1 FLYING MAY not be as glamorous as it once was, but it still makes for an exclusive experience: Only about 5 percent of the world's population has ever been on an airplane (though more than 80 percent of Americans have). Still, upwards of 8,000 planes are in the air at any given moment, more than 5,000 of which are above the United States.
2 TODAY'S PLANES utterly dwarf those from the early days of aviation. The bright red Lockheed 5B Vega that Amelia Earhart flew across the Atlantic in 1932 weighed less than 2,000 pounds, while a Boeing 747 can top 400,000. (Each of its four engines alone weighs nearly 10,000 pounds.) And the 1903 Wright Flyer went about 30 miles per hour. Most modern jets, however, cruise at 575 mph that's almost seven-eighths of the speed of sound at 35,000 feet.
3 DURING A long-haul flight, an airplane toilet may flush as many as 1,000 times. And when it does, everything inside gets sucked out at speeds faster than Formula 1 race cars. Early plane toilets left much to be desired: Waste sometimes leaked outside the aircraft, where it froze and occasionally fell, damaging cars and houses below.
4 DESPITE WHAT you see in movies, it's impossible to open the doors of a passenger plane during a flight. The cabin pressure pushing against the aircraft is simply too strong. Lightning also isn't worth fretting over: The metal cage of the plane protects passengers, and the electrical systems are built to withstand lightning strikes.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 2022 من Reader's Digest US.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 2022 من Reader's Digest US.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Election Day Memories - Stories about voting by the people, for the people
A Convincing Argument When my boyfriend and I were finally old enough to vote in our first presidential election, we spent months debating with one another about our chosen candidates. We were quite persuasive, as we discovered when we got home from the polls and learned that we'd both voted for the other's initial choice.―SHERRY FOX Appleton, WI
A New Way to Monitor Blood Sugar
Who can benefit from this wearable technology
A Flag for Dad
An old sailor made a last wish. His son was determined to see that it came true.
Sisterhood to Last a Lifetime
These college pals teach a master class in how to maintain a friendship for 50-plus years
...TO DIE ON A HOCKEY RINK
ONE MINUTE I WAS PLAYING IN MY BEER LEAGUE, THE NEXT I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL
Yes, There's a Museum for That!
These collections are wacky, wonderful and worth a visit
Town Meeting Is Called!
Once a year, the people of Elmore, Vermont, gather to practice a cherished right: democracy
Just Tight
Broken, battered and trapped in a ravine for days, a desperate driver wonders, \"Will anyone find me?\"
WHY OUR BODIES DON'T DIG DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME
Twice a year, when we spring ahead and fall back, we're more prone to sleepiness, depression and accidents
MONEYSAVING DO'S AND DON'TS
The run-up to the holidays doesn't have to bah-humbug your budget. A shopping expert shares strategies for saving big now and all year round.