- 2 days ago
Join us for an informative and eye-opening adventure into the world of pilots' experiences and safety protocols.
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00:00Hey there, fellow aviation enthusiasts!
00:03Let's talk about some gnarly weather conditions that pilots should totally avoid.
00:08Trust me, you don't want to mess with these bad boys.
00:12First, we got thunderstorms, and they're like the bullies of the sky.
00:17They can throw lightning, hail, and crazy winds at your plane.
00:21So steer clear of them, or risk getting a beatdown.
00:26Thunderstorms are no joke, and you definitely don't want to mess with them.
00:30They can pop up out of nowhere and cause some serious trouble.
00:33We're talking strong winds, heavy rain, lightning, and thunder.
00:38Not exactly a party in the sky.
00:40But wait, it gets worse.
00:43The lightning can mess with your instruments and systems, and hail can damage your ride.
00:48So keep an eye on those weather reports and forecasts.
00:52If you see a thunderstorm coming your way, try to fly around it or above it.
00:56And if you can't avoid it, slow down and stay at a safe altitude to minimize turbulence.
01:03Next up, icing.
01:06No, we're not talking about icing on the cake here.
01:09This is when your plane gets frozen over, which is a total bummer, because it makes it harder to fly.
01:15So avoid areas where this might happen, or bust out your anti-icing gear.
01:21You know that creepy feeling when you can't see your hand in front of your face?
01:26Yeah, that's what fog does to your visibility.
01:29Don't fly into it unless you want to play hide-and-seek with the runway.
01:34Flying in fog means pilots gotta be extra careful and rely on their instruments to navigate.
01:40They can't just wing it with their eyes like you normally would.
01:43They gotta make sure they follow instrument procedures and stay away from other planes.
01:50Strong winds can be pretty nasty, too.
01:54Think of strong winds as the annoying little brother of weather conditions.
01:58They can make your plane bounce around like a ball in a pinball machine.
02:02Avoid them if you can, or learn how to land like a boss with some crosswind skills.
02:08Seriously, though, these weather conditions can be dangerous and cause accidents.
02:14So stay informed and make smart decisions when you're up in the sky.
02:19Happy flying!
02:22Each airplane carrying over 19 passengers must have a crash axe.
02:27You will see it installed as a firefighting device.
02:31That way, if there's an electrical fire, crew members can cut away the cockpit or some other panels.
02:37The pilots can actually break the windscreen if something bad happens and people need to evacuate.
02:44Passenger planes are mostly white to protect them from solar radiation and its effects.
02:50Aircrafts need to remain cool at airports in particularly hot countries while passengers are going in or out.
02:58Brilliant white paint can bounce the sunlight back.
03:01It also protects some parts of the plane that are made of composite materials.
03:06And prevents their damage since there's higher ultraviolet radiation at high altitudes.
03:12Commercial planes must get to speeds of at least 155 miles per hour to achieve stability and safety at takeoff.
03:20Some smaller planes can sustain altitude even at speeds of 30 miles per hour.
03:26But when speeds are that low, the plane can easily get destabilized and could even fail the takeoff.
03:33The white trails that planes leave behind, also known as contrails, are created because of water vapor.
03:40Vapor is produced during the combustion of fuel in plane engines.
03:44When the plane reaches its cruising altitude of 32,800 feet, temperatures get quite low.
03:50About negative 67 degrees Fahrenheit, it's really cold.
03:54So, the water turns into particles of ice.
03:58How long these particles are going to remain visible mostly depends on humidity.
04:03The higher the level of humidity is, the bigger those trails get and remain visible even long after the plane
04:10has disappeared.
04:12Airplanes all over the globe get struck by lightning almost on a daily basis.
04:17A regular airplane in commercial service gets hit on average once a year.
04:22How often it happens depends on a couple of things.
04:26First, how many landings and takeoffs the plane performs since lightning mostly strikes at heights between 5,000 and 15
04:34,000 feet.
04:35It also depends on location.
04:38For instance, it's more likely for a plane to get struck by lightning around the equator and in some other
04:45parts of the world.
04:46Modern planes are designed to withstand such strikes.
04:49They have to go through special lightning tests to prove they can cope with strikes.
04:55Planes mostly fly at altitudes of up to 7 miles.
