Being able to fly from one country to another is a marvel. Consider a few hundred years ago, our forefathers were traveling on horseback or by boat to places they’ve never been before. Usually, these expeditions would take months, even years to complete, and the final destination was often unknown. 

To get water, light or food, our forefathers would’ve had to stop, set up camp and rest before carrying on their journey. Nowadays, we can do all of this while we are still on our journey.  We also know where we are going and even have an estimated time of when we should arrive. Similarly, now we are traveling at ridiculous speeds and covering great distances in just a few hours.  

Gaining access to power and water during travel is definitely a luxury. We often forget how amazing it truly is. So how does it work? How are we able to charge our phones, watch movies, even flush the toilet and wash our hands while traveling over five hundred miles per hour while hundreds of miles in the air? 

Technology has advanced so far these days, sometimes we never truly ask ourselves how any of these things actually work. We usually take it all for granted, and if it doesn’t work we tend to complain. If you have ever wondered these things, lucky for you, it’s all very simple to explain. We’re going to explain everything in this blog. 

To help make sense of all this, let’s break down the process into two sections: one for water and the other for power.  

Water

At home, in order to get water, you’d simply use the faucet. Thankfully, faucets also exist on planes and work in the same way. Nevertheless, at home, there’s a series of pipes that allow water to enter your home, but also flush out fecal matter and waste. 

On a plane, there are no pipes. The plane is moving, traveling great distances in a short period of time. So how can you open a faucet and water comes out?

Before you ever get on the plane, while it’s being prepared for your flight, a potable water tank is placed on the aircraft. These tanks hold around 20 or so gallons each. The tanks are connected within the plane, supplying water for drinking but also water for lavatories. 

In most cases, most people advise passengers not to drink the water on board the flight, as both the drinking water and toilet water comes from potable water tanks. However, these are in fact separate tanks and a plane usually contains more than one tank anyway. 

Nevertheless, if you are still worried about drinking water, most passenger aircraft carry bottled water. Therefore, you can feel confident knowing the water you are consuming is clean. 

So, now we know how water ends up on the plane, but how do we have access to power? 

Power

Houses are given power via a series of grid and distribution lines. Inside your home, a plethora of cable transport power to every outlet across the property. Whether you know how the power gets there or not, you understand there’s a source. So what’s the source for planes and how do planes get power? 

Getting power on a plane is a little more straight-forward. If you have ever looked at a plane while idle in the gate, you will notice a cable from the ground being attached to the nose of the plane. This is called an aircraft ground power unit (GPU). Essentially, it’s a plug that has been plugged into the plane’s auxiliary power unit (APU). 

It’s the APU that provides power to the engines and generators, keeping the plane in flight. If you ever see this cable, you are watching the plane charging. 

Interestingly, the aircraft GPU plug provides power to light the cabin while the plane is sitting at the gate. This is important because without it passengers will not be able to find their seats. Additionally, by providing power in this manner, the engine won’t need to be turned on, saving precious fuel. 

Once the engines are on and running, the power is continuous. So you can plug in and charge your phone, watch that film you were too lazy to go to the movie theatres and see or listen to your favorite jams. 

On a plane, we can often forget we are even flying. We are so immersed in the continuation of life on the plane, the actual journey doesn’t seem to bother us. Having access to power and water helps create a seamless transition, especially as we use all of these factors on the ground - the air now feels less like a foreign place and this helps to make passengers comfortable and at ease. 

If you own an airline or aircraft, it’s important to ensure your plane has access to these amenities. Similarly, it’s also important to own an aircraft potable water tank and aircraft GPU plug. Thankfully, you can purchase a lot of these items. Nowadays, you can find anything on the internet, including businesses dedicated to improving the function of your airport or airline. By conducting a simple search, you can find quite a few of these pieces and maybe even find a great deal or two. 

So, now you know! Next time you plug your phone in and charge it, or wash your hands, hopefully, you’ll think about this blog. Thankfully, as you watch your plane being prepared at the gate, you can see both the water tank and power cable in action. Maybe, you can explain to your friends and family what’s happening, especially if the plane is delayed.

A lot goes into making your travel as fun and seamless as possible. Furthermore, a lot of the tools and pieces of equipment used in the preparation of an aircraft are overlooked. I hope now you value the time and effort made in creating an easy-going experience, as well as proper sanitation whilst hundreds of miles in the air.