# Is it true that if you jump on an airplane you'll die? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 2, 2011, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-if-you-jump-on-an-airplane-youll-die/566157 "2011-01-02T18:58:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-if-you-jump-on-an-airplane-youll-die/566157/101 "2011-01-04T09:13:03Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Okay smart guys, answer this, then: Why can I jump up in a plane with no ill effects, but if I try it on a motorcycle, I end up as road kill? Oh, we’re not so glib and talky NOW, _are_ we. . .Jack? Take THAT Norman Einstein! Joe ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-if-you-jump-on-an-airplane-youll-die/566157/102 "2011-01-04T19:13:09Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > OK, so let’s get back to the subject of acceleration. Airplanes do not accelerate slowly. They put on these ginormous boosts of power, and then WHHOOOSH!! they’re off. So, If I were to jump just as the pilot pulled the throttle back: would the air pressure within the cabin carry me along? Or would I land a few seats back from where I jumped? The result would actually be much the same as simply _standing_ in the aisle during take-off. Specifically: your body will experience length contraction along the direction of motion. This relative “flattening” will cause the body to behave like a parachute, resisting the acceleration, and preventing any absurd “death by internal plane impact” scenarios. Nice try ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-if-you-jump-on-an-airplane-youll-die/566157/103 "2011-01-04T19:37:43Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > The result would actually be much the same as simply _standing_ in the aisle during take-off. > > Specifically: your body will experience length contraction along the direction of motion. This relative “flattening” will cause the body to behave like a parachute, resisting the acceleration, and **preventing any absurd “death by internal plane impact” scenarios.** > > **Nice try** Please note the lack of such, and the presence of a perfectly sane suggestion that I might land a few seats back from where I jumped. Just sayin’. 😉 Meanwhile, the whole “behave like a parachute” thing is bringing up some bugs bunny images. Have I been whooshed? ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-if-you-jump-on-an-airplane-youll-die/566157/104 "2011-01-04T20:04:30Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Meanwhile, the whole “behave like a parachute” thing is bringing up some bugs bunny images. Have I been whooshed? Well, you can trust me because I’m a Professor of Einsteinian Physics and Quantumetry. And a Nutritionist. And it’s interesting that you mention bugs bunny. I sometimes begin my lectures with bugs bunny cartoons, to give my students a solid _intuition_ of certain relativistic effects, before we get down to the mathematics. ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-if-you-jump-on-an-airplane-youll-die/566157/105 "2011-01-05T14:52:36Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Just want to know if could avoid being smashed into the back wall if I were on a treadmill on the plane? Treadmills do make things more complicated, of course. Imagine you have one of those treadmills where you can adjust the slope of your steps. If you constantly adjust the angle so you are parallel to the horizon, when the plane is pulling up you can jump and hit the back ceiling and “ride” it gently to the back wall. If you go fast enough (or if the plane is going slow enough) where you can match the plane’s forward velocity, then when you jump you will stay in the same spot relative to the plane! 🙂 If you turn the treadmill to face backward though, you hit the rear that much faster. That’s where the Bugs Bunny physics comes in and you get the imprint of a body in the wall and they need a spatula before people board for the next flight. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-if-you-jump-on-an-airplane-youll-die/566157/106 "2011-01-05T19:03:10Z")
> [@Olentzero](#): > > **Derleth** : What if you gave the monkey wrench a good heave perpendicular to the current direction of travel? Would it spiral inwards? I mean, I get that the wrench would still have the ISS’ orbital speed no matter which way you chuck it, but it seems to me there are a couple velocities (i.e. speed and direction) that would take the wrench away from the ISS fairly quickly. Orbital mechanics is funky. Throwing the wrench sideways will put it on an orbit that moves slightly away from the ISS, then as you come back around the Earth, the wrench will come back and smack the ISS in the side. Unless there is some other disturbance along the way. Like, say, a thruster burn. Drag will play a role in changing the orbit of each item, and differences in drag may give them different altitudes at the time the paths cross again, but I wouldn’t want to count on that - and neither do the astronauts. 90 minutes isn’t much time to have a big effect. Interestingly, if you throw the wrench forward, it will end up under you; throw the wrench backwards, it will end up above you. Throw it down, it will end up behind you, throw it up it will end up in front of you. (IIRC - I could very will have that backwards. Don’t rely on me to get your spaceship home.) > [@JBDivmstr](#): > > Permit me, if I may… IMHO (not to mention, more than a few instances of moving impacts with terra firma!:eek:) it’s not so much a “Splat”, as it is a kind of “crunching, grinding and flapping” noise, along with sounds of rapidly expelled air, intermingled with grunts, yelps, screeches and generally indecipherable exclamations. … I WILL allow that MY personal experiences with said phenomena, were NOT from an airplane. but I think it safe to say that the similarities are obvious… Fall STRAIGHT DOWN… You go, SPLAT!.. Fall DOWN, WITH FORWARD MOTION ADDED… NO SPLAT! 😃 (Inside the plane is different than jumping out of the plane. For that, you need a Z axis.) > [@TruCelt](#): > > OK, so let’s get back to the subject of acceleration. Airplanes do not accelerate slowly. They put on these ginormous boosts of power, and then WHHOOOSH!! they’re off. So, If I were to jump just as the pilot pulled the throttle back: would the air pressure within the cabin carry me along? Or would I land a few seats back from where I jumped? At the risk of actually answering a question, are you jumping in a commercial airliner, or an F-18 using afterburners launching off a carrier? The “ginormous” thrust of commercial airliners is that pull you feel into the seat of the plane on take off. You will, at most, end up a couple feet behind your take off point. More like maybe six inches, depending on how high you jump. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-if-you-jump-on-an-airplane-youll-die/566157/107 "2011-01-05T21:18:08Z")