04:59There are some benefits like the thinner air or producing less aerodynamic drag, which also means less fuel consumption.
05:07The temperatures up there are lower, which makes the jet engines more efficient.
05:12That part of the atmosphere is also less turbulent, which helps make flights smoother.
05:19Some planes have already gone into space, but not the ones you see at the airport.
05:24Those classical planes need air to go up, and space is basically just a vacuum.
05:31The first plane that reached space was designed around 70 years ago.
05:36During its first flight, it generated lift and stability using its thin, stubby wings.
05:41It traveled more than five times the speed of sound.
05:47There are at least one sextillion planets out there in our universe.
05:52To give you an idea of how huge this number is, our planet weighs almost one sextillion times more than
05:59some animals like a bear.
06:01None of these planets are cubic, triangular, or any other shape.
06:06They're all round.
06:08At its beginnings, a planet is just a cloud of dust and rocks that rotates around a central star.
06:15Dust and small pieces attract each other because of gravity, and they keep doing it until they form a blob.
06:21Now, the blob starts attracting more matter.
06:24It grows and gets bigger until it's done with collecting everything in its path.
06:30Gravitational forces work equally in all directions, so that blob gets a round shape.
06:36But not the perfect one.
06:37Our planet, for instance, is almost a sphere, but with a bulge in the middle.
06:42The bulge is there because the Earth is spinning.
06:45Every time it rotates on its axis, the middle part travels further than the top.
06:50The area at the equator is moving quicker than the area at the poles.
06:54And the faster you spin something, the more you'll throw it outwards.
07:00Sound will travel four times faster in water than in air.
07:04It's a wave, and that's why it moves faster in a denser substance.
07:09Particles that are close to each other, as in denser substances, will bump into each other more easily.
07:15Water is denser.
07:17There are 800 times more particles in a bottle of water than in the same-sized bottle filled with air.
07:23Bubbles are round because they occur in a thin film, such as one of soapy water traps air.
07:29The molecules in the film attract each other.
07:32That way, they stick together and also shape a sphere,
07:36because that's the smallest possible area that encloses any given volume.
07:40They can't get any smaller because they have trapped air inside.
07:45You can turn your pencil into a diamond.
07:48If you apply a temperature of 2,550 degrees Fahrenheit and pressure of 55,000 atmospheres,
07:56you can transform graphite into diamond.
07:59They're actually two variations of a single chemical element, carbon.
08:04Diamonds aren't just used in jewelry, but for different purposes.
08:07For example, as a cutting tool for electronic devices.
08:12Beavers are amazing builders capable of creating cool and complex riverside structures.
08:18They build them to protect themselves from wild animals that might go after them,
08:22like wolves or bears.
08:24But not in the way it may look at first.
08:27Beavers don't really live in their dams.
08:29They only use them as a barrier, making some sort of a pool or pond of deeper water.
08:34That's where their real home is, in the pool.
08:37It's like a small island or dome lodge.
08:40It's a dry area where beavers are safe.
08:43They can also store their food there.
08:45These pools are deep enough for land animals to avoid them.
08:49Beavers dig underwater tunnels that are entrances into their home.
08:54If a predator or some other danger is coming, they can quickly escape to safety.
09:00Some animals sleep while standing.
09:03Zebras, elephants, horses, some birds like flamingos.
09:08Cows can sleep while standing, but they prefer to lie down when they want to rest.
09:13To sleep while standing, animals need to have legs that can align vertically.
09:18That way, they don't have to activate their muscles to keep them standing.
09:23Their knees also lock in place.
09:26It's better for these animals to sleep while standing, because they'd probably be too slow
09:30to react if there was a predator going after them.
09:34When we laugh in some unpleasant situations, or when we feel nervous, we're actually trying
09:39to mask our true emotions.
09:41For example, you do something embarrassing and try to cover up the shame you feel.
09:46Also, we're more relaxed after laughing, so if you're nervously chuckling in an unpleasant
09:51situation, it can help you clear some of your negative emotions.
09:55When you buy a bottle of water, you can see it has an expiration date.
09:59It's not that the water inside will turn bad.
10:02The expiration date is there because the plastic may start to leach into the water over time
10:08and contaminate it with chemicals that might be bad for us.
