{"id":7885,"date":"2015-03-09T12:37:20","date_gmt":"2015-03-09T16:37:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/?p=7885"},"modified":"2017-09-24T06:39:49","modified_gmt":"2017-09-24T10:39:49","slug":"fly-safe-five-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/fly-safe-five-tips\/7885\/","title":{"rendered":"Fly safe: five tips to remember"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>An airborne plane is one of the safest places on the planet. However, there are rules to abide by in order to make sure the flight is a comfortable and pleasant experience.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/media.kasperskydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/92\/2015\/03\/06041205\/Fly-safe-5-tips_FB.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-7890\" src=\"https:\/\/media.kasperskydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/92\/2015\/03\/06041205\/Fly-safe-5-tips_FB.png\" alt=\"Five tips to make your flight safe\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Tip #1. Don\u2019t panic!<\/h3>\n<p>If you happen to be aerophobic, there\u2019s no use panicking when you are already seated. Calm\u00a0your nerves by acknowledging that everything is beyond your control. We understand this fact might\u00a0scare the living hell out of you, but\u2026 just think about it. You were not afraid during your taxi ride to the airport, where you were\u00a0unable to control the driver and the drivers of the other vehicles on the road.<\/p>\n<div class=\"pullquote\">Instead of worrying about things out of your control, try to focus on something you are able to do for your safety.<\/div>\n<p>Spoiler alert: Some taxi drivers are, in general, less qualified when compared to pilots, and the same applies to the control exercised over technical conditions and maintenance of taxis and airplanes.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t try to listen to the sound of the engines or look for a glimpse of uncertainty and fear in the flight attendants\u2019 faces. As we previously noted, no one would let an inoperable aircraft leave the airport, and, should any problem arise, pilots would know a lot\u00a0faster than you would. All the flashing lights and displays in the cockpit serve this very purpose.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of worrying about things out of your control, try to focus on something you are \u00a0able to do \u2013 \u00a0you can and should take action to make your flight a safer experience.<\/p>\n<h3>Tip #2. Fasten your seatbelt tightly<\/h3>\n<p>Sounds trivial, but flying with your belt securely fastened is the cornerstone of your in-flight\u00a0safety. A buckled seatbelt which is not fastened and just lies loosely on your lap is equal to wearing no belt at all. Why is that? The answer seems obvious when we talk about landing: the pilot might hit the brakes harshly, but what about takeoff?<\/p>\n<p>When taking off, a plane runs at a speed comparable to that of a supercar: at about 200 miles per hour. But the takeoff could be aborted unexpectedly due to various reasons: a car appeared on the runway out of nowhere or another plane taxied just ahead of you, and the plane has to stop to a halt.<\/p>\n<p>The brakes function automatically: the pilot sets the automated control system to the so-called RTO (Rejected Takeoff) position, which is specifically designed to maximally cut the brakes.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class=\"youtube-player\" type=\"text\/html\" width=\"640\" height=\"390\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KbAQpvBo1qg?version=3&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;showinfo=1&amp;iv_load_policy=1&amp;wmode=transparent\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>When the takeoff is aborted, the plane comes to a complete stop in just a few seconds, running at the acceleration of about 1.5 times higher than at free fall. If you have not fastened your seatbelt, you will fly forward leveraging the moving force of momentum and, in the best case scenario, will hit the seat ahead of you with your head.<\/p>\n<p>The distance between seats is about 20 inches, and when your belt is well fastened, it\u2019s unlikely you\u2019ll hit the next seat, but once your belt is at least 5 inches loose, you are in for a very harsh experience. Just to quantify the sensation of this unfortunate event, try experiencing free fall headfirst from a table or a chest of drawers. Well, of course, we did not mean \u2018try\u2019 in the sense of the word \u2014 just imagine it happened to you and learn your first lesson: fasten your seatbelt.<\/p>\n<p>By the way, this is also the reason why flight attendants ask you to lift and lock the tray tables when taking off: hitting the thing with your stomach, running at a 1.5g acceleration, is no fun at all.<\/p>\n<h3>Tip #3. Fasten your seatbelts through the entire duration of the flight<\/h3>\n<p>Even when the \u2018Fasten seatbelt\u2019 sign is switched off, you\u2019re better off wearing your seatbelt. While there is no likelihood of a plane stopping abruptly when airborne, there could be turbulence, wind shear, and other air bumps.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/instagram.com\/p\/Zx8qdDn2La\/<\/p>\n<p>Unfastened passengers, due to the momentum, can jump up, hitting their heads badly. It might sound unbelievable, but simple physics works here.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/instagram.com\/p\/Zx83Vxn2Lq\/<\/p>\n<p>The most dangerous place to find oneself when flying through turbulence is the lavatory. They are\u00a0very confined, and there are prominent objects inside, which can prove fatal if hit with enough force.<\/p>\n<p>As soon as the \u2018Return to your seat\u2019 indicator flashes, you should quickly\u00a0finish your business and return to your seat. Of course, turbulence that bad\u00a0is a rare case, but experiencing it while in the lavatory can be dangerous.<\/p>\n<h3>Tip #4. Turn off all electronic devices<\/h3>\n<p>Of course, flight attendants are there to check whether you have switched off your electronic devices. Do electronic devices pose any danger? Initially, their use was prohibited to exclude the possibility of interference with on-board electronic systems.<\/p>\n<p>Now, of course, all electronic systems engaged in conducting the flight are well screened. The aircraft won\u2019t crash due to a\u00a0tablet working in the background. In the worst case scenario, if the interference from a gadget influences the Instrument Landing System (referred to as ILS) \u2014 by the way, this is feasible as receivers work with levels of voltage as low as several millivolts and are a piece of extremely high-precision technology \u2014 the pilot would override it\u00a0and undertake the attempt at landing.