20 Aviation Facts

Aviation has a long and interesting history, here’s just 20 of some random aviation facts.

1. KLM is the world’s oldest airline, established in 1919
2. Qantas is the world’s second oldest airline, established in 1920
3. In 1987 American Airlines saved $40,000 by removing 1 olive from each salad served in first class
4. An aircraft takes off or lands every 37 seconds at Chicago O’Hare’s International Airport
5. The wing-span of the A380 is longer than the aircraft itself. Wingspan is 80m, the length is 72.7m
6. Traveling by air can shed up to 1.5 litres of water from the body during an average 3 hour flight
7. Lufthansa is the world’s largest purchaser of caviar, buying over 10 tons per year
8. The Boeing 747 wing-span (195 feet) is longer than the Wright Brothers first flight of 120ft
9. The internet and on-line check-in was first introduced by Alaska Airlines in 1999
10. The winglets on an Airbus A330-200 are the same height as the world’s tallest man (2.4m)
11. Total electricity capacity of a 747-8 can power up to 480,000 32inch flat screen TVs
12. The world-wide 747 fleet has logged more than 78 billion kilometres, equivalent to 101,500 trips to the moon and back
13. The 747 family has flown more than 5.6 billion people – equivalent of 80% of the world’s population
14. 70% of aircraft today are over 70% more fuel-efficient per seat kilometre than jets in the 1960s
15. Dubai to Aukland, New Zealand on Emirates A380 is the world’s longest flight by distance
16. By American Airlines switching a pilots paper manuals to iPad they will save $1.2 million in fuel
17. The average 747 has between 240-280 kilometres of wiring
18. In the U.S.A., over two million passengers board over 30,000 flights each day
19. Pilots and co-pilots are required to eat different meals in case of food poisoning
20. About 1/3 of your taste buds are numbed while flying. Maybe that meal was not bland after all?