I’m a pilot – this is what actually happens when planes take off and why you should avoid sitting at the back of the plane to avoid that sinking feeling

In a bid to help airline passengers with a fear of flying, one pilot has lifted the lid on what exactly happens when a plane takes off. 

Sharing his trade secrets in a TikTok for Dial A Pilot, the aviator films things ‘from a passenger’s point of view’ while sat in a window seat aboard a Boeing 757. 

As the plane accelerates through 100 knots and hits ‘rotation speed,’ the pilot says the plane’s nose will ‘come up’ and the whole aircraft will come off the ground. 

He continues: ‘For about the first typically 800ft to 1,500ft we keep the power all the way… so the engines stay very highly spooled up.’

The video then cuts to the point where the pilot starts the ‘flapper traction.’

The narrator explains that the ‘flaps’ on the wings help keep the plane on course and at the right angle. 

The sinking people that some passengers might experience during takeoff, is also due to ‘the airplane changing its angle as it goes into the wind.’

He says this feeling is more apparent ‘especially in the back of the airplane.’

‘You feel like you’re just sinking there for a minute,’ the flight pro reveals. 

Looking out at the wings, the pilot explains that the flaps will ‘come up a little bit’ and there will be ‘less curvature.’

As the plane goes up further, the pilot says that there are various settings that can be employed. 

He reveals that on the Boeing planes there are ‘between one and 30’ settings for the wings.

As he continues to film, he shows how the wing flaps ‘retract a little bit more’ to increase the plane’s speed.

‘We can actually accelerate and get you to your destination as fast as we can,’ he says of the wing flap maneuver. 

To date the TikTok has been watched more than 3.4 million times with many viewers thanking the pilot for his explainer. 

One commenter wrote: ‘As someone that continues to fly even with a fear, I really appreciate the pilots that check in and talk to us throughout the flight.’ 

Another viewer echoed similar sentiments, writing: ‘I’ve got a fear of flying but I’ve found learning how the airplane works and what to expect has helped me.’