# Shocking Airplane Secret Features Airlines Don’t Want You To Know About

An episode of [Be Amazed](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1687637469), 7 May 2026, 25 min.

Audio: https://audio4.redcircle.com/episodes/9884de9d-8f8c-4d0e-bc97-ab002647be7e/stream.mp3

Ladies and Gentlemen this is your flight Captain speaking, I’d like to welcome you aboard Be Amazed Airlines – destination: secret knowledge. There’s a lot most folks don’t know about these big, crazy metal tubes we send up into the sky, and we'll reveal a thing or two that you’re bound to find pretty darn surprising! The seatbelt sign is now on so if you could please take your seats, buckle up and let me take you on a journey of some astounding airplane secret features that you never knew existed. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

## Transcript

[0:00] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Ladies and gentlemen, this is your flight conference speaking.
[0:03] \[SPEAKER_00\]: I'd like to welcome your board be my spare lines.
[0:05] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Just a nice one.
[0:06] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Speaker knowledge, there's a lot most folks don't know about these big, crazy metal tubes we send up into this guy.
[0:15] \[SPEAKER_00\]: And our episode today is going to reveal a thing or two that you're bound to find pretty darn surprising.
[0:21] \[SPEAKER_00\]: This seatbelt sign is now on, so if you could please take your seats buckle up and let me take you on a journey of some astounding airplane secret features that you never knew existed.
[0:45] \[SPEAKER_00\]: When it comes to air travel, one of the biggest concerns when boarding is, who will be in the seat next to you.
[0:51] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Well, it's all too easy to spot a particularly annoying passenger.
[0:55] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Have you ever really stepped a wonder?
[0:57] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Exactly who you're sharing your space in this guy with?
[1:01] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Well, it turns out some casual customers aren't quite as they seem at all.
[1:06] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Air Marshal sometimes known as Sky Marshal's are armed and specially trained law enforcement officers whose job it is to fly around disguised as regular passengers and case something serious goes down up in the clouds.
[1:20] \[SPEAKER_00\]: But before you start playing your own game of spot the air Marshal on your next flight being on the same plane as an air Marshal isn't as common as you might think.
[1:30] \[SPEAKER_00\]: There can be up to 30,000 commercial flights in the United States daily and only an estimated 2000 US air marshals currently employed for the purpose of attending flights.
[1:40] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Meaning, stationing one on every flight would be impossible.
[1:44] \[SPEAKER_00\]: In fact, some estimates of just air marshals can be found on fewer than 1% of flights as agents are only deployed on flights that have been highlighted as posing a higher potential safety risk.
[1:55] \[SPEAKER_00\]: While it's an air marshal's job to blend in with the crowd, there are some small tail-tail signs that might mean you're sharing this guy's with a secret agent.
[2:04] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The first thing to know is that air marshal's mostly travel alone without any proper luggage, but sometimes fly in pairs.
[2:11] \[SPEAKER_00\]: While a might board with their partner, the two agents will never sit together and will each take an aisle seat towards the back of the plane for a clear view of the passenger cabin.
[2:22] \[SPEAKER_00\]: While on the job air marshals aren't allowed to sleep drink alcohol or even wear headphones to ensure their constantly alert to anything suspicious.
[2:31] \[SPEAKER_00\]: They also tend to offer baggy clothing since they are carrying a gun which is either attached to their angular close to their waist.
[2:39] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Ultimately, air marshals are there to protect you, and while flight attendants are made aware who air marshals are on a flight, passengers are not supposed to know who they are.
[2:49] \[SPEAKER_00\]: So, if you ever think you've spotted an air marshal, trying attention to your suspicions is just about the worst thing you can do, as revealing their identity could highlight them as targets to any potential villainous characters on the flight.
[3:03] \[SPEAKER_00\]: So, sit back relax and enjoy knowing you might have spotted them and just brag about it to your friends on the ground later.
[3:10] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Of course, the people around you aren't the only surprising thing about being on a plane, some of the most startling secrets are hiding in the very equipment designed to keep you alive.
[3:22] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The emergency yellow oxygen mask is an essential part of every inflate safety demonstration, but what if I told you that they don't actually contain oxygen at all?
[3:31] \[SPEAKER_00\]: While you might assume that airplane oxygen masks are attached to oxygen-filled tanks, like those used by scuba divers, this is not the case.
