As of 2021, the world's oldest airworthy aircraft is a Blériot XI from 1909. It's registered in the UK as G-AANG by the Shuttleworth Collection and still flies regularly. The first plane of this type was used in the first aerial crossing of the English Channel in 1909 by aviation pioneer Louis Blériot. ¹⁾.

The Stratofortress is a long-range, jet-powered strategic bomber designed just after the Second World War as a nuclear weapons carrier and produced in the years 1952–1962. The B-52, called BUFF (Big Ugly Fat F***), is able to carry 70,000 pounds of weapons for 8,800 miles (without aerial refueling), and was used in almost all significant conflicts since the 1950s. Thanks to continuous modifications and a versatile design, the B-52 is still in active service with the USAF and is planned to serve into the 2050s, which would make over 100 years of active military service. ²⁾

Aircraft have the same navigation lights as water vessels, from small fishing boats to large container ships. There is a red light on the left wing (portside on a ship) and a green light (starboard) on the right wing. Its function is to signal the direction of the aircraft's flight. ³⁾

The first regular passenger aircraft made its maiden flight on New Year's Day 1914. The route included a 34-mile flight over Tampa Bay, Florida, and the first passenger aboard the hydroplane was St. Petersburg Mayor Abram C. Pheil. ⁴⁾

On 7th February 1996 a masterpiece of engineering, the supersonic Concorde aircraft set a record flying time between London and New York City of 2 hours 52 minutes and 59 seconds. ⁵⁾

South Korea's Seoul-Jeju air corridor is the busiest airplane flight route in the world. In 2018, there were 250 daily scheduled flights on this 449-kilometer route, carrying more than 14 million passengers a year. The route was so popular that each new plane departed every 15 minutes. ⁶⁾

The Antonov AN-225 cargo plane was the largest aircraft in the world. It was almost as big as a soccer field. It was originally built to transport a spacecraft. ⁷⁾

About 1 in 5 people have some form of fear of flying or “aviophobia.” ⁸⁾

The pressurized air in the cabin is kept below 20% humidity - about the average humidity of the Sahara desert. ⁹⁾

English is the international language of aviation. All flight controllers and all commercial pilots who fly internationally must speak English. ¹⁰⁾

The difference in air pressure and the low humidity in the airplane cabin make it difficult for the taste buds to register sweet and salty tastes. As a result, food tastes different during a flight. ¹¹⁾

The risk of dying in a plane crash for the average American is 1 in 11 million. The risk of dying in a car accident is 1 in 5,000. ¹²⁾

Most aircraft windows consist of three panels of acrylic. In the unlikely event that something happens to the outer pane, the second pane acts as a safety option. A small opening in the inner window is used to regulate air pressure, keeping the center pane intact. ¹³⁾

Stream plumes (white trails) are composed of water vapor and can be used to predict weather. A thin, shorter tail indicates low humidity and good weather. A thick, long-lasting tail indicates early signs of a storm. ¹⁴⁾

Studies show that the first 3 minutes after takeoff and the last 8 minutes before landing are when 80% of aviation accidents occur. ¹⁵⁾

The Wright brothers invented and flew the first airplane. The first flight took place on December 17, 1903, on a beach south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. ¹⁶⁾

The aircraft doors cannot open during flight. The pressure inside the plane ranges from 4 to 14 PSI, which means it is unlikely that the door could be opened. ¹⁷⁾