Why can't you walk under the wing of a plane?


Why can't you walk under the wing of a plane? The aircraft fuel tanks are located in the wings, so you're not allowed to walk under them in case of fuel leakage. You don't want to get anywhere near flammable stuff unprotected. All in all, it is a safety thing. Saving three seconds by not walking around the wing is just not worth the risk.


Can a plane fly if it loses a wing?

Well it depends on the plane, but most planes can't fly without their wing, and basically they would spiral down into the ground. Many modern jet fighters have a lifting body and they can fly without a wing because the body provides a lot of the lift.


How do pilots know how heavy the plane is?

The operations department of the airline take the passenger, baggage and cargo information and collate this with the basic empty weight of the aircraft and the fuel load as determined by the pilots. They then feed this into a computer to calculate not only the gross weight of the aircraft but also the CoG at takeoff.


Why is a flight called a leg?

A leg is a single one-way journey from point A to point B. While a leg can make up the entire journey, the term is usually used to refer to a single part of a larger trip and to mean that a certain flight was only part of a longer flight plan.


Why do plane wings open when landing?

Wing flaps are a significant part of the takeoff and landing process. When the airplane is taking off, the flaps help to produce more lift. Conversely, flaps allow for a steep but controllable angle during landing.


What is the safest part of the plane in a crash?

Most of the survivors were sitting behind first class, towards the front of the plane. Nonetheless, a TIME investigation that looked at 35 years of aircraft accident data found the middle rear seats of an aircraft had the lowest fatality rate: 28%, compared with 44% for the middle aisle seats.


What happens if a plane lands too heavy?

The MLW is set in order to ensure safe landings; if an aircraft weighs too heavy during touchdown, it may suffer structural damage or even break apart upon landing.


Do pilots sleep while flying?

The simple answer is yes, pilots do, and are allowed to sleep during flight but there are strict rules controlling this practice. Pilots would only normally sleep on long haul flights, although sleep on short haul flights is permitted to avoid the effects of fatigue.


Is it OK to sit over the wing of a plane?

The wings are the point of lift vs gravity so sitting above them ensures a smoother lift off, flight, and landing. Avoid the rear of the plane. Turbulence is much more pronounced at the back of the plane – the further back the worse it can be.


What is the safest row on a plane?

The middle seat in the final seat is your safest bet
The middle rear seats of an aircraft had the lowest fatality rate: 28%, compared to 44% for the middle aisle seats, according to a TIME investigation that examined 35 years' worth of aircraft accident data.


What do pilots see when flying?

Whether flying at night or during the day, pilots need to see some kind of horizon. They use this to determine the airplane's attitude. At night pilots will turn their gaze from outside to inside and use the artificial horizon. The artificial horizon is normally a simply globe split into two hemispheres.


How high can a plane fly?

The maximum height that a commercial airplane is allowed to reach when they fly is 42,000 feet, as this is the universally approved maximum altitude. This max altitude for airplanes is known as the “service ceiling.” Most commercial air jets fly at such a high altitude because it is known to optimize efficiency.


Why do planes fly so high?

The biggest reason for flying at higher altitudes lies in fuel efficiency. The thin air creates less drag on the aircraft, which means the plane can use less fuel in order to maintain speed. Less wind resistance, more power, less effort, so to speak.