It’s been a long day of packing, rushing, passport checking, luggage carrying, you name it. Finally, you’re on your seat and breathing easy for the first time in the past few hours, only to find that the sun is sniping you in the eye.
You probably go for the simplest solution: shutting off the window shutters. Yet, a few minutes later, a flight attendant comes and asks you to open it again.
A similar thing can happen during landing. You couldn’t sleep throughout the whole flight because of that screaming baby, but the baby has finally gone to sleep, and now it’s your turn to do the same.
The plane will land in like 20 minutes, but it’s still better than nothing. Your eyes are finally closed. However, here comes that flight attendant who opens the window shades to have you greeted by a sunbeam to the face.
Two scenarios, one question: What is going on? Why do flight attendants insist that the window shades stay up during take-off and landing?
Keeping the Window Shades Up Is Critical
Take-off and landing are the most critical parts of any flight. Did you know that pilots don’t even bother with the plane controls once it’s in the air?
There could be a few manual adjustments here and there, but for the most part, the auto-pilot is the actual pilot once the plane is in the air.
However, the same can’t be said during takeoff and landing, where the smoothness of both processes depends largely on the pilot’s skills.
Okay, that’s cool, but what do I, the sleep-deprived passenger, have to do with any of this?
You’re also the eyes and ears in the sky
The answer is quite simple. Keeping the windows open during takeoff and landing ensures maximum visibility, because you’re also the eyes and ears in the sky.
The pilot is looking ahead, there’s a handful of flight attendants here and there, but the real surveillance at that point comes from the numerous passengers on the plane.
Plus, the flight attendants have seen it over and over and may not even look outside the plane anymore. However, curious passengers and first-timers, whether it’s because of joy or fear, will scan the surrounding area constantly.
If you close the shades, you essentially transform the plan into a flying object that has no visibility at all from the sides.
Yes, the plane’s computer warns the pilot of any existing issues, but what if there’s a loose flap, something wrong with the wings, or a small fire that’s yet to cause a detectable problem? Your eyes serve as an early warning in this case.
Remember: It’s For Everyone’s Safety
Take off and landing are only small parts of the flight, but they are still the ones during which most accidents happen.
Keeping the window shades open at the time might be an inconvenience, especially if you’re tired, but it’s for everyone’s safety.
At the moment, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),doesn’t have any rules regarding the position of shades during flights but it’s still a good thing to leave them up during these phases
Whether or not you will be asked may vary depending on the airline you were flying with, however, it is usually always asked to passengers seated near the emergency exits.