There’s so many things that make up the world of aviation. It’s a gigantic system made to work together to get you from Point A to Point B. Though not perfect, people in the industry work hard to make it a comfortable experience for all travellers. Still, there are misconceptions and myths flying around. Here are some of them:
MYTH: Airplanes are risky mode of transportation.
FACT: Airplanes are safer than cars.
Hesitant to ride a plane? You don’t have to be. Statistically speaking, according to the United States government, flying on a plane is safer than driving a car. Add a travel insurance in the Philippines then you have nothing to be paranoid about. Though 2018 wasn’t such a stellar year for the aviation industry, 92% of the recorded 160 plane crashes were found to have no fatalities. In fact, according to Dutch aviation consultancy To70, figures for 2018 represent a rate of one fatal accident for every 3 million flights.
MYTH: Any passenger can open aircraft doors in flight.
FACT: No passenger can open aircraft doors in flight.
Opening an airplane’s cabin door is simply humanly impossible. One must have the strength of a thousand men or more to do so. Patrick Smith, an airline pilot and author, said that cabin pressure would make the deed infeasible. After the Dan ‘D B’ Cooper hijack incident in 1971, so called Cooper Vanes were installed to commercial aircrafts which disables doors while the landing gear is up.
MYTH: The plane window’s little holes are signs that it’s defective.
FACT: The little holes on the windows are there for a reason.
Don’t worry about seating beside the window. You won’t get sucked out of it just because of a little hole you see on it. Planes are designed with those to regulate cabin pressure.
MYTH: Keeping your phone on can disrupt the plane’s navigation system.
FACT: Your phone won’t interfere with the plane’s navigation.
The reason why you’re asked by flight attendants to turn off or put your phone in airplane mode is to have you listen to in flight passenger announcements.
MYTH: Planes dump human waste on air.
FACT: Planes aren’t allowed to dump anything mid-flight except water.
It’s time to put this nasty rumor to where it belongs. Airlines don’t just dump toilet waste mid-flight. The only thing being dumped out of plane is water from the attendant’s galley sinks. Beside it being unsanitary, dumping toilet waste may cause aircraft or navigation problems.
MYTH: Pilots can bail on passengers anytime.
FACT: Pilots don’t have parachutes.
Apart from their job to fly you safely to your destination, they can’t escape during mid-flight, remember? And if your pilots don’t have it, neither do your flight attendants.
MYTH: You won’t need a travel insurance.
FACT: Travel insurance is a must for every travel.
Truly one of the biggest myths, travellers often see a travel insurance in the Philippines as just an unnecessary travel cost. That is until they lose an important document, a luggage, or even get into an accident abroad.
Though there are lots of hearsays travelling here and there, it’s important to check facts. Worrying baselessly would only give you unwarranted anxiety. Aside from fact checking, a comprehensive travel health insurance from the Philippines’ leading non-life insurance company can definitely help assist and protect you should the need arise.
