The safest transport. What type of transport is the most dangerous for health?

The plane is the most dangerous look transport on Earth, even cars and trains are significantly inferior in safety to airplanes. Despite this, with each new disaster there are more and more aerophobes. Many people in the world are afraid of airplanes, mistakenly believing that other modes of transport are much safer. Is it true that there is a high chance of an accident? And can an airplane be called the safest mode of transport? We need to figure it out.

Statistics and odds

To determine which aircraft is the most safe look transport, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the statistics. On average, seventeen disasters are officially registered per year. It is important to understand that these sad events occurred not only in Russia, but throughout the world. Over a hundred years of existence civil aviation One hundred thousand people became victims of plane crashes during flights. That's less than the rate of car accidents per year.

It is worth noting: there are no fewer crashes on cargo flights than there are on passenger flights, which is another argument in favor of choosing an airplane. The chance of falling is so small that a person is more likely to die from a lightning strike than from a plane crash. Statistical analysis led to the conclusion that public opinion regarding transport safety is based on fears and superstitions.

Flight safety

It is worth mentioning the positive qualities of flying. This is the fastest mode of transport. We can also say that the safest mode of transport is an airplane. To agree with this statement, all flight histories must be studied. As you can see, the list of plane crashes is small.

Engine failure

Flying is the safest form of travel. This has been proven for centuries since the beginning of aviation. The plane flies thanks to its wings; during landing, takeoff and flight, its movements are controlled by engines. But what happens if they refuse?

If one engine fails, the passenger will not feel it because the plane can be controlled by the second engine. And even if both break down, the plane will not fall down at a right angle, but will glide in the air for about two hundred kilometers indefinitely.

Turbulence

It is not often that you meet a person who has not encountered turbulence while flying. Everyone describes it as pitching. What is it? Turbulence is when, when liquids or gases accelerate in the external environment, vortices are formed that irritate the external environment.

Many passengers wonder: can turbulence cause a tragedy? This can't happen. The plane is designed in such a way that in order for it to fall due to turbulence, a force is needed that can only be found in the atmosphere of the planet Jupiter.

Pilots try to fly around the turbulence zone, and airplanes can endure incredible shaking, so in terrestrial conditions the chance of falling from turbulence tends to zero. Only once in the history of mankind has an airplane crashed due to turbulence, when the pilot decided to fly over a volcano. Therefore, turbulence is only a comfort issue, not a safety issue.

Flying in bad weather

Pilots are well versed in weather conditions. A certain time before departure, they look at the forecast for the route to avoid getting caught in a storm. If the weather forecast does not comply with safety regulations, the flight is canceled or rescheduled to another day. Before starting their career, pilots undergo many tests on simulators, learning to act decisively and calmly in any situation.

How much does wind shear affect flight?

Wind shear is a sudden change in air movement and/or speed over a short distance in the atmosphere. This is an important factor influencing aircraft during takeoff and landing. It applies not only to airplanes, but also to other types of aircraft.

Wind shear occurs in the lowest layers of the atmosphere (up to one hundred meters in height). Modern aircraft have more mass, which makes them more inert. High inertia does not allow the aircraft to quickly change its speed. Keeping an airplane at this speed while flying through different wind levels results in a change in speed in the air. Because of this, the plane follows a trajectory lower than expected, making the landing dangerous.

What's really dangerous?

Icing is when the outside of an airplane becomes covered in ice. Occurs when flying in the sky with supercooled drops of water. This is very dangerous, since icing worsens the controllability of the aircraft and makes it heavier. The result could be an accident or even a plane crash. Even at the airport, the plane can become icy at sub-zero temperatures. Before the flight, the ship is treated with a special liquid that stops the formation of ice. They douse every external part of the aircraft, from the wings to the stabilizer. In the atmosphere, icing is unlikely, but possible.

Causes

There are three main causes of plane crashes:

Staff error.
Technical difficulites.
Act of terrorism.

Let's consider each of them separately.

Personnel error

It must be understood that personnel error means not only the wrong step of the pilots during the flight, but also the unprofessional work of maintenance and operation specialists, technicians, dispatchers, and operators. After all, it is impossible to predict human actions, and flight is a complex sequence of technical processes that requires strict control.

