People are only now realizing why they always get off a plane on the left side
HAVE you ever wondered why you always exit a plane on the left?
It turns out there’s a reason why this is the case – and it’s not just airplanes that follow this procedure.
The reason we disembark on the left side is a nod to the “port side” of the ship, on the left side of the ship.
Michael Oakley, editor-in-chief of The Aviation Historian, explained AFAR media: “It is one of many aviation practices that goes beyond aviation itself, to the traditions of ships.
“A lot of aviation terminology has its origins in maritime knowledge (rudder, cockpit, cabin, bulkhead, knots, etc.), and similarly, aviation’s ways of doing things owe a lot to sailing.
“Just as boats and ships have a port side – the side of the ship that usually abuts the dock in port – airplanes are the same.
“It is wise that people decided to continue boarding on the port (or left) side.”
Having a uniform side of the plane for disembarkation is more efficient for planes arriving and departing at different airports around the world.
Passengers typically board and disembark via jet bridges, which are attached to the left side of the aircraft.
If some aircraft had a right exit side instead, this would add an extra layer of organization to ensure that an aircraft would line up with the correct jet bridge when landing at an airport.
A former pilot also gave his opinion on the choice of the left side.
Dan Bubb, a professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said: “Many aircraft operations take place on the right side of the plane – fueling, loading and unloading luggage, catering, etc.
“It would be very dangerous to allow passengers to board on that side of the aircraft while vehicles and other equipment are moving.”
When aviation started to grow, there were some airplanes that had a right-hand door.
Bob van der Linden, supervising curator in the aviation department at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, said: “In the 1930s, the Boeing 247 – the first modern airplane – had the passenger door open on the right side, just like in the old days. common practice at United Airlines at the time.
Just as boats and ships have a port side (the side of the ship that usually adjoins the dock in port), airplanes are the same
Michael Oakley
“When United purchased the excellent Douglas DC-3 in the mid-1940s, they ordered the aircraft with a right door, while most other DC-3 operators requested a left door. As the industry grew and airports became busier, the left-hand door became the preferred design to streamline and standardize airport operations.”
Many people were shocked to learn the information, with one commenting, “It’s all true, I might also add: the term starboard comes from the fact that they used to have a starboard on the right side of the ship.”
Another added: “So that’s why it’s called port. That’s actually crazy.”
And a third added: “I’ve never been able to remember port and starboard and which one was which, thank you very much until now.”
Meanwhile, a fourth wrote: “It makes sense to build an airport as a seaport, they function the same way.”
2