(bell dinging) - [Pilot] 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 of folks who don't know about these
big crazy metal tubes we send up into the sky, and our in-flight entertainment today is going to 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. (upbeat music) - [Narrator] Agent Air. When it comes to air travel, one of the biggest concerns when boarding is who will be in the seat next to you? While it's all too easy to spot a particularly annoying passenger, have you ever really stopped to wonder exactly who you're sharing
your space in the sky with? Well, it turns out some casual customers aren't quite as they seem at all. Air marshals, sometimes known
as Sky Marshals are armed and specially trained
law enforcement officers whose job it is to fly around disguised as regular passengers in case something serious
goes down up in the clouds. But before you start playing your 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. 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. Meaning stationing one on every
flight would be impossible. In fact, some estimates suggest
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. And while it's an air marshal's job to blend in with the crowd, there are some small telltale signs that might mean you're sharing the skies with a secret agent. The first thing to know is that air marshals mostly travel alone without any proper luggage,
but sometimes fly in pairs. While they might boar 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. While on the job, air marshals
aren't allowed to sleep, drink alcohol, or even wear headphones, to ensure they're constantly
alert to anything suspicious. They also tend to opt for baggy clothing since they're carrying a gun, which is either attached to their ankle or close to their waist. 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. So if you ever think you've
spotted an air marshal, drawing 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. So sit back, relax, and enjoy knowing you
might have spotted them and just brag about it to your
friends on the ground later. Airborne, the emergency yellow oxygen mask is an essential part of every in-flight safety demonstration. But what if I told you they don't actually contain oxygen at all? While you might assume
that airplane oxygen masks are attached to the oxygen filled tanks like those used by scuba divers, this is not the case. Instead of oxygen filled tanks, airplanes often use what's
known as an oxygen candle. These oxygen candles are
chemical cartridges in a box above where the masks are deployed. Most airlines instruct passengers
to pull down on their mask to start the flow of oxygen. This tugging motion initiates a reaction between distinct chemicals, which usually include barium
peroxide, sodium chlorate, and potassium perchlorate. The last of which is most commonly seen in science classrooms
making gummy bears scream. (steam whistling) While it may not sound like
a lifesaving combination, these chemicals react to
produce oxygen when heated, which is exactly what happens when an oxygen candle is activated. When a passenger tugs a mask, a firing pin is pulled from the cylinder, which triggers a tiny explosion that produces the heat
needed for the chemicals to start generating
that life-saving oxygen. While 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 minimizing weight is essential. Typically, passengers will have around 10 to 14 minutes
worth of oxygen per mask, which is usually plenty of time for the pilot to get the
plane below 10,000 feet and the altitude where it's
possible to breathe normally. Hopefully you'll never be in a situation where you'll need to trigger
this kind of chemical reaction, but just think of that sweet hit 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
in exploding chemicals before you're escorted
off the plane that is. Age of aircrafts. 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 aircraft
that you're jetting off on? 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 do you even find out
how old an airplane really is? And does age really matter? You probably didn't know it, but while some of us humans spend a lot of time trying
to conceal our ages, airplanes wear theirs
for the world to see, if you know where to look. Like cars, airplanes have their very
own license plate number that's used to identify them. Referred to as tail numbers
in the aeronautical world, these often unnoticed codes hold a lot of information about a plane. The first letter of the tail number identifies a plane's country of origin with American tail numbers
typically starting with an N. Other countries use different prefixes. Canadian aircrafts use the letter C, while British aircraft tail
numbers start with the letter G. The next three digits
are chosen from a range set by the airline for
specific aircraft type. And the final two letters are an abbreviation for the operator, for example, UA for United Airlines. American Airlines meanwhile
still fly some aircraft with the letters AW as some of their planes
formerly belonged to America West Airlines. If you search an airplane's 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. Most passenger airplanes