[3:40] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Instead of oxygen-filled tanks, airplanes often use what's known as an oxygen-candle.
[3:46] \[SPEAKER_00\]: These oxygen-candles are chemical cartridges and a box above where the masks are deployed.
[3:52] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Most airlines instruct passengers to pull down on their mast to start the flow of oxygen.
[3:57] \[SPEAKER_00\]: This tugging motion initiates a reaction between distinct chemicals which usually include barium peroxide, sodium chlorate, and potassium perchlorate.
[4:07] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The last of which is most commonly seen in science classrooms, causing gummy bears to violently combust.
[4:14] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Well, it may not sound like a life-saving combination, these chemicals react to produce oxygen when heated, which is exactly what happens when an oxygen candle is activated.
[4:24] \[SPEAKER_00\]: When a passenger tugs a mask a firing van is pulled from the cylinder, which triggers a tiny explosion that produces the heat needed for the chemicals to stir generating that life-saving oxygen.
[4:34] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Well, it may sound a little long-winded, these oxygen-candle systems typically weigh less than the alternative of a compressed gas system, so it's preferred for flight where minimalizing weight is essential.
[4:46] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Typically passengers will have around 10 to 14 minutes worth of oxygen per mass, which is usually plenty of time for the pilot to get the plane to below 10,000 feet.
[4:55] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The altitude where it's possible to breathe normally.
[4:58] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Hopefully you'll never be in a situation
[5:03] \[SPEAKER_00\]: But just think of that sweet head of chemical serotonin you'll get when you get to explain to all your fellow passengers how this plane journey could end with all of you breathing and exploding chemicals.
[5:13] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Before you're escorted off the plane that is, speaking of things hiding in plain sight aboard your flight.
[5:19] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Have you ever stopped to wonder how old the actual plane you're sitting in really is?
[5:25] \[SPEAKER_00\]: There's no denying that we're most certainly living in the age of aircrafts, but have you ever stopped to consider the real age of the aircrafts you're jetting off on?
[5:35] \[SPEAKER_00\]: There's a common belief among some flight passengers that an older airplane might mean the plane is less reliable or even less safe, but how to even find out how old an airplane really is.
[5:45] \[SPEAKER_00\]: And as age really matter, you probably didn't know it, but while some of us humans spend a lot of time trying to conceal our age as airplanes wear theirs for the world to see.
[5:56] \[SPEAKER_00\]: if you know where to look.
[5:58] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Like cars, airplanes have their very own license plate number that's used to identify them.
[6:03] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Revered to as tail numbers in the aeronautical world, these aren't an unnoticed codes hold a lot of information about a plane.
[6:10] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The first letter of the tail number identifies a plane's country of origin, with American tail numbers typically starting with an end.
[6:18] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Other countries use different prefixes, Canadian aircrafts use the letter C while British
[6:26] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The next three digits are chosen from a range set by the airline for a specific aircraft type, and the final two letters are an abbreviation for the operator.
[6:35] \[SPEAKER_00\]: For example, UA for United Airlines, American Airlines mean while still flying some aircraft with the letters AW and some of their planes weren't a leap along to America West Airlines.
[6:46] \[SPEAKER_00\]: If you search an airplanes tail number on the global database, you'll find all sorts of information about the plane, including how many seats it has, how many engines it has, as well as when it was built.
[6:58] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Most passenger airplanes have an average flight career of around 27 years before they were retired.
[7:04] \[SPEAKER_00\]: However, there are some passenger planes that are still flying well into their middle ages, and you won't believe how old some of them are.
[7:11] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Take the Boeing 737-200 in no-linear aviation fleet, which has been in service since 1974 making it the oldest passenger plane still in service.
[7:22] \[SPEAKER_00\]: If you're wondering why or how Nolan harr able to have such an aged unit in their fleet, the reality is that older doesn't necessarily mean worse or at safe.
[7:33] \[SPEAKER_00\]: This particular aircraft has been through multiple rounds of refurbishment, and some of its features are actually considered superior to those found on newer plays.
[7:41] \[SPEAKER_00\]: For example, the Boeing 737-200 can actually handle more treacherous landing conditions compared to newer models due to needing to adapt to the poor ground services at older airports.
[7:53] \[SPEAKER_00\]: So I guess in the airplane world age really is just a number.
