You’ve probably seen those bright red REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT tags on bags, keychains, or random gear outside of aviation, without really knowing what they’re for.
Inside aviation, they serve a very specific (and important) purpose.
Airplanes have a lot of components that need protection while sitting on the ground; from bugs, wind, rain, and debris. Things like pitot tubes, engine intakes, control locks, and covers all get protected when the plane isn’t flying.
But here’s the catch:
Anything you add for protection absolutely cannot be forgotten when it’s time to fly.
The fix is brilliantly simple and impossible to miss.
Bright red tags.
Big white letters.
REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT.
No ambiguity. No subtlety. Just a loud, visual reminder that forces your brain to stop and double-check.
Sometimes the simplest solution really is the best one. Turns out planes and websites have something in common: it’s potentially the small, forgotten things that cause the biggest problems.
