If you're not a pilot, flight attendant, or anyone else in the travel industry yourself, chances are you wonder what it's like to have a career that revolves around traveling. It sounds like a dream. Getting paid to fly to all different destinations, paid stays in luxury hotels and sipping free drinks on the beach. We're sorry to say that a life as a flight attendant/pilot is not like this. Yes, they get to fly free when they're working, but they do not get to sightsee. They work extremely long and tiring hours - especially flight attendants who are on their feet most of the time. Imagine standing up basically the whole time on a 20-hour flight.

Pilots have the opposite problem of having to sit down for so long it's not healthy. They also don't get resort style hotel rooms, just enough to be comfortable. They also don't get to experience much of the trip they're going on because they generally have to fly out the within the next day or two. In this article, we will be discussing pilots, male vs female. We'll be discussing 10 things that male pilots do, 10 things about female pilots and all 20 facts in this article will be secrets pilots never tell, and that you have never heard about planes and flying. These are secrets that pilots don't tell the public, and you should read it through because there are some interesting facts you'll be thinking about on your next flight.

20 Male Pilots: They Get To Fly For Free

Yes it's obvious they get to fly for free when they're piloting, but pilots also get free flights when they want to holiday. Before you start thinking about a change in career, it's not as amazing as it seems. Pilots do get free seats, but only when the seat is available.

Airline pilot Patrick Smith told about how free flights aren't as glamorous as they look. Pilots have to wait for there to be a seat available on the flight they're looking for. It could be the worse seat on the plane, and depending on seniority, they might have to give it up for someone else.

If you think that co-pilots can relax and catch up on a good book while on a flight, you would be wrong. There's no reading, listening to music, or even catching up on a show on Netflix. It is a law that all pilots have to be aware at all times.

This means that for the whole flight, from a one hour flight to a thirty-hour flight, pilots have to just sit and chat amongst themselves. This may be fine for a short flight but after a while, we think they'd run out of things to talk about and start to get pretty bored.

18 Male Pilots: Sneaking Naps

Another rule of being a pilot in the cockpit is they're not allowed to sleep. It's not a law of aviation that pilots can't take naps, but for safety reasons, pilots aren't generally supposed to take naps. Most do, however, as the long haul flights can be exhausting.

We think it's probably less safe to have over tired pilots flying the plane, so we'd much rather have pilots who nap. As long as one is awake and flying the plane, we're fine with a 15-minute snooze every now and again, especially on international flights.

17 Male Pilots: They Let You In

One of the best parts of flying as a kid in TV and films is the pilots always let you see the cockpit and look at all the buttons. In real life, this doesn't seem as common. According to pilot Patrick Smith, you can. For your next flight make sure to be early and first in line as pilots actually love visitors.

They like to show people around the cockpit, they say it helps nervous flyers. If you are a nervous flyer, or just interested in the experience, make sure to ask the flight attendant on your way into the plane. Probably don't ask if the flights already delayed, that could make you some enemies.

16 Male Pilots: The Cargo Hold Isn't Real

If you're planning to see your enemy on the next flight, go down to the cargo hold with your war paint and tumble around the bags fighting each other - we're sorry to ruin your dream.

The cargo hold does exist says pilot Patrick Smith, but there's not ample space like we often see in movies and TV. There is space for your baggage and pets (if they're with you), and airport workers to bring the bags out, but there is no room for a big fight scene to take place. Sorry guys. We're disappointed too.

15 Male Pilots: Health Issues

As we mentioned earlier, pilots are sitting down for most of their job, literally. A pilot might get to stretch his legs around the cockpit, but they're basically strapped to a seat for long hours at a time. As we have all heard from doctors in the recent years, this is really bad for your health.

Other than that it might surprise you to find out that pilots often get kidney stones. That is one of the most painful experiences to go through in life and pilots are regular. This is because the often don't drink the required amount, and generally hold it in when they have to go. Think about it, have you ever seen a pilot walk to the bathroom?

14 Male Pilots: Co-Pilots Don't Exist

Surprising, right? You always see it in movies. You've got the pilot, often mid-40's or later and his co-pilot is a new recruit, young and eager to learn. This isn't often the case in real life. Films and TV portray co-pilots as trainees who are there to help but take direction from the main pilot.

In real life, the co-pilot is as trained and qualified as the pilot, he is just assisting this flight. Think of it like a car with two drivers. Often on a flight back they will switch roles and the pilot becomes the co-pilot. There's no need to panic if something happens to the pilot during the flight because the co-pilot can jump in and take over.

13 Male Pilots: In The Uniform

It's a well-known fact that a lot of people like and respect uniforms. Firefighters, EMT's, Police, and apparently pilots too. Not so much on domestic flights, but on international flights to smaller countries, the uniform of a pilot is amazing to the locals.

According to pilot Patrick Smith again, he says that people in foreign countries respect the pilot's uniform a lot. "In West Africa, little kids come running over to you. All the crew members are addressed as captain. They’ll salute you.

12 Male Pilots: They Enjoy The Landing

Pilots seem to be the polar opposite of most other travelers. As we like the smooth sailing of the flight and getting off at our destination, a pilots' favorite part of the flight is the landing. We suppose it must be fun for them to use their skills after hours and hours of doing the same thing.

It gives them a chance not only to put their trained skills to use, but it's a way of doing what they love most, flying. With autopilot around pilots still have to fly, but it helps them along. Takeoffs and landings are times for pilots to really do their thing.

