Eight aeroplane myths you need to stop believing

GETTING on a plane is still a terrifying and fascinating way to travel for many, but a large chunk of the facts we hear about flying are actually completely false.

So, in the interests of keeping travellers informed, here are some of the most common misconceptions about flying debunked.

You can get sucked out of a plane toilet seat

While the sound of a toilet plane flushing is loud and disconcerting, you won’t disappear down the tube if you push the button while sitting down.

Dutch airline KLM explains in its blog that “the vacuum only works near the mouth of the disposal pipe.”

Still, the airline recommends you stand up while flushing: “If the toilet bowl and seat had an airtight seal, this might have nasty consequences for toilet users who flush when seated.

"But the toilets and the vacuum system are designed in such a way that you cannot be sucked into the toilet.”

Planes dump toilet waste during flights

In December 2016, an Indian court ruled that airlines would be fined 50,000 rupees (£620) for dumping human waste midair after a complaint from a retired army officer.

However, it was never proven that this was even possible.

Planes use a closed waste system, which works like a normal toilet with waste flushing into a sewage tank, or a vacuum waste system that sucks the waste into the sewage tank.

Whichever system they use, the waste is emptied from the tank when the plane arrives at the airport.