10:12The moon has its own time zone.
10:14The astronomers created a special watch for all moonwalkers.
10:18It measures time in lunations, which is the period of time the moon needs to rotate and
10:24revolve around our planet.
10:26Each lunation is almost 30,000 Earth days.
10:30You can decaffeinate your coffee if you take it into a sauna to moisten the green coffee bean
10:35within temperatures of 160 to 210 degrees Fahrenheit.
10:40The point is to get 10 milligrams or less of caffeine per one coffee.
10:45That's when you can put it in the decaf category.
10:49One serving of regular coffee has 50 to 75 milligrams of caffeine.
10:55There's a reason the Earth spins.
10:57Our solar system formed 4.5 billion years ago.
11:01There was a raging cloud of dust and gas.
11:03Molecules and atoms in that cloud had a tendency to rotate in a certain direction.
11:10That same cloud collapsed under gravitational forces.
11:13Gravity magnified its initial rotation and then flattened it out into a disk.
11:18Our planet formed within that disk and now it's spinning because of that old pattern of its parent cloud.
11:28Pilots always wear sunglasses, and it's not just to look cooler.
11:32Pilots are responsible for many people on the aircraft, so they should be capable to see the air traffic well,
11:38identify all the lights, symbols, and markings, as well as all of the buttons and manuals on the aircraft without
11:44any problem.
11:45So, for a pilot, it's crucial to have perfect health and, specifically, perfect vision.
11:50Pilots do health checkups every year to confirm they're in good health and able to keep working.
11:56People with any sight problems don't qualify to be a pilot.
11:59The pilot's vision is probably the most important quality they must have,
12:03and they should take care of their eyes to maintain perfect eyesight throughout their whole career.
12:08The problem is that it's not an easy task if you're a pilot.
12:12The damaging solar radiation that our sun emits is filtered out by the Earth's atmosphere,
12:17so the sunlight isn't very harmful to you if you spend most of your time on the ground.
12:22But up in the sky, it's different.
12:25There's less air, and the brightness is way higher.
12:28With every 100 feet of elevation, the solar radiation is 5% stronger.
12:33On average, aircraft fly at 35,000 feet.
12:37This means that the amount of UV radiation is 1,750% higher than on the ground.
12:43This is very damaging for any person's vision.
12:46The high amount of time the pilots spend in the air makes them vulnerable to various eye problems.
12:52And having eye problems costs any pilot their career.
12:56So, that's why they wear sunglasses to protect their vision.
12:59The sunglasses they wear must be of the best quality.
13:02They should, of course, minimize the impact of the sunlight and withstand the UV rays, providing 100% protection for
13:09the eyes.
13:10Also, they can't be polarized, since polarization can hinder seeing cockpit displays.
13:16They should provide the best clarity, decrease eye fatigue, and even minimize the color deformation,
13:21so they can see just like they would without sunglasses on.
13:26Takeoff and landing are the most crucial and dangerous stages of a flight.
13:30To ensure everyone's safety, the rules are especially strict.
13:34One of the rules is to turn on the airplane mode on your devices.
13:37The reason behind it is to make sure that the signals that gadgets transmit don't interfere with the plane's electronic
13:44systems and don't block the radio's frequency.
13:46You've probably heard that clicking sound a speaker makes right before your cell phone gets a call if it's right
13:52next to the speakers.
13:53These sounds are what the pilot might hear while communicating with air traffic control.
13:58Even one second of interference can cause a lot of confusion between the pilots and air traffic control who closely
14:05monitor the plane.
14:07It's not that every single cell phone is a problem.
14:10Only certain types of them are.
14:11And it's also always a combination, depending on the cell phone type, how far away it is from the cabin,
14:17and how many cell phones aren't in the airplane mode.
14:21The plane crew can't identify which exact passenger didn't turn the airplane mode on.
14:26But they can tell if many people didn't, so they'll ask you to do so repeatedly.
14:32Another requirement during takeoff and landing is to raise window blinds.
14:36No surprise, it's also done for better safety.
14:38It's to make your eyes get used to the light or the darkness outside.
14:42In case something happens during these critical stages of the flight, everyone will be able to react and evacuate more
14:49quickly, which is precious.
14:50For the very same reason, the lights are dimmed in the airplane.