11 Male Pilots: Every Flight Is Risky

One super scary thing we think passengers should be told of is there isn't actually that much gas. The fuel used in planes, like any other, has risen in price. As a way of saving money, airlines decided it would be a good idea to just fill the tank enough to get you to the destination.

We know right, scary stuff. Every flight you take whether it be domestic or international, there's enough fuel to get you there and that's it. If something bad happens and you might be delayed while in the air, the pilots have to make arrangements to land at a different (and hopefully closer) airport.

10 Female Pilots: Only 4% Of Pilots Are Women

That's a pretty low statistic when you think about it. According to the International Society of Women Airline Pilots, there are only about 4,000 female pilots in the whole world. That is such a small, tiny amount!

The reason there are so little women in the pilot career is most likely due to the hours and shifts of a pilot. Woman pilot Stacy Chapman says that the reason she's one in a few is that of the hard lifestyle. You're away for days, weeks at a time and when you do come back it's not for long. This seems to suit a lot of men more than it does women.

9 Female Pilots: You Won't Know About Engine Failure

It's the worst thing you can ever hear while mid-flight. The words 'engine failure' are not something you ever want to hear the pilot say over the speaker. You probably won't ever hear those words though, because pilots will always try to fix the issue first. They're going to go through every option before worrying the passengers.

The second reason you won't hear those words is that modern planes are actually built to fly with just one engine. This means that even if one engine does break down, there will be no screaming or tunneling towards the ground immediately. It is only time to panic if all your engines are gone.

8 Female Pilots: Turbulence Is Safe?

Other than crashing, most people worry about turbulence while they're on a flight. The plane starts to wobble around a bit and things get louder, so we panic. It's natural. The surprisingly good news is you don't have to worry anymore. According to Captain Bill Watts, turbulence is nothing to fear, it's just the plane going through some rough air flow.

When you're on a plane you sail through the air, sometimes that air gets a little rough, which is turbulence. It's like being in a car and driving on some smooth, paved road then switching to gravel.

7 Female Pilots: Wear Proper Clothes

We know that you're excited to get to your destination. If you're going somewhere tropical, we understand that you'll be ready in flipflops and a sundress. This is not a good idea for multiple reasons. First off, planes are cold.

Whether you're going to the Bahamas or Antarctica, planes are cold. Wearing sweatpants and a jumper is recommended, you can change at your hotel. The second reason is in case of a crash. If your plane has to make an emergency landing in water or on land, you're better off wearing sneakers then you are in flip-flops.

6 Female Pilots: Breaking Records

Even though there are small numbers of women pilots in the world, that doesn't mean that they haven't made a big impact. We all know Amelia Earheart was one of the best pilots of all time, she was the first woman to cross the Atlantic ocean by plane and was the first to pilot solo from Honolulu to California. She tragically disappeared in 1937.

Jacqueline Cochran, Bessie Coleman, Beryl Markham, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, and Katherine Stinson are a few other women who have broken records and made proud women pilots everywhere.

5 Female Pilots: Who Crashes More?

It's probably not a question on most people's lips, but it is still a question we need to think about. Out of curiosity, a lot of people are interested in knowing who crashes more, male or female pilots.

According to data from 1986-1992 it was determined that women pilots had more crashes. It was considered due to the fact that they weren't as experienced or trained as the male pilots. If the study was done again today we can't say for sure that we'd be able to guess the results.

4 Female Pilots: Pilot Dinners

One interesting fact about all pilots you may or may not know is they're not allowed to eat the same thing. There is a very smart reason behind this. Pilots and their co-pilots always have to order different in-flight meals, if one gets the chicken the other gets fish. This is in case there's anything wrong with the food. If one pilot gets sick, then the other can take over.

Of course hopefully, there's never anything wrong with the food. We wonder if the pilots ever disagree about who gets to eat what. Or what would happen if all the food on the plane was contaminated...

3 Female Pilots: You've Probably Been Struck By Lightning

While everyone freaks out about turbulence and loud noises, no one seems to notice or worry about being struck by lightning. This is because you most likely aren't even aware that it has happened.

Being struck by lightning is like nothing to most airplanes now as they're built to take the lightning strikes. While you're panicked about a little turbulence, you've probably been watching your movie peacefully while being struck by a bolt of lightning. Next time you're on a flight, see if you can notice any storms coming.

2 Female Pilots: Sit On The Wing

If you're a nervous flyer, or your child is flying solo somewhere, you should try and get a seat that's directly on the wing. A seat on the wing of the plane is the best as it's the smoothest ride. Things can get a little bumpy in the front and back, so the middle is the easiest fight experience.

Pilot Patrick Smith has an analogy for this "The bumpiest place to sit is in the back. A plane is like a seesaw. If you’re in the middle, you don’t move as much." Patrick Smith is also the author of his own book Cockpit Confidential, basically a how-to of air travel.

1 Female Pilots: Water Landings Aren't Real

We're not saying that a plane had to land in the ocean during an emergency doesn't happen, but that's just the nice way to say it. No pilot has ever landed a plan in water, they have crashed into the ocean. Landings are prepared and what's supposed to happen.

Like any other form of travel, planes have their issues and we can understand why a lot of people have a fear of flying. We also would like everyone to know that planes are actually considered to be one of the safest ways to travel, and we hope this list cured some of your fears.