Why are they asked to open the curtains on the windows during takeoff and landing?

Content

1 Can the windows themselves crash during a hard landing?
2 Why are portholes streamlined?
3 What is an airplane window
4 Why it is necessary to open windows when taking off / landing an aircraft

The stages of take-off and landing in air transportation account for the largest number of emergencies. During landing or takeoff, flight attendants need to be especially careful to observe what is happening overboard in order to promptly report a possible emergency situation to the pilots. Security in these moments is always given close attention. So, the window shades open because:

… The passenger's eyes must become accustomed to natural light - then he will see better in the event of an emergency. For the same reason, during takeoff or landing, the main lighting in the cabin is also turned off.
... flight attendants or even passengers can see what is happening overboard. This will allow you to promptly inform the crew about the occurrence of an emergency situation or assess the position overboard during the evacuation. For example, to see if there is a fire or not. In addition, in the event of an emergency landing, rescuers will be able to see what is happening in the cabin through the windows.
… It's easier for passengers not to get hurt. Indeed, with a very hard landing, the plastic curtain can split and damage your face with fragments.
... it helps to orientate in space. When the window is open, a person sees how the plane lands and in what position it is relative to the surface of the earth. If the window were closed, the passenger could easily imagine that the plane is making a loop in the air or simply falling.

Can the windows themselves crash during a hard landing?

The porthole is, as a rule, a two- or three-layer glass unit. In this case, two glasses at the same time are power glasses, that is, capable of withstanding pressure drops. The windows are designed in such a way that they are able to withstand the pressure between the passenger compartment and the external atmosphere, comparable to a load of up to 4 tons. The inner glass of the porthole, which is visible to passengers inside the cabin, is decorative. Its damage will not affect the safety of your stay on the plane.

Why are portholes streamlined?

This is not a design idea, but a security measure. Rounded windows, as the history of aviation has shown, better hold and distribute pressure throughout the structure. The history of jet aircraft is especially striking proof of this. On jet airplanes, increased demands are made on portholes due to speed: there are many small windows and fewer large ones, so the design becomes more reliable.

In the 1950s, passenger jet aircraft construction was just beginning. The Comet of the British aircraft manufacturer De Havilland was the first airliner to perform passenger transportation, and was a state-of-the-art passenger aircraft that had a pressurized cabin. However, the first two "Comets" were in for a sad fate - in 1954 they collapsed right during the flight. 56 people died. The square windows were later named to blame!

Interestingly, however, the famous Soviet supersonic passenger aircraft TU-144, developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau in the 1960s, had tiny quadrangular windows. The design features of the windows were explained by A. Tupolev as follows: "The dimensions and shape of the windows are a way to reduce the external pressure in the supersonic regime."

What is an airplane window

The airplane porthole is a 2 / x-3 / x layer glass unit.At the same time, both glasses are power glasses, that is, capable of withstanding pressure drops. The windows are designed in such a way that they are able to withstand the pressure between the passenger compartment and the external atmosphere, comparable to a load of up to 4 tons. The inner glass of the porthole, which is visible to passengers inside the cabin, is decorative. Its damage will not affect the safety of being on the plane. And the window shade is a fragile thing. It can break into small, sharp particles and injure you.

According to flight safety rules, during taxiing, takeoff and landing of the aircraft, the window shades must be open. The fact is that it is at these stages of air transportation that the largest number of emergencies occurs. Therefore, the utmost attention is paid to safety.

Why it is necessary to open windows when taking off / landing an aircraft

First, your eyes need to get used to natural light so you can see better in an urgent emergency. You have probably noticed that the main lighting in the cabin is also turned off during takeoff / landing.

Secondly, flight attendants or even passengers can see what is happening overboard. This will make it possible to promptly inform the crew about the occurrence of an emergency situation or assess the position overboard during the evacuation. For example, to see if there is a fire or not. In addition, in the event of an emergency landing, rescuers will be able to see what is happening in the cabin through the windows.

Thirdly, as mentioned earlier, in the event of an emergency, the window shade can break and cause bodily harm.

Thus, you and I have figured out that the window shades during takeoff and landing of the aircraft must be open to provide air passengers with greater safety. Well, you can also enjoy the beautiful views when landing or taking off the plane.

And for dessert for you today, a small Christmas show from Air Baltic :).

At the beginning and end of the flight, we follow the instructions of the flight attendants, one of which is to raise the window shade. Many people ask the question: why can't you leave the porthole closed?

learned the reason why this rule should not be neglected.

Takeoff and landing are considered the most hazardous stages, when everything must be under the full control of the crew. Through the window, you can see what is happening overboard, so a passenger or flight attendant can notice that something has happened and report an emergency.

During daytime flights during takeoff and landing, the main lighting of the aircraft is turned off, so in the event of an accident, the windows will be the only source of light. In addition, when the curtains are raised, a person's eyes get used to daylight, and in an emergency it will be easier to navigate.

Through the open porthole, rescuers, if necessary, will be able to see the situation on the plane and make the right decision to help with the evacuation.

The plastic window shade can cause injury. When seated very firmly, the plastic splits and debris can injure the face or body parts.

