That Mysterious ‘Ding’ on Planes Is Not What You Think

Bright Side

Ever wondered what that mysterious "ding" sound is when you're flying? It’s not as spooky as you might think — it’s actually a signal from the plane’s cabin crew or the cockpit, often alerting passengers to seatbelt signs or other important updates. But there’s a lot more cool stuff about planes you might not know! For example, did you know that modern jets can fly for hours without needing to refuel? Also, airplanes are built with amazing technology to prevent lightning strikes from causing any harm. And here’s a fun fact: pilots actually get to fly through the same airspace as UFOs — some sightings are just high-speed military planes! So next time you hear that ding, just remember, it's probably nothing but a sign of a safe flight.  Credit: fuuncs / Reddit Glasto2023: By Raph_PH - https://flic.kr/p/2oLfEq5, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=145271161 Animation is created by Bright Side.  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/   Check our Bright Side podcast on Spotify and leave a positive review! https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV   Subscribe to Bright Side: https://goo.gl/rQTJZz ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brightside Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightside.official TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brightside.official?lang=en Telegram: https://t.me/bright_side_official   Stock materials (photos, footages and other): https://www.depositphotos.com https://www.shutterstock.com https://www.eastnews.ru ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.

Transcript

00:00You're all set in your plane seat when suddenly you hear that mysterious ding sound that freaks

00:05you out.

00:06And then comes another ding.

00:09Is the plane's engine on fire?

00:11Maybe it's a sign to grab a parachute and jump off the plane.

00:15The chime does have its secret meaning, and it's different depending on when you hear

00:19it.

00:21The first single ding you hear is when the plane is being taxied out.

00:25Soon after, the pilot announces that flight attendants should prepare for departure and

00:30makes the second ding.

00:32They're ready to go onto the runway.

00:34The third solo ding sounds when the plane passes the 10,000 feet mark.

00:39It tells the crew it's safe to get up and begin service.

00:43The fourth and final ding you'll hear during the flight means the plane is descending.

00:48The pilot turns it on to inform the flight attendants they've passed the 10,000 feet

00:53mark.

00:54They know they've got only several minutes to clean up and secure the service trolleys

00:57for landing.

01:00Different airlines might use different amounts of chimes that change their meaning.

01:03You can hear a single chime when a passenger calls for service, and when the cabin crew

01:08are calling one another.

01:10Three chimes come before an important message from the pilot.

01:14The engines on a plane change their sound not because of some terrible malfunction,

01:19but to make less noise for people on the ground.

01:23After the plane takes off and reaches about 1,500 feet in the air, the pilot makes the

01:28engines quieter to save fuel and follow rules that help reduce the noise.

01:33When the plane is higher up and far away from places where noise might be a problem, the

01:38pilots make the engines louder again.

01:40This helps the plane use less fuel and helps the engines last longer.

01:44The only engine sound you must be worried about is complete silence.

01:49Even when both or all engines fail, a plane can still glide to safety.

01:54Air Transat Flight managed to make an emergency landing in the Azores in 2001 after gliding

01:59for 75 miles.

02:03That buzzing noise you hear as you get on the plane is the sound of the auxiliary power

02:07unit at work.

02:09This small jet engine helps when the main engines aren't running, like when the plane

02:13is on the ground.

02:15It powers the lights so you can see.

02:17It makes the announcements from the flight attendants possible to hear and helps keep

02:21the cabin air fresh and comfortable.

02:23It also gives air to start up the engines when it's time to take off.

02:29The barking sound you might hear on a plane is likely to be a golden retriever in the

02:33hold, but most definitely a special device that helps the plane's hydraulic systems

02:38work.

02:39Pilots often shut off one engine after landing to save fuel.

02:42The hydraulic system thinks the shutdown is a failure of a pump and gets the PTU to work.

02:48You can hear it so loudly because it's located in the belly of the plane.

02:53When your plane is speeding up on the runway to take off, you might notice a bumpy sound

02:58and feel something like thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.

03:03That's not a loose wheel or anything breaking.

03:05It's actually the nose wheel of the plane rolling over lights that are built into the

03:09middle of the runway.

03:11The bumps mean the plane is perfectly lined up in the middle of the runway, just as it

03:15should be.