14:54This way, the lighting will be the closest to the light outside of the aircraft.
14:58Another reason is that if the window blinds are open when the plane is on the ground, people outside can
15:04see exactly what's going on in the plane.
15:06For example, if there's fire or smoke, and where exactly it is.
15:11You might have known that there are always two pilots on a plane.
15:14And it's done for safety reasons.
15:16In case something happens to the first pilot, the co-pilot can take up their role.
15:20An airplane obviously has many automated systems, including the autopilot.
15:25But an aircraft is a complex system, and all of it must be monitored and regulated.
15:30The second pilot allows better planning and coordination.
15:34While the first pilot controls and adjusts the autopilot, the second one monitors the controls or communicates with the control
15:41tower.
15:41Also, there are checklists for safety standards, and pilots have to ensure they're completed at different stages of the route.
15:49So, while the captain is focused on the flight, the co-pilot can complete the checklist and make sure that
15:54everything's going according to plan.
15:57Some flights last long hours.
16:00For example, the longest flight ever was from Singapore to New York, and it lasted 17 hours and 50 minutes.
16:07Flights that last 14 or 15 hours are already pretty common.
16:11Of course, no person, even a trained pilot, can stay focused this whole time.
16:16So, long hours can impact pilots' performance.
16:19They can experience fatigue.
16:21And it's important that there's a second pilot nearby to take on.
16:25Some airlines even have three pilots flying the longest routes.
16:28There's a special cabin for a pilot to rest in while the others are controlling the airplane.
16:34But, apart from two or even three pilots on board, there's also an autopilot.
16:39Still, we need human pilots, because no autopilot, even the best one existing, can yet replace a human.
16:46An autopilot that every passenger airplane has can only manage the aircraft under certain and pretty restricted conditions.
16:54No autopilot yet can do the takeoff and landing by itself.
16:57So, it's done manually.
16:59The captain activates the autopilot after takeoff and deactivates it before landing.
17:05In case of no visibility, the pilot can land the plane using an Autoland system.
17:10The system can land the aircraft fully automatically and blindly.
17:14But it needs supervision of a pilot always.
17:17The autopilot is most needed so that the human doesn't have to hand-control the airplane during the whole flight.
17:24Like, when you drive from one city to another, you have to keep your hands on the wheel at all
17:28times.
17:29The autopilot saves you that effort, being able to keep the airplane going in the right direction.
17:34The route data of every airplane is pre-planned and uploaded to the system.
17:39The pilot can set up the needed mode, and the autopilot can control the airplane within its uploaded route, keep
17:45up the altitude, speed, and direction.
17:48The pilots, meanwhile, keep an eye on the autopilot and focus on other tasks, like navigating, planning, and communicating with
17:55air traffic control.
17:57If you've ever flown, you've probably noticed that there's a little hole in the windows.
18:02It's called a bleed hole.
18:03An airplane window has three panes of plexiglass, and there's a little gap between the outer and middle panes.
18:10The middle one has the bleed hole.
18:12It's there to regulate the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the cabin.
18:17This way, the outer pane can handle the load.
18:19If the outer pane breaks, the middle one, even though there's a hole in it, will be able to keep
18:24the window intact.
18:25Also, that hole keeps the windows from fogging up and frosting over.
18:30Whenever a plane flies by, it leaves a white trail behind it.
18:34Up there in the sky, the atmosphere has lower temperature and vapor pressure than the hot gas that is emitted
18:40by the plane's engines.
18:42The hot gas and cold atmosphere mix together and freeze, leaving a trail behind.
18:47That's the same principle as when you see the cloud of your hot breath on a cold day.
18:52You can also determine the weather outside by the looks of that trail.
18:56If it's thin and short, the weather is nice and the humidity is low.
19:00But if the trail is thick and long, it's a sign of humid air and might be a sign of
19:06an upcoming storm.
19:07Also, here's a piece of advice from a pilot.
19:10When a pilot flies as a passenger, they always pay attention to where the emergency exits are.
19:16Even more, they count the number of rows between their seat and the emergency exit.
19:21This way, in case of emergency, you'll manage to find the exit easily even if you're blinded,
19:26just by touching the seats and passing the number of rows you counted in advance.
19:31I'll see you next time.
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