airplane trivia facts

You must surely have seen several airplanes as they glide through the majestic sky, or had the chance to get aboard one. As one looks, many questions pop up regarding the plane or its services. These peculiar features make us wonder if it is there for a specific purpose or is just a designer’s wish.

Today we would be dealing with some frequently asked questions about airplanes that you must have wondered when they took off on their way to their destination:

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1. Why do airplanes have round windows?

Window shapes in an airplane are very important for the safety of the passengers. Square or rectangular windows have sharp edges which are the plane’s weak spots and are prone to cracking due to the high air pressure. Windows with rounded corners can distribute the stress to lower the risk of breaking. Circular or curved shapes can withstand high-pressure differences and resist cracks or other deformation.

Why Are Aircraft Windows Round
Aviation Voice

2. Why are the seats kept upright during takeoff and landing?

Keeping seats upright during take-off is a safety procedure for passengers. It’s a frightening fact, but most airplane accidents happen upon take-off or landing. In case the seats are kept reclined, it would make evacuation difficult in case of an emergency.

Furthermore, if someone is sitting in a reclined chair, there is a chance of head injury during bumpy landings as they would travel further and generate more force before slamming onto the seats in front of them.

seats kept upright during takeoff and landing
insider

3. Why are seatbelts in airplanes different from car seatbelts?

Car seatbelts have shoulder straps that are attached to the sturdy frame of a car or the car seat. Airplane walls and seats are not built for equipping shoulder straps and modifications for such would make the plane heavier. A heavy plane would mean a lot of fuel consumption and the cost of operation would increase.

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Further in airplanes, the belts have lift-lever buckles instead of push buttons like in cars. These belts are stronger and do not open by accident. They can be however opened manually in case of an emergency.

seatbelts in airplanes different from car seatbelts
Youtube

4. Can a plane door be opened mid-flight?

It is not possible to open the plane door while it is flying. The plane doors are mechanically locked and controlled by the pilot of the plane. The crew members or passengers can only open it manually once the plane lands and the pilot hands over control over the door. While the airplane is in flight, the cabin pressure is higher than the outside pressure, and that seals the door shut.

airplane door mid-flight
insider

5. Why does the airplane window have a hole?

In airplanes, the windows have three panes. The middle and outer layers play an important role in maintaining the air pressure between the cabin and outside. The middle pane has a hole, commonly called a ‘breather hole’ to balance air pressure between the passenger cabin and the air game between the panes.

This breather hole ensures that the outer pane bears the maximum pressure. In case of a strain, even if the outer pane cannot bear the stress and gives out, the middle and inner pane lets you breathe and stay safe. In addition to maintaining pressure, the hole also releases moisture from the air gap and prevents frost or fog formation on the window.

Why does the airplane window have a hole
aviationforaviators

6. Do you really need to to put your phone on airplane mode while flying?

One of the most curious question that may have came to your mind while you board a flight. Well, this is quite a tricky question. While many people believe that cell phone interferes with the equipment on airplane responsible for navigation. But it has never been proven so.

Aeroplane systems are built of high standards and are shielded to prevent from any outside interference. Still, for the sake of safety that the mobile doesn’t create any interference to the radio frequencies, potentially harming communication between the pilot and air traffic control.

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Even though a mobile phone signal probably won’t directly cause a plane crash, you should still do your part.

why airplane mode in flights
techadvisor

7. Why does in-flight food taste bad?

Food items provided on a plane are prepared in advance. To preserve and prevent the food from drying out, a lot of fluids, like sauce, are added to it. Though this makes the food taste weird and non-savory.

The background noise dampens our sense of taste while the dry air suppresses our sense of smell. Our palate cannot perceive the intensity of different tastes like saltiness and sweetness. The food, that is made to taste good on the ground ends up tasting bland in the air.

food on an airplane
businessinsider

8. Why the cabin temperature is kept low?

The temperature aboard a plane is purposefully kept cold to avoid the condition known as hypoxia. At a high altitude, your body may suffer from oxygen deficiency and in warm conditions, there is an increased chance of fainting. Furthermore, the low humidity also causes you to feel colder than it actually is.

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Why are cabin Temperatures are kept Low?
Irish Times

9. Why is tomato juice popular on planes?

It may pique your interest if you find that tomato juice is actually a very popular beverage on planes. Aboard a plane, food tastes different and sweet items taste less sweet. However, the background noise causes our taste of savoriness and juiciness to heighten. No wonder we crave tomato juice, which can even taste sweet due to the cabin pressure.

Tomato-juice-on-an-airplane-tray
budgettravel

10. Why do I feel like I am sinking after takeoff?

On an airplane, as it ascends, the rate of acceleration decreases which makes you feel weightless – it seems like your stomach is sinking. As the plane climbs into the sky, you were climbing with it too. As it comes to a specific level, the climb rate decreases but your body continues climbing due to the presence of inertia.

sinking feeling right after takeoff
USATODAY

11. Why do the wings of an airplane have red and green lights?

Every commercial plane has a green light on its right wing and a red light on the left wing. These lights are meant for navigation purposes – they flash simultaneously to increase the airplane’s visibility at night. The combination of these two lights makes sure that the plane is not mistaken for other flying objects like drones or balloons.

Why do the wings of an airplane have red and green lights
flightsafety

We hope your curious mind with questions about airplanes is satiated with these explanations. 

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Also read: 13 Everyday Things You Did Not Know The Real Use For

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A tech geek from NIT Warangal. I am currently pursuing my B.Tech in Electronics and Communications Engineering. I like to read about new topis from various fields as I find it interesting.