[7:57] \[SPEAKER_00\]: If you've ever seen a movie or news story about a plane disappearing, you might have heard about a search for the mysterious black box.
[8:04] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Every commercial and corporate aircraft is fitted with two separate systems collectively known as the black box.
[8:11] \[SPEAKER_00\]: A flight data record and cockpit voice recorder.
[8:14] \[SPEAKER_00\]: And newsflash neither of these things are typically literal black boxes.
[8:18] \[SPEAKER_00\]: They actually function in much the same way as a computer hard drive or memory card with the flight data recorder holding all relevant information about the activities of the plane.
[8:28] \[SPEAKER_00\]: and the cockpit voice recorder storing recordings of all sounds and conversations in the cockpit.
[8:33] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Seeing as black box systems hold information that could be vital to finding out what happened in an aviation accident, these devices include special design features to ensure that they have the best chance of being found.
[8:46] \[SPEAKER_00\]: A black box can remain intact after being hit with an impact speed of 310 miles per hour and survive exposure to flames as hot as 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit for more than an hour.
[8:56] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The device can emit a signal once per second, even while 20,000 feet under the sea for 30 whole days.
[9:04] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Not only that, but black boxes are normally installed in the tail section of an aircraft, as this is usually the part that suffers the least damage in a crash.
[9:12] \[SPEAKER_00\]: This might be named black boxes.
[9:14] \[SPEAKER_00\]: These devices are painted a fluorescent orange shade to make them stand out easily on a crash-eyed.
[9:20] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Well, mentions of airplane black boxes in the real world are sadly often associated with accidents.
[9:26] \[SPEAKER_00\]: There's no doubt this unnoticed aviation feature offers us invaluable insight into how to make planes even safer in the future.
[9:34] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Plans are equipped with an array of life-saving equipment both in plain sight and beyond, while some features like seat belts and life vest are hard to miss, there are other crucial safety features that go completely unnoticed by the average flight passenger.
[9:48] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Some airplanes have two small holes sitting about a third of the way down the wing, that and an emergency could very well save your life.
[9:57] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Airplane wings are built to be as smooth and aerodynamic as possible, and while this is necessary during flights it can be a problem if a plane needs to make an emergency landing in water.
[10:08] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Some airplanes include overwing exits that passengers will need to use in emergency evacuation and, you guessed it, what smooth surfaces are a recipe for slip-ups.
[10:18] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Planes fitted with overwing exits include yellow escape or rope brackets which are used to hook and secure in escape rope to act as a handhold for passengers making their way out over the wing.
[10:30] \[SPEAKER_00\]: If you don't see these hooks on your plane, don't panic, they're only necessary for planes with overwing exits.
[10:36] \[SPEAKER_00\]: So if you've ever questioned if aircraft engineers really have thought of everything, it's safe to say they're off the hook with life-saving features like this.
[10:45] \[SPEAKER_00\]: None every secret feature on a plan is about survival though, some are just plain bizarre, and none more so than this next one.
[10:53] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Want to hear a question that you've never wondered about the answer to?
[10:56] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Do airplanes have horns?
[10:58] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Well, yes.
[11:00] \[SPEAKER_00\]: And before you ask, no, they don't sound anything like a novelty car or a horn.
[11:05] \[SPEAKER_00\]: But they do, in fact, have horns, rather similar to those found in cars which are used for a very different purpose.
[11:11] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Unlike car horns on a highway, airplane horns seem completely useless during flight for a couple of reasons.
[11:18] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Namely, airplanes usually fly miles apart from one another with roaring engines, meaning that fellow pilots almost certainly wouldn't hear a horn while flying.
[11:26] \[SPEAKER_00\]: So, what are they for?
[11:28] \[SPEAKER_00\]: In fact, airplane horns aren't really designed for pilots to use at all, and are only ever used when a plane is on the ground.
[11:36] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Engineers often make use of the horn when providing maintenance in a plane's cockpit, tuning the horn to get the attention of workers on the ground.
[11:44] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Unlike in a car where the horn is impossible to miss in the center of the steering wheel, on a plane the horn has a button amid many other commands on the control panel.
[11:52] \[SPEAKER_00\]: But the biggest question of all, what does an airplane horn sound like?
[11:57] \[SPEAKER_00\]: picture a deeper, isn't it, foghorn-like blast?
[12:00] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Pretty badass, honestly.
