Flight attendant debunks four common myths about planes

A flight attendant has addressed several common misconceptions about flying and planes to help passengers understand why airlines impose certain rules, such as keeping shades open during take-off.

Brodie Capron, a flight attendant for Virgin Flights, has overheard a great amount of misinformation during her years of experience working in the field.

In a recent TikTok video, the stewardess racked up nearly half a million views by addressing some of the common myths you should ignore.

Why should the shades be open during take-off and landing?

In a viral clip, Brodie said that passengers are asked to keep their window shades open at certain times of the flight as a safety measure.

The Australian stewardess explained that can help light guide passengers outside of the aircraft in case of an emergency during landing or take-off.

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It’s equally important for people inside the plane to keep an eye on the aircraft’s engine during flight, explained Brodie, in case there’s an issue.

“It’s so that everyone can see the engines and warn the cabin crew if something is wrong,” she explained.

What happens to the waste in toilets?

Elsewhere in the clip, Brodie addressed a common preoccupation for passengers; what actually happens when you flush on an airplane toilet?

There is a misconception among passengers that bodily fluids get released into the sky during the flight, when in fact it gets deposited into a tank instead.

Brodie confirmed that all the waste that enters the vacuum flush system is led into a sewage tank which gets “emptied upon landing”.

Getting drunk more quickly on airplanes?

Many find their alcohol tolerance plummets when their start drinking mid-air, mainly because the barometric pressure of a plane is lower than normal.

With low pressure, the body finds it harder to absorb oxygen, which means light-headedness or hypoxia are more likely.

“Yes, you get drunk more quickly on airplanes”, Brodie explained. “This happens because the low oxygen percentage in the air causes the effects of alcohol to be greater.”

Responding to the content creator, one viewer wrote in the comment section: “She’s definitely not wrong about alcohol – I have one glass of wine and can’t walk off the plane.”

Can the doors of the plane be opened mid-flight?

Once an aircraft is airborne, its door cannot be opened because the cabin becomes pressurized, which causes the door to become jam shut.

“The doors cannot be opened mid-flight unless you have superhuman strength,” explained Brodie, meaning a pilot would be unable to open the door of an aircraft mid-flight even if they tried.