A / C Window blinds
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A / C Window blinds
Can you help please? I am not employed in the sphere of aviation, although I am an enthusiast of many years standing.
On my last two commercial flights (U.K. based operators) part of the pre-landing brief for passengers was to "ensure that the window blinds were in the open position".
Can someone in the industry tell me why this is, please? Thank you.
On my last two commercial flights (U.K. based operators) part of the pre-landing brief for passengers was to "ensure that the window blinds were in the open position".
Can someone in the industry tell me why this is, please? Thank you.
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Generally speaking all window blinds should be open, both for take off and landing, during the day and during the night.
With the window blinds open many things come into the game ... both cabin crew and pax see what is going on outside, in normal operations or during an emergency landing/evacuation.
Also it will allow everybody's eyes to adapt to the exterior lighting ... just in case of any "unexpected events"
Have to say that not all countries adopt the same procedures, and even different airlines in the same country may adopt different procedures.
Happy landings to all, and next time ... remember your window blinds open during T/O and landing, is worth it not only for the views you might get
Saying so as you know I am based in wonderful Venice, the scenario you get during those two phases of the flight are without any doubt delightful, so everyone is admiring it!!! ... can't remember when was the last time I ask someone to open a window blind now that we talk about it
With the window blinds open many things come into the game ... both cabin crew and pax see what is going on outside, in normal operations or during an emergency landing/evacuation.
Also it will allow everybody's eyes to adapt to the exterior lighting ... just in case of any "unexpected events"
Have to say that not all countries adopt the same procedures, and even different airlines in the same country may adopt different procedures.
Happy landings to all, and next time ... remember your window blinds open during T/O and landing, is worth it not only for the views you might get
Saying so as you know I am based in wonderful Venice, the scenario you get during those two phases of the flight are without any doubt delightful, so everyone is admiring it!!! ... can't remember when was the last time I ask someone to open a window blind now that we talk about it
Last edited by Xenia; 7th Mar 2003 at 08:31.
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A couple of supplementary questions if I may, and thanks for the replies from within the industry so far that, although I did not ask the original question, I found interesting and instructive.
1. Many airlines dim cabin lights on take-off and landing at night. Is this so that eyes are already adjusted to the level of emergency lighting should an incident occur?
2. On overnight flights from the USA/Canada if I am seated next to the window, which is always my aim, I like to have the blinds up so I can look out. Even if it is pitch black outside I much prefer this to inflight entertainment and I cannot sleep on an aircraft. Am I ever likely to be told by cabin crew to close the blind for the sake of the majority of passengers who seem to close the blinds at night? It hasn't happened yet but I wonder what airlines' policies/cabin crew reactions are to this.
1. Many airlines dim cabin lights on take-off and landing at night. Is this so that eyes are already adjusted to the level of emergency lighting should an incident occur?
2. On overnight flights from the USA/Canada if I am seated next to the window, which is always my aim, I like to have the blinds up so I can look out. Even if it is pitch black outside I much prefer this to inflight entertainment and I cannot sleep on an aircraft. Am I ever likely to be told by cabin crew to close the blind for the sake of the majority of passengers who seem to close the blinds at night? It hasn't happened yet but I wonder what airlines' policies/cabin crew reactions are to this.
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I've been asked (well, told) to put the window blind down on a long sector (LHR-Singapore) when all I wanted to do was look at the stunning views below in broad daylight. There wasn't even the excuse of light bothering other passengers as I was on the left side (north side).
The reason given was that people wanted to sleep, and the light was disturbing them. What this meant was that pasengers got to Singapore at 4.30 in the afternoon, just as their body clocks wanted breakfast.
The reason I wanted the window blind open is that I have the idea that if you sleep when it's dark outside and are awake when it's light, the the sleep patterns are much less disrupted. Hence the request for a window seat, no point if you're not allowed to look out.
The reason given was that people wanted to sleep, and the light was disturbing them. What this meant was that pasengers got to Singapore at 4.30 in the afternoon, just as their body clocks wanted breakfast.
The reason I wanted the window blind open is that I have the idea that if you sleep when it's dark outside and are awake when it's light, the the sleep patterns are much less disrupted. Hence the request for a window seat, no point if you're not allowed to look out.
GwynM
I was also quite abruptly requested to put the blind down on a flight which left Beijing at 1000 local time and arrived at Heathrow at 1500 local. OK, it was on the south side of the aircraft, but nobody had complained to me. I kept it open until I had finished taking photos - still no complaints!
I was also quite abruptly requested to put the blind down on a flight which left Beijing at 1000 local time and arrived at Heathrow at 1500 local. OK, it was on the south side of the aircraft, but nobody had complained to me. I kept it open until I had finished taking photos - still no complaints!
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Slghtly off-topic
Glad the blind was there, on my flight back to UK from Tenerife on Friday.
Brand new Airbus (second passenger flight). Lovely aircraft, BUT, hideous Mytravel Airways colour scheme painted the engines dazzling orange-red - impossible for window seat passengers near the engines to see anything past the painful glare of the paintwork in the sunlight...