Most plane crashes are caused by human factor, official statistics speak about this. However, technology is moving forward rapidly. Every year, aviation engineers develop new automatic systems and design new generations of aircraft, which reduces the role of humans in flight to a minimum.

Technical difficulites

Bad and cheap equipment can easily fail at any inconvenient moment, but even high-quality automation fails. Equipment failure is a common cause of plane crashes; about a third of crashes occur precisely because of this.

The main causes of operational problems are malfunctions of the on-board computer and navigation systems. It is very difficult to find out the exact cause of these breakdowns. Taking this into account, airlines are purchasing new and safe planes, abandoning outdated models.

Act of terrorism

Since the middle of the last century Act of terrorism have become a major problem affecting flight safety. Most often, terrorists hijack a ship or plant explosives on an airplane. Such disasters, unfortunately, take many lives.

Is it dangerous to fly on airplanes? As you can see, the statistics of falls are low, and their causes are rare situations from which no one on earth is immune.

Comparative characteristics of modes of transport in terms of safety.

When choosing transport, many passengers are guided by their own preferences. Moreover, every second person is mistaken about the relative safety of a particular type of transport. Many people focus on safety when choosing transport. At the same time, there is an opinion that the safest is the train. In this article we will dispel all myths regarding the safety of movement.

The most unsafe and dangerous mode of transport in the world: statistics

Oddly enough, the most dangerous type of transport can be considered a motorcycle. In total, 42 people die per 100 ml miles. This great amount, since there are several thousand people per year.

In second place are cars, minibuses and buses. You yourself often witness car accidents. 1.2 people die in car accidents per year. Just think about these numbers.

The rating does not take into account unusual types of transport. That is, there are no dog sleds or spaceships. Otherwise, a spaceship could be considered the safest. But since no one makes intergalactic daily flights yet, statistics speak in favor of the plane.

Many people believe that the plane is the most unsafe form of transport, and this is completely wrong. It is customary in the world to calculate the risk of displacement as the number of victims per 100 million miles. As a result, it turns out that the death rate from the plane is only 0.6 people. In 2016, there were 21 plane crashes, with the total number of deaths amounting to about a thousand people. You will think that this is a lot. But in fact, more cyclists die each year around the world.

Despite the misconception of many, the airplane comes first among safe transport. The mortality rate is very low. Perhaps this is due to the higher speed than the train. Accordingly, it turns out that an airplane flies these 160 kilometers faster than a train. Therefore, the mortality statistics are lower. In principle, mortality directly depends on the speed of transport. On average, per 100 ml of miles, 0.9 people die when traveling by train, and only 0.6 on an airplane. That is, the mortality rate on trains is one and a half times higher than the mortality rate on airplanes.

Nowadays, many people have a lot of phobias about traveling on airplanes. This is due to the fact that colossal accidents occur almost every year, which are discussed in all the media. But this does not mean that flying on airplanes is very dangerous. In fact, many more people die from car accidents. The most interesting thing is that most people believe that there are no survivors after a plane crash. Actually this is not true. A third of all passengers die. While in a car accident half.

Statistics from insurance companies also speak in favor of the aircraft. In case of a car accident the payments are small, but in case of a plane accident they are simply huge. Therefore, we can agree that no one would pay huge amounts of money if plane crashes happened very often.

According to statistical estimates, which were based on the number of victims in plane crashes, aviation was the safest mode of transport. The second and third places belong to water and railway transport, respectively.

The most interesting thing is that passengers, on the contrary, consider the plane the most dangerous form of transport. This is due to the fact that the media publicize any plane crash. At the same time, few people talk about train accidents. If you resort to statistics, when traveling by plane every day, the probability of death is very low. If you use air transport every day, you could get into a plane crash in the 21st century.

There are certain statistics on the most reliable modes of transport. Insurance companies also confirm this. The most money is given when insuring water and air transport.

Security Statistics:

Airplane
Train
Bus
Automobile
Minibus taxi
Ship
Metro
Bike
Motorbike

According to statistics, you can safely use air transport, it is truly the most reliable.