According to the instructions, the crew has only 90 seconds to evacuate passengers from the plane, so you should not neglect the safety rules during the flight: it is not at all difficult to open the window shade.

Preview photo credit depositphotos

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Airplanes are a different world. Stewardesses speak Klingon, there are incomprehensible rules around, and underfoot - 10 thousand meters of free flight. Somehow uncomfortable, in general. But now he will dispel the mysterious halo around air travel and tell you how everything works there.

Why are they being asked to turn off phones on board? You'd think my text message would drop the Boeing.Dropping will not drop, but interference from a call or message (remember the characteristic noise in the radio a second before the incoming call?) Can drown out some very, very important information that the uncle from the ground tells the uncle to the pilot. For example, about the fact that it is impossible to take off yet, because another plane lands on the course - 400 tons of metal at a speed of 250 km per hour.

And if both pilots pass out, will the autopilot land the plane?No. If autopilots were that smart, they would already unionize and go on strikes, and crowds of unemployed pilots would scatter around the world. The autopilot does nothing by itself, without human control - it's just a system that makes it easier to fly. Word is smart too, but he still can't write an article for Pics.

Why are there ashtrays in aircraft toilets, if you can't smoke there anyway?You can't, but they smoke. Therefore, airlines approach the issue with a share of healthy fatalism - if you do sin, then at least do not lead others to sin and put out your cigarette butts in an ashtray, and not in an urn full of paper.

Even a fly will not be full of an airplane lunch. Can I have some supplements?You can, why not. Usually, for gluttons like you (or in case someone bangs a box of food on the floor), 8-15 spare meals are taken on board. By the way, the box made of foil into which the hot is packed is called "cassette". You can shine with this knowledge.

And what do the pilots eat?In many airlines, each pilot is given his own special food box, which is different from the food of the other crew members. This is done for safety reasons - if the fish suddenly turns out to be stale (unlikely, but still) only one pilot will fail, and the one who ate the chicken will bring the plane to the airport cheerfully. But this is more likely a reassurance. Airplane food has a shelf life of several hours. Therefore, when the plane is delayed, food prepared in advance for passengers and crew is unloaded and replaced with fresh food.

Why raise the window shades and seat back during takeoff and descent?The backrest is raised to make it easier for people who are sitting right behind you to get into the aisle and evacuate in the case of Achtung. The table is fixed because in the event of a sharp braking, it can stick into your ribs, and the curtains are opened so that (again, if something happens) the flight attendants can orient themselves in the smoke-filled cabin and take the passengers outside.

The wings are swinging! Now they will fall off and we will all die!The wing of an airplane is experiencing such loads, in comparison with which your working rush is a sandbox and daisies. The wings are flexible and can be bent at an angle of almost 45 degrees if desired. Calm down already, finish your lunch.

What if some nutcase opens the door at a height?Well, let him try. At an altitude of 10 km, the emergency exit door has a pressure of 7-10 tons - 5 tons per square meter. That is, a psycho must also be a strong man, armed with a jack. But this will not help him either - the door is hung with electronic and mechanical locks.

Where does the contents of the toilet go?No, not overboard. Otherwise, the whole of Europe would have been fucked up for a long time - so many planes fly over it that it dazzles in the eyes. Hurricane wind in the toilet when pressing the “flush” button is not a depressurization, but a special air flush. All goodness falls into a special tank, which is then cleaned out on the ground.

How deep are the air pockets?The heart flies up to the throat, and the coffee - to the ceiling, and the plane falls, falls ... Yes, it does not fall anywhere. While you say goodbye to life, remember your mom, dad and your first love, the plane moves in space by a couple of tens of centimeters. The sensation of falling is an inadequate reaction of the vestibular apparatus, which, in general, is not intended for flights. In moments of the most monstrous turbulence, which turns the cabin into a shaker and makes food carts gallop down the aisles, the plane “falls” by 5-7 meters. Most likely, you will never come across such, even if you fly daily. Life hack: you feel less turbulence near the wing.

How is my Bobik without me, in the luggage compartment?Bobik is very sad, dark and scary there, but Bobik's life is out of danger - cats, dogs and hamsters do not fly with their luggage. They have a special compartment that is ventilated and heated. At an altitude, the temperature reaches -60C, and there is almost no oxygen in the atmosphere, so if there weren't a special nook for the animals, no one would have reached their destination. But still there is no “Hilton”, let's face it. Your microscopic chair in the housekeeper with a screaming baby next door is much more comfortable.

What if I get caught having sex in the toilet?Most likely, nothing will happen. One awkwardness. If you quietly retired in a booth and, without frapping, enter your names on the list of Mile High Club members, you are unlikely to be fined or otherwise punished. And by the way, there are always two oxygen masks in the toilet cubicle. Accident? We don’t think so. The best time for amorous pleasures is lunch, when the flight attendants are busy distributing the rations, and the passengers are waiting for it. But keep in mind - if the toilet is occupied for more than 15 minutes, the staff may become anxious and open the booth outside. Yes it is possible. But we do not recommend sex in the cabin - inconvenience, police, court, fine and a place of honor on the airline's blacklist are guaranteed ...