Planes do not just fly where they want to. Every plane must file a flight plan that says where they are going, and when. The people in the control tower at airports are called air traffic controllers. They tell the pilot when he can take off or land, and they tell him how high he can fly, and in what direction.

Before the crew take off, they always walk around the plane and do a pre-flight check. They look for any problems with the plane on the outside. Then they go into the cockpit and they check all the controls to make sure they are working properly.

Any time there is a problem, the plane is not allowed to take off. Special workers will come and check the plane out to make sure it is safe to fly.

All planes can only fly for a certain number of hours before they need to be taken into the hangar and given a total overhaul. Engineers will check out each part of the plane, and replace anything that needs to be replaced. They have a very important job in keeping planes safe to fly.

There is always a fire station at an airport, so fire engines can rush out if a plane crashes. If there is a problem landing, they will often pump foam on to the runway to make sure that no fuel can spill and catch fire.

Back to Top