Exclusive: From switching off phones to round plane windows, common aircraft myths debunked

We got in touch with Captain Hamish Maxwell from Vistara, a Tata-SIA airline to discuss some of the common safety myths, interesting facts and other pertinent details about an aircraft.

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Studies over the years have proven that aviation, of all the forms of transport, brings the most joy and happiness. Be it watching an aircraft fly over your home or be it travelling on a plane, the happiness factor is far more than any other form of travel. But like every other good thing, aviation has its demerits too, safety being at the very top. Many people have an innate fear of flying and the recent spree of crashes, including Boeing 737 Max further aggravated it. Also, strict rules and regulations like switching off the phone or opening the window shades confuse people even more.

Studies have also found that even the seasoned travellers are not aware about the reasons behind all these strict guidelines inside an aircraft. We got in touch with Captain Hamish Maxwell from Vistara Airline, a Tata-SIA alliance venture to discuss on some of these common safety myths, interesting facts and other pertinent details that will help you fly with a peaceful mind next time you board any of the aircraft. Here's our QnA-

Why does your seat need to be upright for take-off and landing?

Captain Hamish Maxwell - Keeping the seats upright provides more space for passengers to get to the aisle, which makes evacuation easier in the case of an emergency. Also, it also helps limit injuries to passengers who would otherwise find it harder or take longer to get into the brace position if the seat isn’t secured in its upright position.

Why do window shades need to be up for take-off and landing?

Captain Hamish Maxwell - Passengers are requested to keep window shades open while take-off and landing to ensure emergency preparedness. If an emergency occurs on the runway, passengers and crew may be required to evacuate the airplane immediately. In such a scenario, open window shades would help the crew to be aware of the surroundings, weather condition, terrain etc. which will help them to execute an efficient evacuation.

Why would pilots dump fuel before landing the airplane?

Captain Hamish Maxwell - Some large airplanes have a fuel dumping capability which is used in certain situations to reduce aircraft weight. When an airplane takes off, it is usually heavier than its landing weight limit as it is expected to burn fuel during the flight to reach this weight threshold by the time it is close to its destination. However, in situations when the aircraft must land earlier, due to various reasons including emergency landing, pilots may decide to dump the fuel to reduce the aircraft's weight.

Dumping fuel ensures that the airplane can be flown at a lower speed during approach and landing so that it can be stopped within the available runway length and within its certified landing weight.

Why are cabin lights are dimmed for take-off and landing?

Captain Hamish Maxwell - The reasons to dim the cabin lights during take-off and landing are similar to why window shades are required to be open. It takes a while for our eyes to fully adjust to a dark environment. Dimming the lights helps passengers in adapting to low light. This can make a significant difference in case of an emergency at night if everyone is required to evacuate. Also, in dim light, emergency lighting and illuminated pathways are more visible.

Why do you need to put your mobile phones on airplane mode/ switch off?

Captain Hamish Maxwell - Mobile phone signals can interfere with aircraft navigation and landing guidance systems. By putting the mobile phones on the airplane mode, it switches off the connection to cellular and Wi-Fi networks, thereby preventing any potential interference with the aircraft equipment.

Why are airplane windows round in shape?

Captain Hamish Maxwell - Stress caused due to the pressure difference between the cabin and outside atmosphere gets concentrated at corners, where the edges of square windows meet, which may cause damage to the fuselage. Circular windows have the ability to survive extreme pressure differences as they avoid concentration of pressure by allowing the stress to be distributed evenly, thereby preventing damage to the aircraft.