So, you’re cruising at 30,000 feet, enjoying the view, and then bam! You notice these little holes in your airplane window. Panic mode, right? Well, hold on. Those tiny holes are actually a good thing.
When we’re up in the air, our radar for strange things is on high alert. Those small holes in the plane window trigger a mini freak-out. But, fellow travelers, there’s absolutely no need to stress when you see them.
Believe it or not, those holes serve a purpose, and it’s all about the pressure up there in the sky. The higher the plane goes, the less oxygen there is. That can make passengers feel a bit light-headed.
At a whopping 35,000 feet, passengers might even black out due to the super low air pressure. To avoid such unwanted scenarios, airplane cabins are designed to maintain higher pressure than the outside atmosphere.
Now, dealing with all this pressure stuff can be tough on both the plane and passengers. And here’s where those little holes, also known as bleed holes, come into play. They’re like tiny pressure valves that help regulate the changing air pressure.
As spilled by The Sun on a laid-back Wednesday (3/1/2024), these holes are doing a crucial job. They’re there to handle the pressure differences when the plane is on the ground versus soaring through the clouds.
Pilot Mark shed some light on it: “Pilots design the two outer windows to withstand the pressure differences between the cabin and the sky. Both the middle and outer panels are strong enough to handle these differences on their own, but in normal conditions, it is the outer panel that bears this pressure thanks to the bleed hole.”
But that’s not all – these small holes also let water vapor escape from the window, preventing things from getting too foggy.
Megan Gougeon, a seasoned traveler with over 300 flights under her belt, threw in her two cents: “Airlines don’t talk much about it, but it plays a significant role in keeping us safe and comfortable during flights.”
So, the next time you’re up there and you see a cracked window, just remember – most airplane windows have multiple panels, and only the inner one cracks. You’re still in the safe zone.