Most folks can make it through a short flight by reading something or chatting up fellow passengers. But you probably need a bit more entertainment for a longer flight, which might mean texting your friends & family. Do airlines even allow texting during flights, though?

Technically, yes, they do. You can send text messages while your flight is in the air, but only if you’re connected to the plane’s Wi-Fi. With it, you can log on at any point during your flight, but there will be limited bandwidth, which will probably mean certain sites will run slower (think Facebook or email).

Pretty much every airline offers in-flight Wi-Fi now (except for budget carriers, like Frontier). However, some airlines (American & United, for instance) do charge a fee for it. There are some airlines that also offer free text messaging through their own apps, which you’d need to download before your flight.

Definitely don’t forget to put your phone in airplane mode before the flight gets in the air, though. What does airplane mode do? It turns off your phone’s cellular connection, so that it won’t disrupt the sensors of the plane (which is mainly why the FCC still bans people from making cellular calls while in the air).

If you just can’t deal with being disconnected from the world below while you’re flying the friendly skies, check with the airline for your flight’s available Wi-Fi options before you buy your ticket. On their websites, all the major airline tell you if they offer Wi-Fi or allow text messages using certain apps.

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or shoot me an email at [email protected].

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A lot of Americans have had a lot of questions about the Olympics this week. So, I figured we’d reveal the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about this summer’s Tokyo Games:

1. “Why do divers shower after each dive?” It’s not to wash the chlorine off, it’s actually to prevent injuries. You see, the pool is cold & can make you cramp up. So, they take a warm shower or sit in a hot tub between dives to keep their muscles loose & cramp-free.

2. “Why does one volleyball player have a different colored jersey?” They’re the only player who can sub in & replace another player in the back row. They’re usually better at defense, so they’re there to cover things like passing the ball & receiving serves.

3. “Why is Russia called R.O.C.?” Remember how Russia got banned for doping a few years back? Well, as a way around that, all of their athletes are competing this year under the name “Russian Olympic Committee” (R.O.C.).

4. “Why isn’t LeBron James in the Olympics?” King James experienced some injuries during the NBA season earlier this year, so he decided to opt out. He’s not the only big name player who decided to forego this year’s Olympics, which may be why our Team USA didn’t do so well on the international court.

5. “How deep is an Olympic diving pool?” Most swimming pools in Tokyo are about 10 feet deep. Meanwhile, international diving pools are anywhere from 10 to 16 feet, depending on the event. So, the high dive competitions use the deepest part of the deepest pools.

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If you ever get to look closely at water polo players’ actual swim caps, you’ll see that there are lots & lots of holes around the earpieces. Now, with all the splashing that goes on in water polo, it would make total sense for the athletes to wear swim caps that would prevent water from clogging their ears. But, since they’re not actually keeping water out, what do those fancy water bonnets actually do?

The head is the lone part of an athlete’s body that regularly stays above the water, so the bonnets (as they’re actually called) do function as the players’ jerseys, enabling them to tell opponents from teammates (and also determine which teammate is which, since their numbers are printed on their caps, as well). One team will usually wear dark-colored caps, while the other team wears light-colored caps, and each of the goalkeepers wear red.

But the main reason they wear those specialized swim caps is to prevent injury. There are plastic guards built into the caps that cover the athletes’ ears. Regular swim caps don’t have those particular features, which help absorb the impact of the ball or another athlete’s body part so that it doesn’t result in a ruptured eardrum or some other injury. Because, while a ruptured eardrum will usually heal on its own after some time, when you consider the possible damage to the inner ear from additional water infiltration, the athlete will likely have to remain out of the pool until it heals. And, considering how tightly packed the schedule is for Olympic water polo games, the athletes don’t really have the option to sit out for a few weeks until their eardrums heal.

But now you know a little bit more about what you’re watching when you’re up late with the late-night broadcasts from this year’s Tokyo Olympics.

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or shoot me an email at [email protected].

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