They’re the aircraft features hiding in plain sight – that you’ve probably never noticed.
From black triangles to yellow hooks on the wings and tiny holes in the windows, they’re design elements with one purpose – safety.
Read on to find out how these seemingly insignificant details could save your life.
Wing hooks
Most planes have small yellow hooks mounted to their wings.
They’re tiny – but a crucial feature that could save lives in the unlikely event of a crash.
Wing hooks serve as tethering points for safety ropes in the event of a crash
That’s because their purpose is to aid evacuations over the wing and to secure life rafts.
A safety rope is fed through them from the door to help passengers walk out over the wing in the case of a water landing.
After all, the wing is likely to be wet and slippery.
If a life raft is deployed, the rope can be used to tether it and help passengers steady themselves as they clamber towards it.
Axe
The UK Civil Aviation Authority and the Federal Aviation Administration both mandate that all flight decks in medium to large aircraft must contain an axe.
They are normally kept in the cockpit and are known as ‘crash axes’.
Their purpose?
To enable crew to cut away panels in the event of a fire.
Handles by the exits
These handles help crew hold on tight as they assist people out of the emergency exit and stop panicked passengers from pushing them down the slide
The handles located on either side of the emergency exit doors are in place to help crew steady themselves as passengers exit in the event of an evacuation.
It’s likely that some passengers will be panicking and may potentially shove flight attendants down the slide.
The handles mean they can remain stationed in the cabin to help flyers escape the cabin.
Black triangles
Many planes have small black triangles on the cabin walls.
If crew wish to inspect wings from the cabin, they use black triangles on the walls to find them
These mark the position of the wings and are used by crew members in case they need to inspect them.
For example, a pilot may wish to manually check the position of the slats or flaps before take-off.
Window holes
Ever wondered what that slightly disconcerting hole in a plane window is for?
It’s to ensure that in the event of a pressure-related issue, the outer pane of glass cracks first.
Window holes ensure that in the event of a pressure-related issue, the outer pane of glass cracks first. Compromised outer windows are easier to spot during inspections
Windows on commercial planes typically have three panes – outer, middle and inner – made of acrylic and glass.
Aviation engineering expert Philip Spiers explained that the plastic pane on the inside of the plane prevents passengers getting access to the glass panes in the middle and on the outside.
The hole is in the middle pane of glass, with an air gap separating it from the outside pane. The hole helps maintain the pressure differential and directs it onto the outer pane rather than the inner pane.
Mr Spiers said: ‘If the pane was sealed [and didn’t have a hole in it], all the pressure in the cabin would act on the inside pane of glass. You want [this pressure] to act on the outside pane because if there is a problem with the outside it would be possible to see it during inspection.
‘If this pressure blows that pane out, the inside pane is still strong enough to hold the pressure. You don’t want to see the inside pane fail first as the inspectors wouldn’t see that. Plus, this gives enough time for the plane to drop to a lower altitude to manage the issue.’
Ashtrays
Smoking is banned on modern planes, but ashtrays are mandated nevertheless in case passengers flout the rules.
Ashtrays are installed next to the toilets as a safety measure – just in case.
Smoking is banned on modern planes, but ashtrays are mandated nevertheless in case passengers flout the rules