They are a quick way to check that the flight is going well

The process of entering a plane is anything but placid: a queue that seems eternal, making sure you don’t lose your luggage, your identification and other valuable objects, making sure you find your seat and where to put your suitcase. And in the middle, a lot of people in the same situation as you and who seem infinitely slower and more annoying than you. But that’s it, it’s already happened: you’ve already sat down, you’ve fastened your seatbelt and you’re waiting for takeoff.

My condolences if it has touched you in the middle. If you are in the hallway, congratulations: you will be able to stretch a little more and get out more easily. And if you are at the window, you can better observe the takeoff and landing and rest your head. And furthermore, you will see better that triangle over the window.

A triangle to enjoy the views and verify that everything is going well

Sometimes it is red, sometimes it is black and it is not on all the windows: in fact there are usually one or two triangles on each side of the cabin and at a certain height above the seat on the side wall, which is why you may never have noticed them. Because we usually know where the nearest emergency exit is (thanks to the explanations of the flight attendants team), but the triangle is not so easy to see even though it is of crucial importance.

In fact, you may have never seen it, but the cabin crew is very clear where it is both before and during the flight. As explains aviation expert and former commercial pilot Daniel Bubb, those triangles indicate the windows from which there is better vision of the wings. It is clear that in that window you can take very cool photos for Instagram, but the reason for being is different:

“Helping crew members when there is an emergency or a failure in the flaps, slats, engine or other parts (…) It allows them to identify the location of the problem more quickly.”

Knowing this, if you see the cabin crew looking out of that window from time to time it may give you a little respect, but a relatively frequent check does not mean that something is wrong, since it is also used to verify that the wing is deicing correctly and that everything is going well, he adds.

Small, private planes and some older models do not have them as long as the triangles They are not mandatory but they are useful for the crew, but it is normal that you will find at least two. Each of them is located on each side of the plane, just above the window that lines up with the edges of the wing on the outside. Of course, if the plane is larger, there may be two triangles on each side, thus marking the leading edge and trailing edge of the wing.

To that seat in aviation is known like the “William Shatner Seat”a cultural nod to the episode ‘Nightmare at 20,000 Feet’ of “The Twilight Zone“ October 1963 where Shatner saw a gremlin on the wing of the plane. I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing it, but yes that Simpsons reference in a House of Terror special.

Going in that seat has its advantages. The first is obvious: it offers a magnificent point of view for taking photographs and videos. However, it can also be useful if you are not too excited about flying: you can see for yourself how everything is fine and the de-icing process before takeoff. In addition, it offers a smoother flight sensation as turbulence and abrupt landing and takeoff are less noticeable.

It sounds so appealing that the next question would be to know which row that seat corresponds to, but as there are different models and configurations of airplanes, there is no single answer. Of course, if you want to increase the probability that it will be your turn, look at the seat map and select the ones closest to the ends of the wing. If one day you are lucky and your assigned seat is that, enjoy the views.

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Cover | Photo of Edwin Petrus in Unsplash