Webkinz Insider

Webberlily · 12-06-2010, 11:49 PM

Have you ever flown in an airplane? Or wished that you did? Have you ever day-dreamed as you watch the planes in the sky overhead, leaving their contrails across the sky? If so, this day is for you. On Dec 7, we celebrate Civil Aviation Day. Civil Aviation is the air transport of civilians, either for leisure or business, as opposed to Military Aviation which is the country’s air force (in itself, quite a large and interesting subject too).

How did it start? Until the end of the second world war, flying had been reserved for a privileged few; but as planes improved, it became evident that flying would soon be available for the masses. On Dec 7, 1944, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) was created to promote safe and efficient air transport for the civilian population. In 1996, the United Nations passed a resolution officially recognising Dec 7 as International Civil Aviation Day.

Here are some fun facts about flying:

Which is safer? The car drive from your home to the airport, or the flight, thousands of feet in the air? Amazingly, the flight! Flying thousands of feet in the air, is safer than the car ride.

An average of 61,000 people are airborne over the U.S. at any given hour.

If everyone in an airplane jumped up at the same time, would the plane get light or heavier for that second? Did you say “Lighter”? Actually because of Newton’s Law (To every action there is an equal but opposite reaction), the plane would be a tiny bit heavier while everyone is jumping up.

The body of an airplane is called the fuselage.

Flight data recorders in airplanes, are called “black boxes”, but actually they are bright orange.

Have you ever made a paper airplane? Do you know that the longest paper airplane flight is only 27.6 seconds?

Celebrate today by making a paper airplane, and try to beat that longest flight record.