Takeoff
Before the airplane takes off, it might have to wait in line. This might take a while.
At some point before takeoff, they may dim the overhead lights to give people a chance to nap.
You might also hear an announcement that the airplane is about to take off. This is a good time to make sure your seatbelt is fastened, your seatback and tray table are in their full upright position, and your larger electronic devices are turned off or in airplane mode.
Sometimes in the winter, they might have to de-ice the plane with antifreeze, to keep air flowing smoothly over the wings.
If you’re sitting near the window, you might look out and see the wing getting longer and sloping down. This part of the airplane is called Flaps. They help give the airplane more lift, so it can take off or land at a slower speed. They also cause more drag, so they retract the flaps once the plane gets in the air.
Once the airplane is on the runway, you will hear the engines getting louder and the airplane will start to speed up. The acceleration won’t be too crazy. It’s about the same as a car going 0-60 in 10 seconds. But it’s going to keep going for a while.
After about 20-30 seconds, the plane will tip backward and take off!
About 30-60 seconds after the plane takes off, you might feel like the plane is falling. THE PLANE IS NOT FALLING! It’s just climbing more slowly. You might also hear what sounds like electric motors. This is the flaps retracting so the plane can fly more efficiently.
You might feel a little bit of pressure in your ears. This is normal. It’s just the air pressure changing as the plane climbs higher. If you want to, you can yawn or swallow to help equalize the pressure in your ears.
About 5 minutes after takeoff, there will be an annoucement that you are now above 10,000 feet! At this point, most airlines will turn on wifi! (YAY!) But you have to pay for internet access! (BOO!) You can still pull out a laptop or use your phone in offline mode.
About 20-30 minutes after takeoff, they will turn off the seatbelt sign. This means that if you need to get up, you can. But please keep your seatbelt fastened if you’re going to be in your seat. Sometimes the ride can get just a bit bumpy, and you don’t want to hit your head on the ceiling.