5 Amazing Airplane Facts

Throughout history, scientific minds have been adamant that humans would never be able to fly. Even up until a few days before the Wright brothers made their first flight, there were people who claimed that it would be millions of years before flight would be possible. Many people are still fascinated by airplanes. They inspire a sense of awe all around the world because they are a common and visible representation of what the human race is capable of. Here are five incredible facts about airplanes that will only increase your appreciation for how amazing they are.

1. The Wings Keep Them Up

There are a few forces that are vital for keeping airplanes up which are lift, weight, thrust, and drag, and the way these forces affect the wings is the most essential part. The shapes of the airplane wings are specifically catered to keep them aloft. If they were shaped differently, airplanes would not be nearly as efficient. Air moves in a specific shape above and below the wings which creates an effect that increases lift. The other forces affect the wings as well, such as those in a ram air turbine, but lift is concerned almost solely with the wings.

2. The Inventor Is Disputed

In most countries around the world, kids learn that Wilbur and Orville Wright were the first people to create and fly an airplane. However, some countries in South America, primarily Brazil, claim that is false. Alberto Santos-Dumont was a Brazilian inventor who was working on an airplane around the same time as the Wright brothers. Santos-Dumont did not make his first flight until 1906, three years after the Wright brothers, but many Brazilians claim that the flight the Wright Brothers made did not count because of various variables, such as the way they took off from the ground.

3. Some Pilots Eat Differently

On long, commercial flights, it is common for airlines to serve meals to all passengers. However, you may not have thought about what the pilots and flight attendants eat during this time. Usually, one pilot eats the same meal as those in first class, but the other pilot eats a totally different meal that was not prepared for the plane. This is to guard against cases of food poisoning. The second pilot is there to cover for the main pilot in case he or she becomes incapacitated, and this is yet another safeguard against that.

4. The Busiest Airport

You might think that the busiest airport in the world is in one of the biggest cities in the world, such as New York City, London, or Tokyo. However, it is actually in Atlanta, Georgia. Atlanta deals with almost a million flights every year despite only having a population of about 500,000. Atlanta is so busy because of how good of a connection hub it is to almost anywhere in North America. You can take a flight that is two hours or less to reach 80% of the total United States population.

5. First Commercial Flight

After the first flight in 1903, there was a gap in time before plane rides were available for public use. A little over ten years after the first flight, on New Year's Day in 1914, the first commercial flight was for the mayor of St. Petersburg, Russia. The flight was very short, only stretching from one side of Tampa Bay, Florida to the other. By the 1950s, flying was a glamorous experience of gourmet meals and tons of legroom, which is a little different from most of the flights we see today.

Airplanes are one of the greatest feats of human engineering, and people are still making improvements on the design today. Billions of people have never flown on an airplane before, and millions are scared of heights. However, if you can find a way to do so, try taking an airplane somewhere for the experience.