[12:02] \[SPEAKER_00\]: While this horn is primarily a means of communication, modern blends are also able to emit varying sounding sirens to warn of ground engineers when a particular system breaks down.
[12:13] \[SPEAKER_00\]: But I'd be surprised if any one of the engineers outside the plane ever stick around to find out what work needs to be done.
[12:19] \[SPEAKER_00\]: If I heard that horn blast, I'd be running for the hills.
[12:23] \[SPEAKER_00\]: If you've ever walked down an airplane, I'll during a bit of unexpected turbulence, you'll be all too familiar with what it feels like to be a human pinball.
[12:32] \[SPEAKER_00\]: You've probably seen plenty of wobbly hands clamping down on aisle seats for support, or maybe you've even done it yourself.
[12:39] \[SPEAKER_00\]: After all, there's nothing else to hold on to.
[12:42] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Where is there?
[12:43] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Turns out there's a little note feature on most airplanes that will save you from getting up close and personal with your fellow passengers headrest.
[12:51] \[SPEAKER_00\]: While you might assume that the subtle curved rail running underneath the overhead bins is just a design cork, its placement is very much deliberate.
[13:00] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Most modern airplane cabins include built-in handrails located under the overhead bins to provide some grip for passengers navigating the aisles.
[13:09] \[SPEAKER_00\]: This is exactly how flight attendants make strutting through the cabin look like a breeze.
[13:14] \[SPEAKER_00\]: They're cheating.
[13:15] \[SPEAKER_00\]: And now you can do.
[13:17] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Speaking of secret knowledge only expert flight attendants know why not check out our other episode about airplane secrets and much much more.
[13:25] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Just hit follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
[13:29] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Now, ladies and gentlemen, the captain has switched off as an seat outside on if you could please return to your seats using the trusty handbrails we never told you about.
[13:38] \[SPEAKER_00\]: We've still got a way to go.
[13:40] \[SPEAKER_00\]: One of the most important questions and passengers' minds before boarding a flight is where they're going to be sitting.
[13:47] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Almost half of solo flyers prefer the coveted window seat, and it's easy to see why.
[13:51] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Window passengers not only get a front row seat to epic views, but they also remain undisturbed by seated neighbors clambering to the restroom.
[14:00] \[SPEAKER_00\]: But there's one factor that can affect the comfort level of this coveted seat that you've probably never noticed.
[14:06] \[SPEAKER_00\]: You might not have noticed it, but the cabin walls of long-haul planes are a lot flatter compared to those on smaller short-haul planes, which have more of a curved shape.
[14:16] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The difference in wall shape comes down to the differing heights of long and short-haul fuselages with some double-decker long-haul plane stretching more than twice the height of short-haul single-decks.
[14:27] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Well, not a deliberate design choice for the benefit of passengers, the broader curvature of long haul airplane walls does inadvertently provide window seat dwellers with more head and shoulder room.
[14:38] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Though, whether it's preferable to the aisle seat for the lingering requirements of taller passengers is still up for debate.
[14:45] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Speaking of the aisle seat, this is the second most popular choice among passengers, especially those who frequently get up to use the restroom.
[14:53] \[SPEAKER_00\]: But did you know Hidden On Some Plains is a secret button that you can turn your aisle seat into a spacious sanctuary?
[15:00] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Well, sort of.
[15:02] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The Hidden Button is located on the underside of the outer most armrest of aisle seats and pressing it allows you to sneakily move the armrest, which usually seems locked in place.
[15:13] \[SPEAKER_00\]: A simple move with game-changing results.
[15:16] \[SPEAKER_00\]: No more armrest digging into your side in a little extra swing room for your legs.
[15:20] \[SPEAKER_00\]: While the movable armrest provides this extra benefit if you know where to look, this design feature is actually meant as a safety measure to allow for easier escape and an emergency evacuation.
[15:31] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Unsurprisingly, the middle seat is the least popular choice for flight passengers by far.
[15:37] \[SPEAKER_00\]: While just 10% of passengers have to be the hamburger patty of the three-chair combo turns out some middle seats are harboring hidden features that actually offer passengers the most comfortable ride.
[15:47] \[SPEAKER_00\]: In response to the widespread middle seat hates, spirit airlines have been secretly adding a whole inch of width to the middle seats in their newer airplane cabins.
[15:56] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Which definitely makes up for all the other way of spearing airlines sucks, right?
[16:01] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Nope.