have an average flight career of around 27 years before they're retired. 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. This Boeing 737-200 in
Nolinor Aviation's fleet has been in service since 1974, making it the oldest passenger
plane still in service. If you're wondering why or how Nolinor are able to have such an
aged unit in their fleet, the reality is that older
doesn't necessarily mean worse or unsafe. This particular aircraft has
been through multiple rounds of refurbishment, and some of its features are
actually considered superior to those found on newer planes. For example, the Boeing 737-200 can actually handle more
treacherous landing conditions compared to the newer models due to needing to adapt to
the poorer ground surfaces at older airports. So I guess in the airplane world, age really is just a number. Black box. If you've ever seen a
movie or a news story about a plane disappearing, you might have heard about a search for the mysterious black box. Every commercial and corporate aircraft is fitted with two separate systems collectively known as the Black Box, a flight data record and
a cockpit voice recorder. And newsflash, neither of these things are
typically literal black boxes. 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 and the cockpit voice
recorder storing recordings of all sounds and
conversations in the cockpit. 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 they have the
best chance of being found. 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 2000 degrees
Fahrenheit for more than an hour. The device can emit a
signal once per second, even while 20,000 feet under
the sea for 30 whole days. 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. Despite being named Black Boxes, these devices are painted
a fluorescent orange shade to make them stand out
easily on a crash site. While mentions of airplane
Black Boxes in the real world are sadly often associated with accidents, there's no doubt this
unnoticed aviation feature offers us invaluable insight into how to make planes
even safer in the future. Hooked on safety. Planes are equipped with an
array of life-saving equipment, both in plain sight and beyond. And while some features like seat belts and life vests are hard to miss, there are other crucial safety features that go completely unnoticed by the average flight passenger. These two small holes sitting about a third
of the way down the wing on some airplanes, for example, could very well save your
life in an emergency. 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 the plane needs to make an emergency landing in water. Some airplanes include over wing exits that passengers will need to
use in an emergency evacuation, and you guessed it, wet smooth surfaces are a recipe for slipups. Planes fitted with over wing exits include these yellow
escape rope bracelets, which are used to hook
and secure an escape rope to act as a handhold for
passengers making their way out over the wing. If you don't see these hooks
on your plane, don't panic. They're only necessary for
planes with over wing exits. So if you ever questioned
if aircraft engineers really have thought of everything, it's safe to say they're off the hook with lifesaving features like this. Airplane horn. Want to hear a question that you've never wondered
about the answer to? Do airplanes have horns? Well, yes, and they sound
and look exactly like this. (horns honking) I'm kidding, of course. They neither look nor
sound anything like that, but they do in fact have horns rather similar to those found in cars, but which are used for a
very different purpose. Unlike car horns on a highway, airplane horns seem completely
useless during flight for a couple reasons. 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. So what are they for? 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. Engineers often make use of the horn when performing maintenance
in a plane's cockpit, tooting the horn to get
attention of the workers on the ground. Unlike in a car where the
horn is impossible to miss in the center of the
steering wheel on a plane, the horn is a button
amid many other commands on the control panel. But the biggest question of all, what does an airplane horn sound like? (long horn blowing) Pretty badass, right? While this horn is primarily
a means of communication, modern planes are also able to
emit varying sounding sirens to warn ground engineers when a particular system breaks down. 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. If I heard this, (long horn blaring) I'd be running for the hills. Hidden handrails. If you've ever walked
down an airplane aisle during a bit of unexpected turbulence, you'll be all too familiar
with what it feels like to be a human pinball. You've probably seen
plenty of wobbly hands clamping down on aisle seats for support, or maybe you've even done it yourself. After all, there's nothing
else to hold onto or is there. Turns out there's a little
known feature on most airplanes that will save you from getting up close and personal with your
fellow passenger's headrest. And while you might assume
