we’re afraid the wing is going to fall off, but because it’s annoying.”

Passengers and crew can get injured or even die as a result of severe turbulence, but generally not because of some major mechanical malfunction. Typically, these extreme outcomes surface when unsecured fliers get thrown around inside the plane. Updrafts are one of the biggest points of concern for passenger safety, according to pilot John Nance: “It’s like hitting a giant speed bump at 500 miles an hour. It throws everything up in the air and then down very violently.” This is why it’s always a good idea to buckle your seat belt before settling in for a nap on a plane.

We could give you a million reasons why wandering from your airport gate is always a risk, but the biggest one is obvious: you could miss your flight. The chances are you’ve seen a movie or TV show where a character begs and pleads to be let on a plane when the gate has closed, only for the staff member to relent and let them through begrudgingly. In reality, that’s very unlikely to happen, as pilots are under such tight constraints. Even if they wanted to wait for you, they can’t, particularly in the United States.

A commercial pilot told WYZA, “The Department of Transportation has put such an emphasis on on-time performance that we pretty much aren’t allowed to delay a flight anymore, even if there are 20 people on a connecting flight that’s coming in just a little late.” Pilots don’t shout this from the rooftops, but they’re on the clock and essentially running a business. Flights can’t come and go as they please and have to stick to a schedule. Next time you find yourself pleading to be let on, remind yourself that it’s not the pilot being difficult.

Traveling can be exhausting for passengers, but have you ever stopped to think that it might be tiring for your pilot, too? A lot of pilots are away from home for days at a time, and may have several flights in the same day, depending on their location. They can also work incredibly long hours — almost double what the average 9-5 job would entail. 

A captain for a major U.S. airline told WYZA that pilots often operate on little rest. “Our work rules allow us to be on duty 16 hours without a break,” they explained. “That’s many more hours than a truck driver. And unlike a truck driver, who can pull over at the next rest stop, we can’t pull over at the next cloud.” Another pilot working for a regional U.S. airline told the publication that it went beyond simple tiredness, as they often didn’t have a lunch break, either: “We have to delay flights just so we can get food.” Though pilots don’t run the risk of falling asleep at the wheel, they still need to be alert and switched on. Doesn’t sound like such a glamorous job now, does it?

Lightning is one of Mother Nature’s most beautiful creations, but no one wants to get up close and personal with it. If lightning hits a house or a car, it can fry electronics and cause some serious damage, so the idea of it striking a plane doesn’t fill us with confidence. However, lightning strikes happen more often than you think. According to the National Weather Service, reports of commercial planes being hit by lightning come in once or twice per annum.

“I’ve been struck by lightning twice. Most pilots have. Airplanes are built to take it,” a pilot told Reader’s Digest. “You hear a big boom and see a big flash, and that’s it. You’re not going to fall out of the sky.” Planes are designed with lightning strikes in mind. They include a Faraday cage, a special enclosure within the structure that protects the electronics in the event of a strike.

Another pilot, Chris McCabe, echoed this sentiment on Quora. McCabe explained that it had happened to him “several times,” but it was never that much of a big deal. “This first thing I have done in all cases is check to ensure the aircraft is still flyable, checked circuit breakers, checked circuit breakers and made sure the radios were still functioning.” Passengers may notice the strike, so pilots might make an announcement, but really, it’s just another day in the office.

It’s normal to see luggage being loaded onto a plane while waiting to board, but have you ever stopped to think what other things might be in the hold? There’s room for all sorts of strange items, and the pilot probably isn’t going to tell you what’s traveling alongside you. For example, some flights have been known to take horses to different countries. However, it can get a little more macabre than animals. Human remains can be in the hold in various forms.

While there typically won’t be anything that poses a risk to the safety of passengers, it might unsettle some people to know what lies beneath their seats. Details about any special items being transported likely won’t be shared with fliers, as cargo manifests are often kept confidential. Even the pilots may not know the finite details of everything in the hold, but they will receive an overview so they know how much weight the plane is carrying.