[16:02] \[SPEAKER_00\]: But it's not just where you sit that a fixture experience on long haul flights.
[16:06] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The plane itself may be quietly doing something to help your buddy cope with the journey, whether you realize it or not.
[16:13] \[SPEAKER_00\]: While traveling the globe is on most people's bucket list, there's no doubt that jetting off on a long-off light isn't of most comfortable, especially when it comes to the dreaded jet lag.
[16:23] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Jet lag is a psychological condition triggered by moving through different time zones at an accelerated rate.
[16:30] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Under normal circumstances, everybody's internal clock also known as our circadian rhythm is influenced by daylight, which it uses to regulate when you should be awake and when you should sleep.
[16:41] \[SPEAKER_00\]: When that day night cycle gets shifted understandably, our body has a few objections, mostly in the form of tiredness.
[16:48] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Many hours spent and an airplane cabin without proper access to natural light can make symptoms of jet lag even worse.
[16:55] \[SPEAKER_00\]: But some more modern planes are subtly combating jet lag symptoms and most passengers aren't even aware of it.
[17:01] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Airbus's A350 model is hiding an ingenious system of customizable LED lights that can simulate different types of natural light.
[17:10] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The system includes up to 16.7 million different colors that are programmed to mimic the lighting conditions of the time zone the plane is heading to.
[17:19] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Suddenly manipulating the lighting like this can reportedly help trick your body's internal clock into adapting more easily to new time zones.
[17:27] \[SPEAKER_00\]: This helps to eliminate the irregular sleeping hours long haul travelers often experience when arriving in a new time zone.
[17:35] \[SPEAKER_00\]: More time awake means more time to enjoy your vacation, and most importantly, more time to catch up on the latest episodes here on BMAs.
[17:44] \[SPEAKER_00\]: And when I'd hit subscribe wherever you're listening, you're on vacation after all.
[17:49] \[SPEAKER_00\]: We've already seen a number of hidden features that airlines sneak on to planes for the comfort of passengers, but there are other planes out there with features built for totally different purposes.
[17:59] \[SPEAKER_00\]: While scenes aboard a typical passenger plane include smiling cabin crew and window-shade wars, things look world-support inside cargo planes.
[18:09] \[SPEAKER_00\]: cargo planes play a big role in transporting the world's goods in these days even Amazon has its very own airline dedicated to shipping customer orders worldwide.
[18:20] \[SPEAKER_00\]: widely used cargo aircrafts like the Boeing 777 have large side-facing hatches that are used
[18:28] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Plans like the Boeing 777 freight plane typically have a maximum capacity of around 27 10-foot high pallets.
[18:37] \[SPEAKER_00\]: But some cargo planes out there have taken space maximization to a whole new level, with a very special feature you've probably never heard of before.
[18:46] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The Boeing 747 freighter is one of the rare planes which can be fitted with a giant nose cargo door.
[18:54] \[SPEAKER_00\]: There are several advantages to this design, namely, that it allows loading of cargo of all different sizes.
[19:01] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The open nose allows the 747 to load cargo pallets with a width of 12 feet and length of up to 185 feet.
[19:08] \[SPEAKER_00\]: I see a equivalent of the leaning tower of Pisa, without the need to disassemble them.
[19:14] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The Boeing 747 has seen all sorts going through its nose from race cars to helicopters, but it's not even the largest cargo plane out there.
[19:24] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Antanov 225 cargo plane holds a staggering 124 world records related to its mammoth size.
[19:32] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The gargantuan jet holds the title of heaviest aircraft ever built as well as the world record for transporting the longest piece of air cargo to when turbine blades through its giant nose door.
[19:44] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Sadly, the largest individual plane of this kind, the Antanov A and 225 Maria, was destroyed
[19:54] \[SPEAKER_00\]: But there are plans for the plan to be restored.
[19:56] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The restoration is expected to cost $3 billion in five years to complete the project and I for one can't wait to see the end enough, knows the null, back in the sky as soon as possible.
[20:07] \[SPEAKER_00\]: All flyers are familiar with a bumpy touchdown every now and again, but have you ever stopped to consider exactly how an entire plane lands without blowing all its tires?
[20:17] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Think about it.
[20:18] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Your average 200 ton airplane hits tarmac at about 165 miles per hour when landing.
[20:25] \[SPEAKER_00\]: So how is it possible the wheels stay perfectly in tag landing after landing?
