From whether plane toilets dump poo into the air mid-flight to if you can get sucked down the loo, these are the most common myths about flying.
2,135 passengers who flew in the last year with Jet Cost revealed the top myths they still believe about planes in a study by the airline – so we've got the answers to all the big questions.
Do planes dump poo in mid-air? After all, trains do…
53 per cent of respondents surveyed thought that poo is stored on the plane, while 39 per cent thought waste is dumped in mid-air.
Answer – Waste is sucked through a vacuum to a large holding tank on the plane and is vacuumed out upon landing by ground crew.
In the case of trains, new rules banning the emptying poo onto the tracks in the UK came into force in 2017.
However some trains will still continue to empty raw sewage until 2019 – when they will be completely banned from doing so, though in countries like Germany and India, trains will keep doing this.
Is it possible to get sucked down the toilet mid-flight?
12 per cent of respondents believed it is possible to get sucked into the toilet on a flight.
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Answer – The vacuum on the plane toilet works only at the opening of the disposal pipe, and the toilets are designed to prevent this from happening. So no, you can’t.
How high do planes fly?
42 per cent of respondents thought cruising altitude of commercial planes is 30,000-40,000 feet, 11 per cent thought it was more than 60,000 feet. Seven per cent thought it was 10,000 feet or below.
Answer – The cruising altitude of commercial planes varies from around 33,000 feet up to about 42,000, but commercial planes generally cruise at around 35,000 feet.
How fast do planes fly?
21 per cent of respondents thought the cruising speed of commercial plane is between 500-600mph, 51 per cent thought it was between 200-300mph and 5 per cent thought it was 100mph or less
Answer – the average cruising speed of commercial planes is generally between 550 – 580mph, but can be as low as 460mph.
Is it possible to open an aircraft’s door mid-flight?
74 per cent of people thought it would be possible to open a commercial aircraft door mid-flight.
Answer – Mid-flight, the difference between the internal cabin pressure and the outside means that thousands of pounds of pressure prevent the door from being opened and would take an inhuman amount of strength to open it.
Do you need to have a university degree to become a pilot?
82 per cent of participants thought you need a degree to become an pilot.
Answer – You need at least two A-levels and five GCSEs, but no degree.
The main two routes to get an Airline Transport Pilot License are to take an 18-month course (typically between £80,000 and £90,000) or modular training, where you train in sections as and when you can afford them. 1,500 hours of total flight time are required to qualify.
Are planes able to fly themselves?
15 per cent of respondents thought planes are able to fly themselves.
Answer – Whilst planes have autopilot facilities which help in landing, these still need to be programmed by pilots and can only be used in non-windy conditions.
The vast majority of pilots prefer to land manually. Commercial aircraft currently have no automatic take off facilities.
Sun Online Travel previously revealed the eight plane myths that you need to stop believing.
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