Although statistics prove otherwise, flying is still considered by many to be a risky option. But once you delve a little deeper into these interesting flying facts, you might start to believe that it is one of the safer means of transportation in today’s global village.
Statistically, it is far more likely that one might be killed prematurely by a dog bite, a bee sting or a bolt of lightning from above than to die in a fatal plane accident. Commercial aviation is clearly one of the safer options of travel and there are a number of reasons why.
Cost of training pilots equivalent to GP’s
We are all well aware of the depth of knowledge required to be a successful medical practitioner. Generally it takes in the region of 7 years of intensive training and a rather large financial commitment to become a doctor and that is only for general medicine. It is enlightening to know that the leading carriers spend about the same amount of money on their pilots; and it has paid dividends – commercial airlines exhibit one of the lowest accident rates worldwide.
The other leading members of the flight cast are the air traffic controllers. These men and women are effectively responsible for all our lives once in the air. You will be pleased to know that they are expected to commit to between 3 - 4 years of training. They are also managed very carefully and spend about 5 hours of an eight hour shift actually controlling the traffic.
Sufficient systems back-up
It is worth bearing in mind that virtually every system on a commercial aircraft has a back-up that can and will take over all tasks should the original system fail. There are also two pilots, at least two engines, two to three autopilots and about three separate computers that are capable of handling the craft in the event of a systems failure. On a 747 where safety is paramount, there are no fewer than 18 tyres!
The mechanisms of flight, be it commercial, private or simply a helicopter tour is strictly scrutinised and, apart from the intensive training of both pilot and controller, it is worth remembering that with every 1 hour in the air, there are on average 12 hours of maintenance on the ground.
Each plane or helicopter has to lodge a flight plan with the relevant authorities and a very interesting byte of information is that every single aircraft has its own dedicated highway, over 16 kilometres wide, that no other aircraft is allowed into.
Odds of premature death
These odds of death from various causes will prove how little we need fear flying, whether in a large commercial carrier, a streamlined private jet or a helicopter:
- Commercial airline: 1 in 7 million
- Bee sting: 1 in 5.5 million
- Lightning: 1 in 1.9 million
- Smoking (age 30+): 1 in 600
- Heart disease: 1 in 2
Listed below are more articles related to the above article from the "Air Travel" article category.
People interested in the above article "Interesting Flying Facts" are also interested in the related articles listed below:
It is the monsoon season and many of us want to spend sometime away from our home town to experience the greater joys of rain in other cities, states and countries. What a wonderful pleasure it is when you get to enjoy the season of showers with your family at places so famous for monsoons.
Most of the times you would notice that, people tend to miss their flights because they were unable to get proper transport on their way to the airport. The best way to avoid this would be to opt for an airport transfer. Most of the people make use of this type of services, just to make sure that they do not miss their flight.
Everyone dreams about international travel - you know, that dream that stays in the back of your mind that you never think will come true. No longer does it have to be a dream - it can become a reality with round the world tickets. Do you wish to go trekking in the Amazon rainforest of South America or yearn to be a spectator at the 2012 Olympics in the United Kingdom? Perhaps surfing is your passion and Durban, South Africa would be the place for you. How does a drive along the Stuart Highway, one of Australia's loneliest roads, sound? The destination possibilities are endless with round the world tickets.
If you have been searching for cheap air tickets and have not been able to find attractive deals, there is a possibility that you have not looked at the right sites, places and shops. From online travel sites to neighborhood bucket shops, there are many options to find attractive air tickets and hotel deals. You just need to find the right ones at the right place.
Delhi is the capital city of India, and one of the busiest places in the country. It not only receives a massive bulk of international traffic, but also a lot of domestic fliers. People from all over the country visit Delhi, often on a daily or weekly basis for business or work. International visitors have to get their papers done at Delhi before traveling freely in India as well.
While many business executives utilize jet chartering as a way of efficiently getting from point A to point B while traveling in style, this way of flying might not always be the best approach. Of course, there is nothing wrong with a Hawker Charter, as these private jets happen to be one of the safest and most luxurious on the market today. However, there are times where business executives do not need to travel more than 300 miles in distance, which means that the better option might be to use a Sikorsky Charter.
Buenos Aires is the second largest city of Argentina that possesses several magnanimous tourists' attractions. The Teatro Colon is the largest opera house, which is one among all the other majestic attractions. Fly to Buenos Aires by airlines that operate flights to Buenos Aires and admire this beautiful masterpiece.