WHY do the rebranding experts make such a hash of things nowadays?
Bring back Airtours!
WS
Brand new Airbus (second passenger flight). Lovely aircraft, BUT, hideous Mytravel Airways colour scheme painted the engines dazzling orange-red - impossible for window seat passengers near the engines to see anything past the painful glare of the paintwork in the sunlight...
WHY do the rebranding experts make such a hash of things nowadays?
Bring back Airtours!
WS
Last edited by White Shadow; 16th Mar 2003 at 13:49.
Paxing All Over The World
White Shadow? 
I am a window person. I need to get some sense of travel, rather than just departing and arriving.
When told to put the window blind down, I creep it up from the bottom and, when I want to look out, hunch over it to obscure the light from others. When sitting back in my seat, I just nudge it up, so that there is a narrow stream of light coming in.
After some time, when the neighbours are asleep - I creep it up some more!!
It is alwasy good when they put the cabin lights out for t/o or landing, so that you can get a good night time view of whatever is out of the window. Even cloud is good!
So - power to your elbow, Noah, join the revolution.
I am a window person. I need to get some sense of travel, rather than just departing and arriving.
When told to put the window blind down, I creep it up from the bottom and, when I want to look out, hunch over it to obscure the light from others. When sitting back in my seat, I just nudge it up, so that there is a narrow stream of light coming in.
After some time, when the neighbours are asleep - I creep it up some more!!
It is alwasy good when they put the cabin lights out for t/o or landing, so that you can get a good night time view of whatever is out of the window. Even cloud is good!
So - power to your elbow, Noah, join the revolution.
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I quite agree PAXBoy! I tend to feel quite claustrophobic when the "deadlights" are dropped!
Coming back from Johannesburg a couple of years ago at 36,000 feet, as we traversed Botswana at night, there was a spectacular thunderstorm going on thousands of feet below - something I had never before experienced! Bealine would have been most "dis-chuffed" if he'd been asked to close his deadlight just then, I can tell you!
Coming back from Johannesburg a couple of years ago at 36,000 feet, as we traversed Botswana at night, there was a spectacular thunderstorm going on thousands of feet below - something I had never before experienced! Bealine would have been most "dis-chuffed" if he'd been asked to close his deadlight just then, I can tell you!
Paxing All Over The World
I know exactly what you mean about thunderstorms!
Riding back from JNB three weeks ago, there were storms for many hundreds of miles. Dreamy.
Riding back from JNB three weeks ago, there were storms for many hundreds of miles. Dreamy.
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There's always one isnt there! On every longhaul east bound theres one irritating @~+*?" who insists on disturbing the majority of pax who are trying to sleep by having the window blind open when everybody's body clocks are saying its sleep time! I don't care about what i should do; I care about the fact that my body says its 2am and I'm completely knackered despite the fact its sunny outside. Travelling in the dark with the blinds open is only marginally better because then the daylight is replaced with the cabin being lit up by the flashing anti- crash light.
Flying long haul isn't the most enjoyable experience in the world, and getting a few hours kip is the best way of getting through it, but hey as long as you can see out of the window, stuff the rest of us!
Flying long haul isn't the most enjoyable experience in the world, and getting a few hours kip is the best way of getting through it, but hey as long as you can see out of the window, stuff the rest of us!
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Well, lucky you atco-matic that you are able to sleep on an aeroplane.
There are some unfortunates who cannot; furthermore there is a minority of claustrophobics who need the feel of extra space that an unshuttered window brings. My wife happens to be one. I suppose your response would be that she should never travel by air in case it happens to affect your comfort in some small way.
I hope you enjoy your kips at 30,000 feet - perhaps occasionally you might just think of others who are not able to, for various reasons.
There are some unfortunates who cannot; furthermore there is a minority of claustrophobics who need the feel of extra space that an unshuttered window brings. My wife happens to be one. I suppose your response would be that she should never travel by air in case it happens to affect your comfort in some small way.
I hope you enjoy your kips at 30,000 feet - perhaps occasionally you might just think of others who are not able to, for various reasons.
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acto-matic
so you land in the evening after a good few hours kip? It's OK, but then it gets to night, and you're raring to go as your body clock says it's early morning, so you've got a problem.
Alternatively, sleep (if you can) when it's dark outside, be awake when it's light outside, and the body clock resets itself a lot quicker. Well, it works for me.
If the light causes such a problem, wear an eye mask. , and don't rant 
at those who appreciate the views from the windows
so you land in the evening after a good few hours kip? It's OK, but then it gets to night, and you're raring to go as your body clock says it's early morning, so you've got a problem.
Alternatively, sleep (if you can) when it's dark outside, be awake when it's light outside, and the body clock resets itself a lot quicker. Well, it works for me.
If the light causes such a problem, wear an eye mask.
, and don't rant at those who appreciate the views from the windows
Paxing All Over The World
Just to show how everything has an equal and opposite ...