[20:29] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Unsurprisingly airplane wheels are very different from the ones you'll find on a bike or a car.
[20:34] \[SPEAKER_00\]: In fact, they're specifically designed to withstand incredibly heavy loads for very short periods of time and have some special hidden features to help them do just that.
[20:44] \[SPEAKER_00\]: During takeoff and landing airplane tires are exposed to a whole lot of naturally occurring static electricity, which is created through the immense friction between the wheels and runway tarmac.
[20:54] \[SPEAKER_00\]: To combat this, airplanes use tires made of specialized conductive rubber that's able to safely absorb electrical charges.
[21:02] \[SPEAKER_00\]: They are usually three or more layers of rubber pressurized six times as much as car tires providing additional strength.
[21:09] \[SPEAKER_00\]: You might be wondering why unlike heavy load trucks airplane wheels are rather small compared to their enormous overall size?
[21:16] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Much like your mum rising from the vacation sun lounger when it comes to airplanes,
[21:20] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Every extra-pound counts towards how easy it is to lift off.
[21:25] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Not only are smaller tires lighter, but multiple smaller tires are able to distribute the plain load with a lot more stability compared to fewer larger tires.
[21:34] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Most standard commercial aircraft usually have around 6 in total, but the number of tires depends on the size and maximum load weight of a plane.
[21:42] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The Antonava N225 required 32 wheels, 20 of which were steerable to accommodate for the cargo planes colossal 640 ton weight.
[21:52] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Airplane tires are regularly inspected for damage but a plane can go up to 400 landings before its tires are actually changed.
[22:00] \[SPEAKER_00\]: But honestly, that's more often than I've changed my cars tires.
[22:03] \[SPEAKER_00\]: So, we've seen how plans are built to survive this guy's, but one of the plane itself was designed to escape them.
[22:10] \[SPEAKER_00\]: One engineer had a pretty radical answer to that question.
[22:13] \[SPEAKER_00\]: According to the National Transportation Safety Board these days, more than 95% of plane crashes are survivable in its no surprise.
[22:22] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Innovations in airplane designer popping up all over the place, making air travel one of the safest modes of transport.
[22:28] \[SPEAKER_00\]: In 2016 Aviation Engineer Vladimir Tetheranko took Sky High Safety to a whole new level when he unveiled a design for a passenger aircraft with a detachable cabin.
[22:39] \[SPEAKER_00\]: While it might sound pretty wild at first, the proposed cabin is fitted with parachutes and inflatable rubber tubes so that it can float in land safely on the ground or water.
[22:49] \[SPEAKER_00\]: This may sound like a reassuring idea for those who find flying more of a terrifying hard deal as opposed to an exciting way to
[22:57] \[SPEAKER_00\]: But this detachable design is having trouble taking off.
[23:01] \[SPEAKER_00\]: While the design envisions the detachable cabin deploying on a plane experiencing engine failure, these days 80% of plane accidents are caused by human error.
[23:09] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The most common accidents include loss of aircraft control and flying into terrain.
[23:14] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Circumstances were the deployment of a detachable cabin seems impossible to achieve safely.
[23:19] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Not only that, but it's estimated that it is designed like this would require more fuel usage and an increase in seat prices, so commercial airlines haven't been too keen to launch the design into their fleets.
[23:31] \[SPEAKER_00\]: While the idea may not be quite ready for use in emergency situations, it might have some other uses that could revolutionize their travel.
[23:38] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Much like ambulance used by those requiring special assistance to board, detachable cabins could be increasingly useful for boarding and changeovers by enabling the transfer of cabins directly from plane to plane.
[23:51] \[SPEAKER_00\]: This technique would allow passengers to board away from the runway and eliminates the need for unloading and reloading passengers or their luggage in a changeover situation.
[24:01] \[SPEAKER_00\]: I don't know though, I think I'd still rather stretch my legs.
[24:03] \[SPEAKER_00\]: The list time I'm stuck at a metal tube with hundreds of strangers, the better.
[24:07] \[SPEAKER_00\]: For ladies and gentlemen, we're now approaching our destination.
[24:10] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Are there any more ambulance secret features that I missed?
[24:14] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Let us know your thoughts by leaving a review or reaching out on our social media.
[24:18] \[SPEAKER_00\]: As always, thank you for flying with BMAs.

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