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class=\"youtube-player\" type=\"text\/html\" width=\"640\" height=\"390\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JYAq-7sOzXQ?version=3&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;showinfo=1&amp;iv_load_policy=1&amp;wmode=transparent\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>But in reality, the main reason is not interference. A tablet, a laptop, and a smartphone are relatively heavy and hard objects. In the event of emergency braking (see #1), they might slip out of one\u2019s hand and inflict damage onto other passengers. To model a similar scenario as in #1, imagine someone dropped an iPad onto your head from the height of 20-30 inches.<\/p>\n<p>Why aren\u2019t books and magazines prohibited at take-off? Well, they are relatively soft. Some aviators also point out that during takeoff and landing, a passenger must not be distracted by Angry Birds, but look out of the window in order to spot irregularities and immediately report them to the crew. This might also be the reason why the flight attendants require passengers to lift the window shades.<\/p>\n<p>This reason is rather imaginative: reading is not prohibited during takeoff, and not all passengers are seated by the window. The window shade must be lifted to provide for faster eyesight adaptation to lighting conditions outside, and this also is the reason why the lights are dimmed during landing and takeoff. In the event of an emergency, passengers must leave the aircraft quickly, and those several seconds it takes to adjust\u00a0eyesight are critical.<\/p>\n<p>It goes without saying that headphones are not to be used in order\u00a0to make sure a passenger pays full attention to any instructions that might come from the crew in the event of emergency.<\/p>\n<h3>Tip #5. Place your carry-on luggage under the seat in front of you<\/h3>\n<p>Many people are not aware their carry-on luggage is better off positioned under the seat in front of them rather than packed tightly in the overhead compartment. The more tightly packed it is, the higher the chance of it opening accidentally due to serious turbulence and causing heavy objects to fall onto aisle passengers\u2019 heads.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/instagram.com\/p\/Zx8aaEH2LI\/<\/p>\n<p>Overhead compartments are designed for outer garments, hats, pillows and small purses. If your luggage won\u2019t fit into the overhead compartment just above your seat, try other compartments. But the best place of all is under the seat where they\u00a0can be easily accessed without hassle.<\/p>\n<h3>Tip #6. Say no to alcohol on board<\/h3>\n<p>It wouldn\u2019t hurt to relax a bit, but there is a solid reason for not drinking at all. Consumption of alcohol dehydrates the body, and your organism already manages a great deal of stress in low-humidity environment. Moreover, lower air pressure enhances \u00a0intoxication.<\/p>\n<p>That means even a modest portion of alcohol would provoke an effect comparable to drinking done at a college fraternity party. First, you are in for an overdose (some would simply fall asleep immediately, but some might\u00a0crave action, going as far as attempting to hijack a plane). Second, expect a hellish hangover with headaches and body aches.<\/p>\n<p>So, if you decide to drink alcohol, try to consume more non-alcoholic liquid at the same time (except for anything with bubbles, otherwise the inebriation effect will intensify).<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-pullquote\"><p>#FlySafe: five #tips to remember<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fkas.pr%2F3Xt1&amp;text=%23FlySafe%3A+five+%23tips+to+remember\" class=\"btn btn-twhite\" data-lang=\"en\" data-count=\"0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Tweet<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<p>There is one thing you should understand about aviation: it is a strictly regulated and well-organized industry pursuing a single goal: revenue. Accidents, traumas on board and other incidents aren\u2019t things that\u00a0increase revenue.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">How safe is it to fly on an old aircraft? Just as safe as new ones. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/VbOOfC6rlx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">https:\/\/t.co\/VbOOfC6rlx<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/t.co\/CdtSOXCVtJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/CdtSOXCVtJ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Kaspersky (@kaspersky) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kaspersky\/status\/565534569320169473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">February 11, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>This, and not abstract concepts like love for all people, is the main reason why airlines, aircraft construction bureaus, and regulators do anything to make the millions of flights performed every year all around the world absolutely safe for passengers.<\/p>\n<p>As aviators say, the rules in aviation are written in blood. They employ absolutely infallible logic, even if they seem strange or trivial to an ordinary passenger. So, just obey the rules and you will be absolutely fine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An airborne plane is one of the safest places on the planet. However, there are rules to abide by in order to make sure the flight is a comfortable and pleasant experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":540,"featured_media":7889,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[1009,955,1008,1010,287,131],"class_list":{"0":"post-7885","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tips","8":"tag-aircraft","9":"tag-airplanes","10":"tag-flight","11":"tag-rules","12":"tag-safety","13":"tag-tips"},"hreflang":[{"hreflang":"x-default","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/fly-safe-five-tips\/7885\/"},{"hreflang":"en-in","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.in\/blog\/fly-safe-five-tips\/4700\/"},{"hreflang":"en-us","url":"https:\/\/usa.kaspersky.com\/blog\/fly-safe-five-tips\/5207\/"},{"hreflang":"ru","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.ru\/blog\/fly-safe-five-tips\/7136\/"},{"hreflang":"ja","url":"https:\/\/blog.kaspersky.co.jp\/fly-safe-five-tips\/7050\/"},{"hreflang":"ru-kz","url":"https:\/\/blog.kaspersky.kz\/fly-safe-five-tips\/7136\/"},{"hreflang":"en-au","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com.au\/blog\/fly-safe-five-tips\/7885\/"},{"hreflang":"en-za","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.za\/blog\/fly-safe-five-tips\/7885\/"}],"acf":[],"banners":"","maintag":{"url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/tag\/tips\/","name":"tips"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/540"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7885"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7885\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18719,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7885\/revisions\/18719"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7889"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}