Planning On Flying Soon? Here Are 6 Surprising Things You Can’t Bring On Your Flight

Ever since I moved out of DC 6 years ago, I've been flying a whole lot. I've been on my fair share of flights, and I've always managed to make it through security and onto my flight with ease. A lot has changed since 2001, and you can speed up your experience by knowing what you can and can't carry on to a plane. So here are 6 things you'd be surprised aren't allowed on your flight home!

1. A Second Airplane Of The Same Size

This one just kind of makes sense. Since another airplane of the same size will end up being the same size as the airplane you’re flying on and no two objects can occupy the same space, it would be a very tricky feat to try and bring it on board. It’s a bummer, but it’s one of the disappointing truths of flying in this post 9/11 and present Newtonian physics world.

2. The Cockpit Of The Airplane You're Flying On

Though it’s true that the cockpit of the airplane you’re flying on will be in the plane, you will not have brought it on the flight. It is already a part of the plane and it doesn’t belong to you. I remember back in 2000 when it was okay to own a cockpit and claim it as your carry-on luggage, but ever since our country changed forever, that just isn’t a possibility anymore.

3. One Of The Airplane's Wings

One of the main ways that airplanes stay in the air is by using their wings, so both of those unfortunately have to stay on the outside of the plane. Plus, they might not fit inside depending on the size of the plane. I do know that we used to live in a time when the customer was always right, and if I wanted one of the wings to be checked in and stored in the overhead compartments, I had the freedom to do that. Unfortunately, that option is no longer an option and the airlines say that the wings must remain firmly attached to the outside of the plane.

4. The Entire Outside Of The Airplane

I’ve actually asked a few pilots about this, mostly because the first few thought I was crazy. To be fair, my hair was sticking up a bit when I asked them. Since then, I have always worn a hat. The pilots who did answer me told me that by definition, I could not bring the outside of the plane inside, because whatever remained on the outside would be the new outside of the plane and I would be forever trying to bring that in. Though this made sense to me, it was still upsetting. My children will never even be able to comprehend a simpler, pre-911 time when putting the entire outside of a plane underneath the seat in front of me was a real possibility.

5. The Runway From The Airport Where You'll Be Landing

Much like the issues with bringing a second airplane or the airplane’s wings, the runway will probably not fit. Plus, if the runway is inside the plane, where will you land? Not to mention, you’d probably have to go to your destination first to get the runway, then return to the plane, and then fly back to your destination. The airlines know that you’d just stay once you arrived and not buy plane tickets, so this is really a sneaky money-making scheme on their part. Though flights feel safer now, you can’t help but wonder just how much they've been capitalizing off of our paranoia.

6. Snakes

I agree with this one. Snakes are icky. Yuck!