Flight from Singapore to Penang

Question: Why are aircraft windows round?

ANS: Airplane windows were mostly square until the 1950s where commercial jetliner is more popular and aircrafts start playing at higher altitudes and faster. Since sharp corners are weak spots where stress concentrates, the glass there has the tendency to break. When subjected to repeated pressurisation, the four corners were subjected to stress and this caused multiple fatalities. However, curved windows have no focal point, which distributes the stress evenly across the window. It is also more resistant to deformation and can survive the differences in pressure between the exterior and interior of aircraft.

Question: Why is there a hole in some aircraft windows but none in ours?

ANS: The name of the hole in the aircraft window is the bleed hole. It is situated in the 2nd layer of the glass pane in the aircraft window. The purpose of the small bleed hole in the middle pane is to allow pressure to equilibrate between the passenger cabin and the air gap between the panes so that the cabin pressure during flight is applied to only the outer pane. The bleed hole also prevents the window from fogging up. Some aircrafts do not have the bleed hole as the windows are specially designed in a way such that the hole is not needed. 

Question: Why is there smoke going into the aircraft before some takeoffs?
ANS: The smoke going into the aircraft before takeoffs are water vapours. The water vapour will condense to tiny water droplets when the temperature of the aircraft reaches the dew point. Our aircraft do not have this before takeoff as the conditions within the aircraft is not satisfied to reach the dew point and thus no water vapour is condensed.



Question: Why do aircrafts fly above the clouds?

ANS: The air in the earth’s atmosphere becomes thinner as the altitude increases. When the air becomes thinner, it offers less resistance to objects flying through; this is why less thrust is required to move the aircraft. This, in turn, helps the aircraft fly more efficiently. Flying too close to the clouds may make it hard for the pilot to see and crosswinds may lead to air turbulence.

Question: Why is batteries and power banks hand carried?

ANS: Lithium-ion Batteries and power banks are fire hazards on planes. While the fire hazard is not reduced when the batteries and power banks are hand carried, it is far easier and less risky for the crew to handle a potential fire than having a fire spreading in the cargo area.