As you can see, people's opinions and statistics are completely different. Many people are afraid of an airplane, although in fact this type of transport is the safest.

VIDEO: Safe mode of transport

Calculate, what type of transport is the safest, not so simple. To build a beautiful and visual graph, at least two indicators are required - the number of dead or injured, as well as the number of people who use this type of transport. For air, rail and water transport, this data is not difficult to find, because thanks to tickets, every person is taken into account. But there are problems with automobile transport. It is not possible to track the movements of the average Russian from work, to work and to the store - no one registers at the doorstep of their home.

Our transport safety rating according to statistics for 2018 was compiled using various sources - from data from the National Union of Insurers, which keeps statistics of registered insurance cases from 2012 to the present, to data on transport accidents on the Rosstat website.

> 200 deaths per 1.6 billion km

Although the number of accidents involving motorcyclists has decreased by more than 70% since 2005, the motorcycle is still one of the most dangerous forms of transport. According to statistics, it turns out that every 1.6 billion km of travel is paid for with the lives of more than two hundred drivers and their passengers.

A motorcycle, like another two-wheeled vehicle - a bicycle - is characterized by increased vulnerability, so accidents involving motorcyclists are highly likely to end sadly. The reason is non-compliance with the rules traffic, and, surprisingly, the fundamental refusal of some drivers to use a helmet.

5.75 people per 1.6 billion km

In second place in terms of the number of road accidents are personal cars. In just 1.6 billion km of travel, at least 5.75 people die.

The reasons include the reluctance of drivers to comply with traffic rules, the condition of the road surface, the increased wear and tear of the vehicle fleet due to the crisis and the deterioration of the purchasing power of the population. And also (due to the increase in the average age of life) and the aging of drivers. All these factors together serve as a guarantee that road transport in Russia will not be safe for a long time.

9.4 deaths per 1 million passengers

Among air transport, the greatest danger to human life is not international transportation, but intercity transportation. Especially if a person in a helicopter is forced to go to those lands where even the notorious Makar prefers not to send his calves. Perhaps this is what explains such a high number of casualties among helicopter passengers. For every 1 million people, at least 9.4 are injured. you will have to fall with high altitude, and, with a high degree of probability, the injuries will be incompatible with life.

5 deaths per 1.5 billion km

Minibus taxis cannot be called the safest type of transport in Russia. According to statistics, every 1.5 billion km of route traveled by a minibus is paid for by five human lives. Among the reasons can be cited both the work of drivers for wear and tear, and design flaws of minibuses, the condition of the roads, unwillingness to comply with traffic rules and drunk driving.

2.84 victims per 1 million transported

There were several major incidents involving intercity buses in 2018, including a tragic incident in Voronezh region when two buses collided, five people died and 17 were injured. In general, according to statistics, intercity and international buses are not very safe - for every million passengers transported, at least 2.84 are injured or killed in accidents. In total for 2018, trips to intercity buses brought death to more than 600 passengers, and injured more than 13 thousand people.

2.3 accidents per 1 million passengers

This category includes both international ships and domestic river carriers. In total for 2018 during sea and river travel There were 62 incidents that ended tragically for five people. In general, according to NSS statistics, for every million passengers transported, there are 2.3 accidents.

Passengers on sea and river boats Not only the water element threatens, but also the fire element. One of the common causes of transport accidents is a sudden fire on board a ship, usually caused by faulty electrical wiring. This is not surprising, given that Russia's domestic fleet is in poor condition, with almost a third of the vessels celebrating 40 years of service.

Chance of dying: 1:11,000,000

Most safe transport in the world, but in Russia it is not possible to obtain accurate statistics on the number of accidents per number of passengers. Data from the National Society of Insurers, which we relied on when assessing the danger of other modes of transport, are not available for them. The reason is the peculiarities of the insurance system in Russia; Most air transport companies transport their passengers not only within the country, but also abroad. Therefore, they use international insurance policies.

