QUIZ: How Much Do You Know About Flying?
Even if you love traveling, you may not know as much about flying as you think you do. Test your aviation knowledge to prove if you could be a pilot.
When is a plane usually in autopilot?
Pilots enter the plane’s route into the computer before takeoff. The pilot takes care of takeoff, then usually turns autopilot on for most of the flight. There will always be someone at the controls making sure everything is running smoothly though. Some newer planes have the technology for autopilot to land, but the pilot is in charge of steering the plane on the ground.
During takeoff and landing
Most of the flight, except takeoff and landing
About 30 minutes of every hour in the air
Only if there’s an emergency that requires the pilot’s attention
Why are airplane windows round?
Planes used to have square windows until the 1950s, when two planes fell apart midair because of them. Sharp corners in rectangular windows are natural weak spot, taking on as much as 70 percent of a plane’s pressure, an investigation found. Those corners could literally break under the pressure. Circular windows, on the other hand, distribute the pressure more evenly.
No corners means smaller windows (without the passengers noticing)
The roundness has a calming effect
They distribute pressure evenly
Circles were all the rage in the 1970s, and the design stuck
About how long do those oxygen masks work?
It sounds short, but 15 minutes should be plenty of time during an emergency. The masks help you breathe if the air pressure in the cabin drops too low. If the masks pop down, the pilot will descend to an altitude of 10,000 or lower, where you can breathe without the mask, according to Gizmodo.
15 minutes
30 minutes
1 hour
What are pilots’ vision requirements?
Airlines used to require pilots to have 20/20 vision without contacts or glasses, but now they let pilots fly as long as their eyesight is corrected.
20/20 vision without aid of corrective lenses
20/20 vision with or without corrective lenses
20/40 vision without aid of corrective lenses
Which letters distinguish parallel runways?
The letters indicate if it’s the left (L), center (C), or right (R) spot. If there are just two next to each other, they'd be designated L and R.
A, B, C
A, C, E
L, C, R
X, Y, Z
What’s up with that little hole in airplane windows?
Airplane windows have three layers, and the middle one has the hole. That “breather hole” regulates the pressure between the other two, making sure the outside pane bears most of the pressure. That way, if the pressure got too high, the outer window would be the one to break—and passengers inside would stay safe.
It keeps the window from cracking
It makes the window easier to break in an emergency
It symbolizes a bullet hole, in commemoration of fallen fighter pilots
What is the germiest spot on an airplane?
With 2,155 colony-forming units per square inch, the tray table has way more germs than any other spot on a plane, according to a study by TravelMath. In comparison, the button to flush the toilet only has 265 CFU per square inch.
Tray table
Toilet flush button
Seatbelt buckle
Why are the lights dimmed during landing?
On the off chance there’s an emergency, the evacuation will be smoother if passengers’ eyes are already adjusted to the dark. “Imagine being in an unfamiliar bright room filled with obstacles when someone turns off the lights and asks you to exit quickly,” pilot Chris Cooke told Travel+Leisure. The shades stay open so riders can stay oriented and first responders can see in.
To calm down nervous passengers
So flight attendants can see outside better
So passengers’ eyes can adjust to the dark
What is the busiest airport in the world?
With 101,489,887 passengers in 2015, Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International claims its status as the world’s busiest airport. Better arrive early!
Chicago O’Hare International
Beijing Capital International
Dubai International
Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International
What types of planes beat King Kong in the 1933 movie?
Several Curtiss F8C Helldivers were shot in the climax of King Kong, when fighter planes attack the giant ape on the Empire State Building. The planes were filmed at a Long Island airfield.
Airspeed Oxford
Boeing P-26 Peashooter
Grumman Goose
Curtiss F8C Helldiver
Every former U.S. president from Franklin Roosevelt to Bill Clinton has an airport named after him except…
Gerald Ford
Richard Nixon
Jimmy Carter
George Bush
You’re a ... passenger! You know your stuff, but you’re not ready to pilot the plane just yet. Maybe you need to get over a fear of flying, or maybe you should just hit the books. Follow these airplane etiquette rules before your next flight.
You’re a … piloting student! You’ll need a few more lessons before you can take charge, but you’ve got a great start already. Read up on these things you should never do on an airplane before you get your piloting license.
You’re a … pilot! If flying a plane is on your bucket list, now's the time to get a pilot's license. Find out how flying affects your body before you become an aviation addict.