Flying long haul is the most enjoyable experience in the world, and I always feel cheated if my body takes a few hours kip. Last Friday, I was on the daylight from JFK to LHR and wanted to enjoy the day but had had a very busy few days and did snooze for about two hours - most irritating!
Flying long haul isn't the most enjoyable experience in the world, and getting a few hours kip is the best way of getting through it
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Hello Folks. Thank you all for your answers to my original question.
Now can you answer me this, please? Recently flying on a 737, sat just forward of the wing for a good gawp down, window blind up of course, I noticed a small strake, or fence, or what ever you might call it, on the inboard side of the engine nacelle, just offset by a small way from top centre, towards the fuselage.
Can anyone tell me the purpose of these?
Any answers gratefully received. Thanks.
Now can you answer me this, please? Recently flying on a 737, sat just forward of the wing for a good gawp down, window blind up of course, I noticed a small strake, or fence, or what ever you might call it, on the inboard side of the engine nacelle, just offset by a small way from top centre, towards the fuselage.
Can anyone tell me the purpose of these?
Any answers gratefully received. Thanks.
Paxing All Over The World
I think you will find it is to take care of small 'eddies' of wind that would otherwise cause extra 'drag'. The intention is ensure that air flows past the aircraft as 'smoothly' as possible. If you think of watching a stream of water, you will know that even the smallest pebble can cause ripples and push the water flow. Air behaves in an almost identical way to water.
You will see similar things on the upper surface of wings - their size and position obviously varies with each aircraft type.
If you want an exact definition, look in the Technical Forum and you'll get the full answer.
You will see similar things on the upper surface of wings - their size and position obviously varies with each aircraft type.
If you want an exact definition, look in the Technical Forum and you'll get the full answer.
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Windows...
...aside from the emergency/evac reasons mentioned above, I think you'll find that aircraft designers put windows in planes so that pax have something to watch other than some God-awful inflight movie starring Britney Spears or the like. Can you imagine 300-plus bored pax on a long-haul from LHR-SYD??? Or perhaps the windows are there so that Special Forces can pick off terrorists/drunks/celebrities at their leisure?
Think about it. As someone else said, if you don't like the light, wear a mask. Or stick a blanket over your head. Not everyone sleeps on a plane (least of all me - especially jumpseating with the crew, sadly a thing of the past now.)
Have seen some absolute once-in-a-lifetime-views because I had my window shade up. And if people complain, I sneak it halfway up and shield the light with my body. No big deal. I have NEVER had a complaint. If did, I'd ask if they mind if I have the shade half-up half-down. Nothing like compromise. I want to know if I'm about to hit anything, or if the engine falls off. Can't beat first-hand information in the event of losing an engine. Who knows how many pax missed seeing smoke from an engine cos some prat made everyone shut the shades?
Somehow, I don't think you'll be worrying about adjusting your eyes if the a/c crashes!
Something to think about.
AN*
Think about it. As someone else said, if you don't like the light, wear a mask. Or stick a blanket over your head. Not everyone sleeps on a plane (least of all me - especially jumpseating with the crew, sadly a thing of the past now.)
Have seen some absolute once-in-a-lifetime-views because I had my window shade up. And if people complain, I sneak it halfway up and shield the light with my body. No big deal. I have NEVER had a complaint. If did, I'd ask if they mind if I have the shade half-up half-down. Nothing like compromise. I want to know if I'm about to hit anything, or if the engine falls off. Can't beat first-hand information in the event of losing an engine. Who knows how many pax missed seeing smoke from an engine cos some prat made everyone shut the shades?
Somehow, I don't think you'll be worrying about adjusting your eyes if the a/c crashes!
Something to think about.
AN*
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A / C Window Blinds
I always like to have my window blind up so that I can see out. The early morning departure (around 6am) Winter flights around sunrise are really bwoodiefull, lol 
Have I ever been asked to put my window blind down? Twice, on different airlines. Once was on Korean Air (Feb 3 this year BNE-ICN) when the movie was starting about 2 am. And the other time was on Ansett on a 767 arriving into Melbourne...we had just landed and the setting sun was coming in, blinding my seat companion...
SixStar
Have I ever been asked to put my window blind down? Twice, on different airlines. Once was on Korean Air (Feb 3 this year BNE-ICN) when the movie was starting about 2 am. And the other time was on Ansett on a 767 arriving into Melbourne...we had just landed and the setting sun was coming in, blinding my seat companion...
SixStar
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Whilst still on about window blinds, I've just watched a prog. on the box about "life at Heathrow", and the guy who is the ground handling agent for Qantas was doing his rounds on a 747 to make sure that everything was tickety-boo before the SLF came onboard, and he commented that the window blinds in the toilets are always in the closed position "as if anyone was going to be looking in at 34,000ft." he said with a chortle.
Quite so.
Quite so.
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Noah Zark,
It might expedite matters if one was seated on the throne looking out and suddenly saw a US fighter aircraft come alongside at 34,000 feet.
An extra roll of paper might be called for.
It might expedite matters if one was seated on the throne looking out and suddenly saw a US fighter aircraft come alongside at 34,000 feet.
An extra roll of paper might be called for.