that this little curve underneath the overhead bins is just a neat little design quirk, its placement is very much deliberate. Most modern airplane cabins
include built-in handrails located under the overhead
bins to provide some grip for passengers navigating the aisles. This is exactly how flight attendants make strutting through the
cabin look like a breeze. They're cheating. And now you can too. Speaking of secret knowledge only expert flight attendants know, why not check out our other
videos about airplane secrets and much, much more. Just hit subscribe. - [Pilot] Now, Ladies and gentlemen, the captain has just switched the fastened seatbelt sign on. If you could please return to your seats using the trusty handrails
we never told you about, we've still got a way to go. - [Narrator] Secretive seats. One of the most important
questions in passengers minds before boarding a flight is where they're going to be sitting. Almost half of solo flyers
prefer the coveted window seat, and it's easy to see why. Window passengers not
only get a front row seat to epic views, but they
also remain undisturbed by seated neighbors
clambering to the restroom. But there's one factor that
can affect the comfort level of this coveted seat that
you've probably never noticed. If you look closely, you'll
notice that the cabin walls of the long-haul planes are a lot flatter compared to those on
smaller short-haul planes, which have more of a curved shape. The difference in wall shape comes down to the differing heights of long and short haul fuselages with some double-decker, long-haul planes stretching more than twice the height of short haul single decks. While 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. Though whether it's
preferable to the aisle seat for the leg room requirements
of taller passengers is still up for debate. Speaking of the aisle seat, this is the second most popular
choice among passengers, especially for those who frequently get up to use the restroom. But did you know hidden on
some planes is a secret button that can turn your aisle seat
into a spacious sanctuary? Well, sort of. You'll find the hidden button on the underside of the
outermost armrest of aisle seats, and pressing it allows you
to sneakily move the armrest, Which usually seems locked in place, a simple move with game changing results. No more armrest digging into your side and a little extra swing
room for your legs. And while the movable armrest
provides the extra benefit if you know where to look, this design feature is actually
meant as a safety measure to allow for easier escape
in an emergency evacuation. Unsurprisingly, the middle seat
is the least popular choice for flight passengers by far. While just 10% of passengers
opt 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. In response to the
widespread middle seat hate, Spirit Airlines have been secretly adding a whole inch of width to the middle seats in their newer airplane cabins, which definitely makes
up for all the other ways Spirit Airlines sucks, right? (narrator chuckling) Nope. Flight bulb moments. While traveling the globe is
on most people's bucket list, there's no doubt that jetting
off on a long haul flight isn't the most comfortable, and especially when it comes
to the dreaded jet lag. Jet lag is a psychological condition triggered by moving through
different time zones at an accelerated rate. Under normal circumstances,
our body'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. When the day/night cycle gets shifted, understandably, our body
has a few objections, mostly in the form of tiredness. Many hours spent in an airplane cabin without proper access to natural light can make symptoms of jet lag even worse. But some modern planes are subtly combating jet lag symptoms, and most passengers
aren't even aware of it. Airbus's A350 model is
hiding an ingenious system of customizable LED lights that can simulate different
types of natural light. 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. Subtly manipulating the lighting like this can reportedly help trick
your body's internal clock into adapting more
easily to new time zones. This helps to eliminate the
irregular sleeping hours long-haul travelers often experience when arriving in a new time zone. More time awake means more
time to enjoy your vacation, and most importantly,
more time to catch up on the latest content
here on the BMA's channel. Or get your alarm. Hit that bell icon to be notified every time we post a new video. And why not treat yourself to
tapping that subscribe button while you're at it? You're on vacation after all. Colossal cargo. We've already seen a
number of hidden features that airlines sneak onto planes for the comfort of passengers. But there are other planes out
there with features built in for totally different purposes. While scenes aboard a
typical passenger plane include smiling cabin crew
and window shade wars, things look worlds apart
inside cargo planes. Cargo planes play a big role in transporting the
world's goods these days. Amazon even has its own airline dedicated to shipping
customer orders worldwide. Widely used cargo aircrafts
like the Boeing 777 have large side facing hatches that are used to funnel