This is why an airplane is the safest mode of transport: according to statistics, The chances of dying in an accident on board an airplane are 1 in 11 million. For comparison, the chances of being struck by lightning while walking in a thunderstorm are 16 times higher!

0.17 accidents per 1 million passengers

This category includes both intercity and international trains, as well as ordinary commuter trains. In general, for 2018 the statistics for Russian Railways look excellent - for almost the entire year, from January to November, only seven incidents were recorded. Unfortunately, there were deaths - one person died. In general, there are no more than 0.17 accidents per 1 million passengers.

More and more people prefer to use one of the safest modes of transport, and this cannot be explained by price alone. Indeed, for some destinations the cost of plane and train tickets is almost equal. According to the Russian Railways website, for 2018 on trains long distance Almost 8% more passengers were transported than last year. And the increase in the number of passengers on electric trains amounted to almost 3%.

0.09 cases per million transported

The trolleybus is in second place in terms of safety among modes of transport in Russia. According to NSS statistics, for every million passengers transported there are only 0.09 accidents. Most of them are banal “stumbled and fell.”

The reasons for the low trauma rate of a trolleybus are very simple - its volume and weight, as well as its low speed. In a collision, for example, with a passenger car, the car will suffer much worse. And the trolleybus passengers will get away with minor bruises.

0.04 victims out of 1,000,000 people

The safest transport according to statistics for 2018 in terms of the ratio of the number of accidents to the number of passengers. In total, out of one million people arriving from point A to point B, no more than 0.04 people are injured. In addition to safety, the tram has many advantages:

it moves more smoothly than a car or even a trolleybus;
less noisy;
completely autonomous from traffic jams (unless, of course, motorists try to drive along the tracks);
Of all urban transport, it causes the least harm to the environment.

Unfortunately, trams are gradually disappearing from small towns in Russia. The reason is the limited local budget, which simply cannot support a separate line. In just the past twenty years, the number of trams has decreased by more than 35%. Does this mean that the safest form of transport will gradually disappear from the urban landscape?

Many people believe that the most dangerous form of transport- This is a minibus. VTsIOM conducted a study according to which Russians consider planes, trains, buses and subways much safer than cars and minibuses. The maritime and river transport. Let's try to find out what the most dangerous type of transport threatens people with.

Motor transport

Cars have long been considered very dangerous to human health and life. Unpredictable roads and manual control of vehicles are factors that create great danger for road users. Self-confident car owners have the feeling that they are in control of the situation on the road. But this is just an illusion.

It often happens that accidents occur for reasons beyond the control of drivers. Mistakes are made by other road users. technical issues cars, foreign objects on the road are also dangerous factors. While you are reading this article (3 minutes), there has been at least one road accident in the country. In states where aggressive driving is considered the norm, the situation on the road is much worse.

The most dangerous type of transport- automobile, as many experts believe. The danger threatens not only the specific driver, but also all other road users. On Russian roads About 35 thousand people die every year in car accidents.

Motorcycles and bicycles

Even more dire are the situations involving two-wheeled vehicles in the form of motorcycles, unicycles and scooters. Driving in this case requires specific skills. It is no less dangerous to ride a bicycle on the roads. Inexperienced cyclists ride without a helmet, which increases the risk of injury. The dangers of cycling as a mode of transport are often underestimated.

In reality, cycling enthusiasts often become involved in road accidents because they forget about the safety requirements highways. This is especially true for extreme skiing. In the USA, there are statistics reflecting the death of cyclists in the country: 700-900 people per year.

Aircraft

Air transport is considered less dangerous than road transport. However, airliner crashes always attract more attention than road accidents. Mourning is declared for those killed in plane crashes, since this happens simultaneously and immediately goes to the funds mass media. But what society fails to realize is that, statistically, many more people die in car accidents. Therefore, the plane cannot be called the most dangerous type of transport.

Among air transport, private planes pose the main danger to human life. The quality of their management and service is questionable. Such aircraft are not very reliable technically and are more dependent on the weather than airliners of carrier companies. Flights are dangerous in themselves, no one argues with that. However, the media exaggerate the degree of danger of aircraft. It is much safer to fly a significant distance than to cover the same number of kilometers by car.

