The Liberty Gazette
January 2, 2024
Ely Air Lines
By Mike Ely and Linda Street-Ely
If you’ve traveled by air, you may have wondered about some of the rules and operational details. While we’ve covered some of these in previous editions, we thought a nice little list might help with understanding how to keep yourself off an airline’s naughty list, or just satisfy your curiosity. Here are some of the most common questions we’re asked regarding flying on an airliner.
Why must seats be upright and tray tables stowed? For safety! While accidents are rare these days, those that do occur are most often during takeoff or landing. If there was an emergency, you may not have time to tuck that tray table away fast enough to escape a dangerous situation, and a reclined seat can prevent the person behind you from having the most room available to maneuver. Remember, Mom’s right arm wouldn’t have kept you from flying out the front window when you were a kid, even though that may have been the best safety equipment she had at the time.
Why do I have to put my phone in airplane mode? Cell signals can produce a very bothersome noise through the headsets and right into the ears of your pilots. It’s also possible for the cell signal to interfere with the aircraft’s communication and navigation instruments. Face it. Your cell phone isn’t going to work at 38,000’, and you’ll just run your battery down if you keep it on. Besides, putting it in airplane mode is a federal regulation.
Are turbulence and lightning dangerous? They can be. For the most part, lightning will be directed off the plane thanks to special lightning wicks installed to channel the electricity away. However, lightning comes with storms, as can turbulence. Sometimes, however, you may encounter clear air turbulence. While severely disrupted airflow can cause problems, airplanes are engineered for flexibility and well tested before they are ever released to haul passengers. Also, pilots know the limitations of the aircraft they fly. Just be sure to heed the warnings, like staying in your seat with your seatbelt fastened when the skyway gets bumpy. You won’t have to worry about losing your balance if you’re in your seat.
Do they ever have too much fuel or not enough? An aircraft will be filled with enough fuel for the flight, plus extra in case of diversion to land at an alternate airport (like if the weather’s bad at the destination). If pilots need to land sooner than expected, to avoid landing with more than the max gross landing weight limit, it may be necessary to fly a holding pattern to use up some fuel. If there’s an emergency though, they may jettison fuel if the airplane is capable. Landing overweight can cause structural damage.
Do airline pilots fly the same route every day? Seniority matters. Pilots (and flight attendants) bid each month for their schedules. Those who have been with the airline the longest will get preference.
Here’s wishing you blue skies and tailwinds in 2024. Happy New Year!
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