LifestyleUnveiling airplane oddities: Safety behind curious designs

Unveiling airplane oddities: Safety behind curious designs

Many tourists wonder about the small elements on airplanes and their functions. These include things like the small holes in windows and the yellow hooks placed on airplane wings. Everything has a purpose, often crucial for safety. Here's an explanation of what it's all about.

Not everyone knows what it's for.
Not everyone knows what it's for.
Images source: © Getty Images, wp tourism

Those who frequently fly and sit by the windows may have noticed three details: yellow hooks on airplane wings, black triangles on the walls, and holes in the windows.

The first element plays an important role in safety during an emergency landing. They aim to assist in evacuating via the wing and securing life rafts. In case of a water landing, safety ropes threaded through the hooks help passengers safely exit the plane.

Holes in the windows and black triangles on cabin walls

Many tourists are also puzzled by the small holes in airplane windows. These too have crucial significance for passenger safety and comfort. It turns out that the small openings regulate the pressure inside the airplane. They are designed to mitigate pressure differences between the aircraft's interior and the external environment.

The vent holes in the windows have another function. They allow moisture to escape from the cabin, preventing the windows from fogging up.

The most observant travellers might have also noticed that above some windows, on both sides of commercial airplanes, there are tiny black triangles. In short, the triangular marks indicate the spots with the best view of the airplane wings. They are used by the crew to inspect the wings, for example, before takeoff, to check the position of the flaps.

Ashtrays in the toilets

For some travellers, the ashtray in airplane toilets is also quite puzzling. Why is it installed there when smoking is prohibited on board? Such ashtrays are a legal requirement to provide a safe place to dispose of cigarettes. A place to extinguish a cigarette butt is needed in case a passenger does not follow the rules.

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