It happens that planes crash, but this happens extremely rarely. In this case, all passengers die. The mortality rate in air transport is 0.6 people/160 million km. What are the risks for passengers when flying? The chance of crashing is one in a million flights. If we consider the risks, then it is worth noting that walking is also dangerous. A person who chooses his legs as the optimal mode of transport also takes risks: he can get sick, lose his way, trip, break his leg, become a victim of robbery, etc.

Some people are afraid of flying because they cannot control the situation during the flight. While driving a car, this problem does not arise. That's why ground transport It is often mistakenly considered safer, although many people die on the roads.

Public ground transportation

If we consider public transport, buses are the most common. They are convenient, versatile and easy to use. Modern buses handle any asphalt roads well. Disadvantages of this type of transport: frequent stops, low speed, environmental air pollution when driving, etc.

Among public transport The minibus taxi stands out in particular. This is the most dangerous form of transport today. Minibuses and minibuses move chaotically, blocking stops and ignoring traffic rules. Trying to save time, drivers forget about the safety of passengers. During rush hours people in minibus taxis ride standing. All this leads to the fact that minibuses become the initiators of accidents more often than other cars. The consequences of such accidents are very severe.

How dangerous are trains and ships?

A train moves much slower than an airplane. Therefore, it is considered more dangerous. There are many risk factors here: derailment, stop valve, sudden obstacle at a crossing, etc. The mortality rate on the railway is 0.9 people/160 million km.

The most dangerous mode of transport can be considered aquatic. Accidents, accidental collisions, storms, falls from the deck - these are common occurrences on the water. Mortality per water transport equal to 1.2 people/160 million km. Many people prefer to travel by train because they feel safer there. However, statistics show that accidents occur more often on the railway than in airspace. Therefore, if we compare railway, water and air transport, then the safest will be the latter.

We assessed the degree of danger of the most popular types transport. It turns out that the most dangerous type of transport is cars.

The author of this phrase is Dmitry Kuznetsov - captain and pilot Airbus aircraft A320 of Rossiya Airlines. He is ready to talk for hours and with great pleasure about the fact that the plane is a very safe form of transport. And he did it in an interesting and convincing way. Did you know, friends, that every system on an airplane is duplicated several times? This means that if one fails, the other will perform the functions of the non-working one. And that the plane is capable of taking off and landing even with one of the two engines under the wings completely out of order? And that the plane undergoes such a meticulous inspection before flight that even small chips and dents on the outer body of the aircraft are noted?

All this, and much more, was learned by a knowledge-hungry company of bloggers as part of the #pulkovotour, organized by the press service of Pulkovo Airport. That day we inspected the plane, saw the technical base, met the rescuers and saw new terminal airport from the inside. This post is about inspecting an aircraft using an exampleAirbus A320.

