Forget birds and turbulence: if there’s one thing the crew of an airplane takes seriously, it’s the possibility of “piriri,” the popular food poisoning, in their pilot team.
A report in Britain’s The Telegraph newspaper revealed that major airlines must follow a strict protocol to prevent those flying them from becoming ill and unable to get the plane safely to their destination.
As such, pilots typically do not eat the same food as you, the passenger, or even other flight mates.
“The captain is responsible for ensuring that the pilots flying the plane eat different meals whenever possible. If both pilots order the same dish, the flight attendants must notify the captain, who will either approve or deny the request,” the publication said, spokesman for the company Virgin Atlantic.
A British Airways representative also confirmed that the company is taking the same precautionary measure.
Dietary diversity is a key element in preventing incidents on board
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The rule here is that the officer in charge of aircraft control not only does not repeat the dish of his flight partner, but also does not order other particularly risky items from the menu available to passengers, as is the case with very hot or spicy options .
By the way, in this case, if there’s only one option without strong spices, it’s possible for two pilots to eat the same alternative meal all to avoid a riskier paprika.
“Pilots at controls should also eat at different times,” Virgin warns. Because if both professionals in the cockpit have eaten the same thing, they don’t get sick at the same time. Even if everyone eats at a certain time, there is no risk of both being distracted at the same time in an emergency.
In addition to a separate menu in some companies, pilots can bring their own snacks
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All of this diligence, according to the Telegraph, stems from an incident that occurred in February 1975, when 196 passengers and a flight attendant aboard a Japan Airlines flight from Tokyo to Paris fell ill — all over a ham omelette made with Bacteria contaminated was of the Staphylococcus genus.
During the plane’s refueling stop in Copenhagen, 143 people were hospitalized. Luckily, the pilots hadn’t eaten the omelettes because their biological clocks weren’t in sync with breakfast, and they ordered steaks for an early lunch.
The plane landed safely, but the cook in charge of the meals took his own life after the fall.
In some situations, pilots can choose between options only offered in Business Class
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“Since 1975, it has been standard aviation practice for the captain and first officer not to eat the same meal. This practice is followed on all Finnair flights. On long flights, our crew eats the same meals that are served in business class, but the captain and first officer have different dishes. On short flights, where the meal service is more limited, our team eats exclusive meals,” the Finnish company told the newspaper.
Virgin is also preparing a special menu for crew members to provide some variety given the high frequency of flights they face. The menu includes sandwiches, salads, hot dishes with carnivorous and vegetarian options, and snacks that can be fruit, nuts and chestnuts, chips, and chocolate.
Most companies also allow their pilots and crew to bring their own snacks and meals, which not only adds variety but also reduces the risk of your team getting sick.