26. Eleven Airplane Safety Features We Never Knew Existed

It’s a truth that frequent flyers hear time and again and probably take for granted, but your airplane ride might just be the safest part of your day.

Last year was the safest year ever for commercial aviation, Aviation Safety Network data shows, and the average yearly number of aviation fatalities has been falling steadily since 1997. It’s all thanks to the continuing safety-driven efforts by international aviation organisations, and the evolving technology and design of modern aircraft.

Since the dawning of commercial airliners, more than 50 years ago, more than one billion flight hours have been wracked up. This accumulation of experience and information have given airlines, designers and manufacturers the insight needed to make constant improvements to the design of aircraft.

Every detail of your plane, from the cockpit and wings to cushion covers and floor plan, has been carefully considered with safety in mind. Even if you fly all the time, you may be surprised by just how many safety features are hidden in plain sight, and the little details you never even knew existed.

The next time you board a flight, you may want to pay closer attention. Here are the hidden safety features that can not only make your journey more comfortable, but might make all the difference in the unlikely event of an emergency situation.

1.This is why airplanes still have ashtrays.

Smoking is banned on aircraft, so why do they still have ashtrays? Despite the rules, ashtrays in bathrooms are a legal requirement by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), according to Time. This is because, despite of all the warnings, people might still try and get away with a crafty smoke in the loos, and if they do, there needs to be somewhere safe to stub out their cigarette - a lavatory’s waste bin contains flammable material, so you can rule that out.

The regulation is taken so seriously that a Mexico-bound British Airways flight was grounded in 2009 after it was discovered not to have any ashtrays on board.

2.We never knew a secret bedroom onboard

When they're not at the beck and call of demanding passengers, have you ever wondered where the crew go to catch a break?

Most long-haul aircraft are designed with crew compartments, which is a little somewhere for attendants to grab a nap and have a breather. Pilots, however, go one better and have a secret bedroom.

Typically located behind the cockpit and above first class, these small rest cabins usually contain a bed, reclining seats and, if they’re lucky, a bathroom and TV, according to The Independent.

3.The escape plan marking system

In the unlikely event of a fire, things inside the cabin can get pretty smokey and fast. After several onboard fires resulted in huge amounts of thick smoke, aircraft started installing a FPEEPMS, or Floor Proximity Emergency Escape Path Marking System, to you and us.

These markings, which are on the floor or at near-floor level, use photoluminescent elements, which can be seen in poor visibility. This makes it possible for passengers to read the exit signs while remaining down on their hands and knees to avoid smoke inhalation.

4.There are hand cuffs

They might be cable-ties or they might be of the heavy duty, stainless steel variety, but you can bet there is some kind of device for passenger restraint on board your plane.

A number of conventions - including the Tokyo Convention (1963) and the Montreal Convention (1971) - outline the rules and regulations concerning discipline on board of an aircraft, according to the BBC. Under these agreements, it’s up to a plane's captain to decide whether a passenger needs to be restrained. Cabin crew is also permitted to request help from passengers to detain an individual, should they need it.

5.That tiny hole in the window

If you’ve ever sat in a window seat, you’ll likely have noticed a tiny hole in the bottom of the window, and yes, it’s supposed to be there. Known as a bleed hole, these tiny features act as a sort of safety valve.

According to Mark Vanhoenacker, a British Airways pilot who reports about aviation, the pressure inside an aircraft during flight is much greater than the pressure outside. Windows are triple-glazed and the outer two cabin windows are designed to contain this difference in pressure, but it’s the outer pane that bears most of this pressure, thanks to the breather hole.

6.A secret latch to open the lavatory from outside

So, here’s the bad news: Your lavatory is never really locked. On the outside door of an airplane loo is a little metal plate saying “lavatory.” It’s not just aesthetic, because flip that plate and you’ll find a secret latch underneath that can be used to lock/unlock doors from the outside.

According to The Express, some airlines use this to lock washrooms during take-off and landing to stop people going in. It’s also a safety mechanism to prevent someone from locking themselves away, giving flight crew emergency access if needed.

7.Check out the yellow hooks on the wings

If you’re the lucky passenger in “William Shatner’s Seat” (see the first entry on our list), you’ll have a good view of these bright yellow little features.

In event of a landing on water, these little hooks, which are located about a third of the way to the tip of the wing, may prove to be very useful, according to Reader's Digest. When emergency exits are opened and the inflatable slide is rolled out, a rope is attached to the hooks, which gives passengers something to grasp as they evacuate, should the wings be slippery.

8.A camera in the cockpit

Despite some pilots objecting, citing privacy laws, several airlines have rolled out cockpit surveillance, which records everything that goes down on a plane’s flight deck.

Air-safety watchdogs have been advocating the use of cockpit video cameras for several years, despite fierce opposition from pilots, who argue that it will interfere with the decision-making process.

The argument in favour is that the camera footage supplements black-box voice and flight-data recorders - which pilots also opposed when they were first mandated. So far, the FAA has refused to make them compulsory, saying the evidence wasn’t compelling enough to do so.

9.The little black triangle

Airplane windows are a useful safety feature in themselves, allowing crew to check mid-flight for ice or other potential problems that the wings might have.

The Shatner reference comes from an episode of the 60’s sci-fi show Twilight Zone called Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, in which the actor features. From his airplane seat, his character sees a gremlin on the wing, which is not a problem most flights have to contend with in the real world.

10.Onboard gas masks

If there’s a fire onboard, cabin crew are the first line of defence - it’s their job to try putting out the blaze. This is why the plane carries gas masks, and why they are for flight attendants only. Another, reason flight crew are issued with gas masks is because they are portable. Passenger oxygen masks are restrictive, but a gas mask allows crew to move up and down the plane to deal with any potential problems. It’s a practical thing.

11.Can you spot the undercover sky marshal

How closely do you watch other passengers during a flight? Could the woman sat next to you be an undercover sky marshal, hiding in plain sight? You better hope you never find out - because if you do, things have just got ugly.

Sky marshals are mysterious agents of the skies, tasked with handling dangerous situations aboard commercial flights. And, if he or she is doing their job properly, you’ll never even know they’re there. A sky marshal will only act in case of a suspected act of terrorism or other serious threat, and though they do carry weapons, they’ll only be used in extreme situations.