We were all taken through one of the airport checkpoints, dressed in vests with the inscription PRESS and taken to the plane.
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Here he is, a handsome man, he doesn’t fit entirely into the lens :)
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We walked around the plane on all sides. Dmitry is on the right, wearing a cap and a badge.
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From him (and others) we learned that there are two types of aircraft maintenance: operational and technical. Operational maintenance is carried out every time before a flight and can last no more than 50 minutes according to the standard. The captain of the ship is obliged to accept the ship in good condition and he is directly involved in maintenance. Do you see the round stickers with numbers on the plane's body? This is how non-critical metal deformations are marked. One of the captain's tasks is to first walk around the entire plane from the outside and note all new dents in order to mark them with new stickers. During the inspection, it may appear that the captain is stroking the aircraft and talking to it. But it is true, this is a kind of tradition adopted from the older generation of captains.
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One of the aircraft engines. Each blade is marked with a number in order. During operational maintenance, the blades are inspected for dents from stones and birds.
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By the way, about birds. Contrary to popular belief about the danger of birds getting into aircraft engines, in this case nothing will happen to the engine and the flight will proceed as usual. But you definitely won’t envy the bird; the engine blades (sorry for the gory details) will grind the bird into minced meat. Moreover, Dmitry said that aircraft engines are tested at special testing grounds, firing at the working engine... with bird carcasses. Passenger safety really requires bird victims.
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Engine on the side. This is a very complex, powerful and reliable device. And it’s beautiful, as you can see :) You can’t be near a running engine, it’ll suck you in! The minimum safe distance is 6.5 meters. The most serious test for an engine is takeoff mode, when the aircraft begins its takeoff run and lifts off the runway. In this mode, the engines operate at maximum (or close to maximum) power. According to the regulations, pilots are supposed to turn on this mode for no more than 5 minutes. Otherwise, the engine is subjected to increased loads and the likelihood of its failure increases sharply.
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Several similar technological holes and hatches can be seen on the aircraft body. Each of them performs its own function. For example, this one, if I’m not mistaken, serves to intake air for the aircraft’s ventilation system.
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“Antennas” at the ends of the wings serve to remove static electricity from the aircraft body. To the right is one of the strobes that allows you to spot the plane in the night sky. Airbuses, unlike Boeings, light up twice in a row with a pause. Boeing's strobes blink in uniform flashes, a little more than once per second.
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Then we moved inside to the aircraft cabin. When will you be able to sit in a business class seat again? :) In the cabin we had the opportunity to ask questions to Ivan Nikitin, the PIC of the Boeing-767 aircraft (unfortunately, he was not included in the shot). I remember there was a question about the most difficult airport for takeoff and landing. He mentioned Innsbruck airport; landing a plane there is complicated by the local terrain; you have to go around the mountains. Well, he talked a little about the global differences in aircraft produced by Boeing and Airbus.
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For our sake, Dmitry launched the APU (auxiliary power point) airplane. It serves to supply electricity to aircraft instruments and other consumers, such as lighting and air ventilation. Those who flew on the plane as ordinary passengers heard the work of the APU when they boarded.
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So the cockpit began to look more elegant. To the right of the seat is the handwheel for manual flight direction control (right?)
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Handles and buttons above the head. There are an unimaginable number of them here. I asked the captain, what percentage of the total number of control elements in the cockpit is actually used in normal situations? This greatly puzzled Dmitry, who began to calculate something in his mind. Unfortunately, I did not have time to receive an answer, time was running out.
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Dmitry turns off the instruments and the APU.
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And this is a shot from the tail of the plane. There are refrigerators, water containers, heaters, in general, equipment that is used by stewards and flight attendants.
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Business class seats
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Empty salon
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Returning to the issue of aircraft safety as vehicle: according to International Association air transport, in 2012 there were 29,600,000 flights of aircraft from Western manufacturers (Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, Bombardier) and only 6 plane crashes, none in Europe. These figures really show that the plane is the safest form of transport. And the most dangerous thing is the car. This makes being afraid of flying seem a little silly. It is much more likely to die from an accident on the roads than in the sky on an airplane.
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An airBaltic plane is landing. By the way, here's another one interesting fact which I learned that day. It turns out that the best thing to do is to land the plane roughly so that the plane's landing gear hits the runway hard. This is done so that the aircraft gets good grip on the road as soon as possible. Moreover, the more slippery the surface (for example, after rain), the rougher the plane must be landed. Therefore, the planes of almost all foreign companies land roughly, this is indicated in the flight rules and regulations. But in Russia, following the old, Soviet school of pilots, it is customary to land the plane easily. And this is fraught with loss of traction and the plane rolling off the runway. This type of planting is actively being fought and is gradually being replaced. So think twice before applauding the pilots who landed the plane easily and delicately :)
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And finally, one more interesting fact. The rougher the plane lands, the greater the tire consumption. Have you seen black marks on those places on the runway where planes land? This is rubber from aircraft tires that remains on the surface immediately after the aircraft touches the ground. So, a Boeing 747-400 aircraft leaves about 2.5 kilograms of rubber on the runway after just one landing!
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Thanks to the captains aircraft Rossiya Airlines for a very interesting story about everything related to airplanes. It was noticeable that they sincerely love their work, airplanes, and the sky. And they managed to pass on some of this love to us. It’s a pity that there was little time for communication, and many interesting questions came to mind only after meeting with them.

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