Unwritten rules and safety rules during flights
Did you know that pilots on a flight don’t eat the same food as passengers do? And in several cases they make sure to eat a different meal one from the other? So there’s one dish for the captain and a different one for the co-pilot. Or that they do not eat at the same time time? Rules that if you don’t read about them, you probably don’t know how they exist.
You’re in the air, and the flight attendants are taking out the food trays. The simplest thought is that they’ve left two more portions in the cockpit. And that before you’re even served. This may have happened, but the trays didn’t have the same kind of food. Either with yours, or even the same to each other.
Pilots don’t eat the same food as passengers. This rule is not applied due to taste. Nor does it relate to the quality of the food. There is a more serious reason why pilots are offered different menus. This ensures the possibility that they will not become sick during the flight. And of course the needs of pilots are met based on what they eat or don’t eat.
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For example, if the passenger’s meal contains a damaged or contaminated ingredient, the pilots will not eat it. If they both choose the same dish, different from the others of course, then the second rule applies. They don’t eat at the same time! So even if there’s something in the food that can cause a problem in their system, it will affect one of the two pilots. The second will be tasked with driving the plane to its destination.
The poisoning of 1975
The most massive poisoning recorded in the annals of flights occurred in 1975. On a Japan Airlines plane making the Tokyo-Paris trip, a flight attendant and 143 passengers were hospitalized due to food poisoning. Contaminated pork was the cause. Coincidentally – let us not forget, we are talking about 44 years ago – the pilots had not consumed the same dish.
And although everything went well in flight and the plane landed safely, things didn’t work out for the chef. And don’t let your mind go that he lost his job or anything. The man held himself responsible and commited suicide.
The dumbest question you can ask as soon as you get on the plane
Frequently Asked Questions
Pilots don't eat the same food to prevent food poisoning from affecting both pilots simultaneously. If contaminated food causes illness in one pilot, the other can safely operate the aircraft to its destination. This is a critical safety rule in aviation.
No, pilots do not eat at the same time during flights. Even if they eat different meals, they stagger their eating times to ensure that if one pilot becomes ill from food poisoning, the other pilot remains healthy and capable of flying the plane.
In 1975, a Japan Airlines flight from Tokyo to Paris experienced massive food poisoning when 143 passengers and one flight attendant were hospitalized due to contaminated pork. Fortunately, the pilots had not consumed the same dish and remained unaffected, allowing the plane to land safely.
Yes, pilots receive different meal options than passengers. Airlines provide separate menus for pilots to reduce the risk of both pilots becoming ill from the same contaminated food source, ensuring flight safety.
The main unwritten safety rules for pilot meals include: eating different dishes from passengers and each other, not eating at the same time, and ensuring at least one pilot remains healthy and capable of operating the aircraft in case of food poisoning or illness.