03:16Once the front of the plane lifts off and the wheels leave the ground, you won't hear

03:20those bumps anymore.

03:23Something you probably should fear on the plane is getting stuck in the bathroom.

03:27A passenger who was traveling with his family from Salt Lake City to New Orleans was waiting

03:31in the lavatory for 35 minutes.

03:34The door got jammed mid-flight, and two flight attendants and another passenger couldn't

03:39open it from the outside.

03:41Twenty minutes later, the pilot joined in.

03:44The passenger was trying to kick himself free from the inside as the pilot was pulling as

03:48hard as possible from his side.

03:51Finally, they succeeded.

03:54That airplane mode option you have on your phone isn't there just to annoy you.

03:59If you don't activate it while flying, your plane won't crash and it won't mess with the

04:03systems on board like they tell you.

04:05But if you're on a full plane with over a hundred people, and just four or five passengers

04:10ignore the warning and try to make a phone call, the pilot won't be happy.

04:15Your phone sends out radio waves when you try to make or receive a call.

04:20These radio waves can mess up the headsets the pilots are using.

04:24One pilot shared a story about how they were flying out of San Francisco, and he was getting

04:29important directions when he heard a mosquito buzzing in his ear.

04:33Nothing bad happened, but it did feel annoying and could potentially lead to trouble.

04:39You can't open your passenger window on the plane, but there's one secret window on board

04:43that opens and closes on some plane models.

04:46It's in the cockpit, on the right side of the plane.

04:49A pilot can open the window when the plane's speed is under a certain limit.

04:54In theory, they wouldn't manage to do it at cruising altitude anyway because of the huge

04:58pressure outside.

05:00So pilots use it to breathe some fresh air while on the ground, and it also opens in

05:05emergencies for pilots to escape.

05:10Airports also have some secret features, like VIP terminals for those who can afford them.

05:15Celebrities use those to get on the flight without the regular pre-flight hassles and

05:19unwanted attention from their fans.

05:22The Los Angeles and Atlanta airports have special terminals called the private suite.

05:27They say it normally takes 2,200 steps from car seat to plane seat, and only 70 steps

05:33for their members.

05:34You can become one for a fee of $4,850 per year.

05:39You'll need to pay extra for every trip you take.

05:42There are private suites with bathrooms, a food service pantry, a two-person bed, and

05:47a runway view.

05:48Oh, and you got your private TSA screening and a staff of 8 people to take care of you!

05:56Newark Liberty International Airport near New York City has a VIP restaurant hidden

06:00behind an unmarked door.

06:03It's called Classified, and it's an invitation-only kind of place.

06:08Many celebrities like Lady Gaga, Madonna, and Billy Idol have all been there.

06:13You also have a chance to be invited if you often fly with United Airlines, who run the

06:18place.

06:19Once you get there, you have to look out for a host in a grey suit.

06:23You need to introduce yourself and mention that you have a reservation, and they'll

06:27guide you to the entrance.

06:29There are only 36 seats in what used to be a meeting room that was largely unused.

06:37Some airports have tunnels underneath them, and they aren't always secret.

06:41The Dulles Airport in Washington has a loop system for automated people moves that link

06:46all the terminals and concourses.

06:48The tunnel is 10 miles long and has a baggage handling system, underground tugs, utilities,

06:54pedestrian passages, and maintenance.

06:57A tunnel under LAX was built to let the airport extend without blocking the Supelveda Boulevard.

07:04The road has 6 lanes and 6 turnouts.

07:07Denver International Airport recently got its own underground tunnel system beneath

07:11one of its runways and taxiways.

07:14The 6 tunnels will help the airport store more de-icing fluid for winter weather.

07:21Have you ever wondered what happens to the items you take out of your pockets for security

07:25control at the airport, and then just forget to take them from the tray?

07:30If it's something expensive, like phones or wallets, they'll end up in the TSA lost

07:35and found department.

07:37But all the coins left behind end up in catalogs and then deposited into a special TSA account.

07:45They use these funds to improve their security operations, and they provide a detailed report

07:51to Congress to show how much cash they've collected this way.

07:55In 2023, it was $1 million.

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