and other planes, we don’t expect to see much directly outside a flying aircraft’s window, but the air is seething with bacterial life – as many as 1,800 different types of bacteria have been detected over cities and they can reach twice the cruising height of a plane. 6 Turbulence terror Even the most experienced flyer can be turned green by turbulence. The outcome can be anything from repeated bumping to sudden, dramatic plunges. The good news for nervous flyers is that no modern airliner has ever been brought down by turbulence. People have been injured and occasionally killed when they are not strapped in, or get struck by poorly secured luggage – but the plane is not going to be knocked out of the sky. 7 In-flight radiation When body scanners were introduced at airports there were radiation scares but the level produced is the same as passengers receive in one minute of flight. The Earth is constantly bombarded by cosmic rays, natural radiation from space that has more impact at altitude. 8 You can’t cure jet lag The world is divided into time zones. The result is that long-haul travel results in a difference between local time and your body’s time, causing jet lag. However, its effects can be minimized by keeping food bland for 24 hours before travel, drinking plenty of fluids and living on your destination time from the moment you reach the aircraft.