The facts: The speed of rotation at the equator is approx 1000 mph. Newton’s third law: To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Therefore: Standing on the equator and throwing a monkey wrench directly in the direction the Earth is spinning will cause the Earth to stop. DO NOT DO IT. Alternately: Throwing the wrench backwards will cause the Earth to spin twice as fast. Also probably a bad idea. DO NOT DO IT. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-if-you-jump-on-an-airplane-youll-die/566157/108 "2011-01-05T21:44:07Z")
If you throw the wrench across the international dateline, it will travel in time. This effect is exploited for the disposal of waste (by sending it one day into the past). Items thrown in the other direction travel one day in the future, however, this is only used in the manufacture of alarm clocks. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-if-you-jump-on-an-airplane-youll-die/566157/109 "2011-01-05T21:48:42Z")
If you throw a wrench in the works, but everybody is on break when you do it, does it still gum things up? ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-if-you-jump-on-an-airplane-youll-die/566157/110 "2011-01-05T21:53:03Z")
I want to take an adult-sized sit-and-spin thing to the South Pole. I would center it on the exact geographic pole and spin counterclockwise. Each revolution would take me one day farther into the past, right? ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-if-you-jump-on-an-airplane-youll-die/566157/111 "2011-01-05T22:06:33Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > I want to take an adult-sized sit-and-spin thing to the South Pole. I would center it on the exact geographic pole and spin counterclockwise. Each revolution would take me one day farther into the past, right? I think it depends on how fast you spin. If you spin at the same speed as the Earth (but in the opposite direction) then you’ll stop moving in time. For each minute you spend doing that, the Earth will move forward one minute, so you’ll effectively go back one minute. Spin at the exact speed of the Earth for one day and you’ll be one day behind. Do it for a year, and you’ll be a year behind, etc. If you counter-spin faster than the the Earth is spinning then it gets more complicated and you’ll need someone who knows linear equations (circular equations, maybe?) to figure that out. Of course if you spin in the same direction as the Earth than it stands to reason that the opposite will happen and you’ll go into the future. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-if-you-jump-on-an-airplane-youll-die/566157/112 "2011-01-05T22:09:48Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > I want to take an adult-sized sit-and-spin thing to the South Pole. I would center it on the exact geographic pole and spin counterclockwise. Each revolution would take me one day farther into the past, right? In theory, yes, but in practice, you can’t sit there because it’s where the bearings that attach Earth to the Solar System are mounted. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-if-you-jump-on-an-airplane-youll-die/566157/113 "2011-01-05T22:13:46Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > In theory, yes, but in practice, you can’t sit there because it’s where the bearings that attach Earth to the Solar System are mounted. What kind of crazy talk is this? It uses frictionless magnetic bearings and they are well off the surface. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-if-you-jump-on-an-airplane-youll-die/566157/114 "2011-01-05T22:31:58Z")
Well, obviously, but the magnetism will pull the iron out of your blood (well, it would, if you could stop there, but you can’t because it’s frictionless) ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-if-you-jump-on-an-airplane-youll-die/566157/115 "2011-01-05T22:36:58Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Well, obviously, but the magnetism will pull the iron out of your blood (well, it would, if you could stop there, but you can’t because it’s frictionless) Did you ever have an MRI? Did it pull the iron out of your blood? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-if-you-jump-on-an-airplane-youll-die/566157/116 "2011-01-05T22:50:00Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Did you ever have an MRI? Did it pull the iron out of your blood? :rolleyes: Well, yes actually. But fortunately I had a lot of pennies in my pocket so I was able to replace the iron with copper which wasn’t affected by the electromagnets. It was interesting running on a cupric oxide based system for a few weeks until everything reset. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-if-you-jump-on-an-airplane-youll-die/566157/117 "2011-01-06T01:03:53Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > Well, yes actually. But fortunately I had a lot of pennies in my pocket so I was able to replace the iron with copper which wasn’t affected by the electromagnets. > > It was interesting running on a cupric oxide based system for a few weeks until everything reset. The pointed ears must have drawn some stares. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-if-you-jump-on-an-airplane-youll-die/566157/118 "2011-01-06T01:07:43Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Did you ever have an MRI? Did it pull the iron out of your blood? :rolleyes: MRIs are a hoax. The reason they cram you in such a confined space for the ‘scan’ is so that you can’t properly observe the trickery. It’s just a black and white image of sliced ham. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-if-you-jump-on-an-airplane-youll-die/566157/119 "2011-01-06T01:20:13Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > MRIs are a hoax. The reason they cram you in such a confined space for the ‘scan’ is so that you can’t properly observe the trickery. It’s just a black and white image of sliced ham. Nu uhh… I saw them doing it on _House_ an there weren’t no sliced ham. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prelude_to_Fascination)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-if-you-jump-on-an-airplane-youll-die/566157/120 "2011-01-06T02:16:13Z")
Oncet, I ran up the aisle of a plane while flying from the US to Europe, and broke the long distance running record. Then I ran back down the aisle, and they took the record away from me. But I fooled 'em! I ran back up the aisle! Twice! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-if-you-jump-on-an-airplane-youll-die/566157.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-if-you-jump-on-an-airplane-youll-die/566157.md?page=7)