Laptop Dangers

Do you want to know the real reason why laptops should be kept away during a takeoff and landing? “We don’t make you stow your laptop because we’re worried about electronic interference. It’s about having a projectile on your lap. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to get hit in the head by a MacBook going 200 miles per hour,” reveals airline pilot Patrick Smith.

Random Rules

Jack Stephan, a US Airways captain, has something to say about the FAA rules. He claims, “Like the fact that 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. 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.”

Updrafts Are Scary

You might be surprised because updrafts are actually what you should worry about. “A plane flies into a massive updraft, which you can’t see on the radar at night, and 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. That’s not the same as turbulence, which bounces everyone around for a while,” explains John Nance, who is an aviation safety analyst, and retired airline captain.

Running On Empty

We all know that the cost-cutting measures have been implemented at every turn. This could actually even compromise safety. A pilot has gone on to reveal this, “Airlines are always looking at the bottom line, and you burn fuel carrying fuel. Sometimes if you carry just enough fuel and you hit thunderstorms or delays, then suddenly you’re running out of gas and you have to go to an alternate airport.”

There Are Code Words

Pilots are aware that confirming that a situation is bad could lead to panic among the passengers. So pilots often use codewords to avoid the passengers’ knowledge and inform the flight attendants. One good example would be that in place of saying, “one engine has just failed,” pilots would switch it to, “One of our engines is indicating improperly.” This would definitely keep the passengers from getting too worked up.

Cockpit Cat Naps?

It turns out, cockpit cat naps are quite common. Moreover, the airlines are not against it as one would assume! Los Angeles based former airline captain and current airline accident lawyer John Greaves has spoken about this and explained, “Do pilots sleep in (the cockpit)? Definitely. Sometimes it’s just a ten-minute catnap, but it happens.” It certainly sounds better for a pilot to take a quick power nap instead of barely being awake…