Safety demos never go into why it's so important to put on your own mask before helping those around you. Hobica said: "You might only have 15 or 20 seconds in the event of a cabin decompression, during which all oxygen would be sucked out of the plane (and your lungs), before you'd experience confusion and a euphoric "stoned" state... In 30 to 45 seconds you'd probably pass out. So it's important to act quickly."

Some airlines ask that passengers keep shoes on when landing - except for high heels, which can tear the emergency slide. Hobica explains why: "Because the runway might be burning hot after you jump down the slide."

Those safety cards in the seat back pocket that all flight attendants ask you to read show the proper brace position to adopt in the instance of a crash. Look closely and you'll see that in each drawing the people have one hand over the other. Here's why: "Should something fall on you during a crash landing, you want to protect at least one hand (preferably the one you write with) because you'll need it to unbuckle your seat belt when it's safe to do so. Your other hand is in that position to provide some protection to your "strong" hand, which will be doing the unbuckling."

If you're wondering why airlines dim the cabin lights before takeoffs and landings, Hobica gives us the reason: "To help adjust your eyes to the dark (either inside a smoke filled cabin or on a darkened runway)."