goods into the aircraft. Planes like the Boeing 777 freight plane typically have a maximum capacity of around 27 10-foot high pallets. But some cargo planes out there have taken space maximization
to a whole new level with a very special feature you've probably never seen before. The Boeing 747 freighter is one of the rarer planes which can be fitted with
a giant nose cargo door. There are several
advantages to this design, namely that it allows loading of cargo of all different sizes. The open nose allows the
747 to load cargo pallets with a width of 12 feet and
a length of up to 185 feet. That's the equivalent of the Leaning Tower of Pisa without the need to disassemble them. 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. The Antonov 225 cargo plane holds a staggering 124 world records related to its mammoth size. The gargantuan jet holds the title of the heaviest aircraft ever built, as well as the world record for transporting the world's
longest piece of air cargo, two wind turbine blades
through its giant nose door. Sadly, the largest individual
plane of this kind, the Antonov AN-225 Mriya, was destroyed during the
Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But there are plans for
the plane to be restored. The restoration is
expected to cost $3 billion and five years to complete the project. And I, for one, can't
wait to see the Antonov, nose and all, back in the
sky as soon as possible. Touchdown. 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? Think about it. Your average 200 ton airplane hits tarmac at around 165 miles per hour when landing. So how is it possible the wheels stay perfectly
intact after landing? Unsurprisingly, airplane
wheels are very different from the ones you'll
find on a bike or car. 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. 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. To combat this, airplanes use tires made of specialized conductive rubber that's able to safely
absorb electric charges. There are usually three
or more layers of rubber pressurized six times as much as car tires providing additional strength. Now you might be wondering why, unlike heavy load trucks, airplane wheels are rather small compared to their enormous overall size. Much like your mom rising
from the vacation sun lounger, when it comes to airplanes,
every extra pound counts toward how easy it is to lift off. Not only are smaller tires lighter, but multiple small tires are able to distribute the plane load with a lot more stability
compared to fewer larger tires. Most standard commercial aircraft usually have around six in total, but the number of tires
depends on the size and maximum load weight of the plane. The Antonov AN-225 required 32 wheels, 20 of which were steerable to accommodate for the cargo plane's
colossal 640 ton weight limit. Airplane tires are regularly
inspected for damage, but a plane can go up to 400 landings before its tires are actually changed. But honestly, that's more than
I've changed my car's tires. Capsule cabin. According to the National
Transportation Safety Board, these days more than 95% of
plane crashes are survivable, and that's no surprise. Innovations in airplane
design are popping up all over the place, making air travel one of the safest modes of transport. In 2016, aviation engineer
Vladimir Tatarenko took sky high safety to a whole new level when he unveiled a design
for a passenger aircraft with a detachable cabin. While it might look pretty
crazy on first glance, the proposed cabin is fitted with parachutes
and inflatable rubber tires so that it can float and land
safely on the ground or water. And this may also sound
like a reassuring idea for those who find flying
more of a terrifying ordeal as opposed to an exciting
way to start a vacation. But this detachable design
is having trouble taking off. While the proposal shows
the detachable cabin deploying on a plane
experiencing engine failure, these days, 80% of plane accidents are caused by human error. The most common accidents
include loss of aircraft control and flying into terrain, circumstances where the
deployment of a detachable cabin seems impossible to achieve safely. Not only that, but it's estimated that a design like this
would require more fuel usage and increase seat prices, so commercial airlines
haven't been too keen to launch the design into their fleets. And while the idea may not quite be ready for use in emergency situations, it might have some other uses that could revolutionize air travel. Much like Ambulifts used by those requiring
special assistance to board Detachable cabins could
be incredibly useful for boarding and changeovers by enabling the transfer of cabins directly from plane to plane. And 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. I don't know though. I think I'd still rather stretch my legs. The less time I'm stuck in a metal tube with 100 strangers, the better. - [Pilot] Ladies and gentlemen, we are now approaching our destination. Are there any more airplane
secret features that I missed? Let me know down in the comments below. And as always, thank you
for flying with Be Amazed. (upbeat music)
