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Flying across the ocean? Use your IFE to watch for shipwrecks

Zach Wichter
Zach Wichter
Aviation Industry Reporter
Zach has been interested in things that go since he was a kid. He previously worked at The New York Times and spent much of his time there covering the aviation industry, including contributing to the paper’s reporting on the 737 Max crisis at Boeing. He grew up in Bethpage, on Long Island, and graduated from Northwestern University in 2013 where he majored in journalism and gender and sexuality studies.
Nov. 24, 2019
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1 min read
GE CF6-80C2 engine cowlings of a Virgin Atlantic Airways Boeing 747-400 flight from LHR-LAX over the North Atlantic Ocean showing the curvature of the earth with an iceberg covered in snow
Flying across the ocean? Use your IFE to watch for shipwrecks
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Every so often, passengers flying across the seas notice something unexpected on their seat back entertainment flight tracking tool.

That's right, many of the maps that show your plane's course also show the locations of famous landmarks on the ground, and when traveling overseas, those landmarks include the sites of shipwrecks.

Including points of interest is a long-standing practice for IFE mapmakers, but the decision to include disasters occasionally brings internet ire.

Collins Aerospace, formerly known as Rockwell Collins, produces the maps for a number of carriers including American Airlines and British Airways.

It recently told The Daily Mail that many of its customers find the shipwrecks marked on the maps interesting.

"As part of our product, Collins Aerospace offers points of interest on our maps, including shipwrecks," the company told the tabloid. "The choice to provide the points is completely based on the airline's selection and not forced by Collins Aerospace."

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So, are you a fan of finding shipwrecks while flying? Or would you rather not be reminded of these nautical disasters while in the air?

Featured image by Universal Images Group via Getty