Journal LehiNephi's Journal: Boeing, Airbus et al: a request 2
Over the last few months, I've done a fair amount of travel for my job. This has led me to ask this question:
Why, oh why, are airplane windows so small?
You see, as I sat on a flight from Paris down to my destination in Africa, I noticed that from our altitude, the view of the stars was absolutely breathtaking. I blocked as much cabin light as I could with my pillow, shaded my eyes, and wondered at how well I could see so clearly. Except I couldn't see much. Because of the thickness of the window (triple-paned), and its small size, my view was severely restricted. And I had to twist around to a rather uncomfortable position in my seat in order to get a decent view.
In fact, it would seem that airplane windows are sized and positioned as to be as useless as possible. Sure, if you happen to be flying at sunset and the plane happens to be pointed in the right direction and you have a window seat on the correct side of the plane, you'll get a good view. But you can see sunsets from the ground. What do people want to look at when they're up in an airplane? The ground, of course. Or, as in my case, if they notice the brilliant sky above, they'll want to look at the stars. But you can't get a decent view of either without smashing your face up against the glass, and even then, your view gets distorted by the three panes separating you from the outside.
You would think that after some fifty-plus years of jet airline design and construction, airplane manufacturers would have noticed that their windows are inadequate for any practical purpose. But no, windows are only slightly larger in the upcoming Dreamliner as they were in the DC-3.
C'mon, Boeing. You've made planes attractive for the airlines by making them more efficient. Now make them more attractive to passengers by improving the view.
While you're at it, those seats could use some work, too.
Why, oh why, are airplane windows so small?
You see, as I sat on a flight from Paris down to my destination in Africa, I noticed that from our altitude, the view of the stars was absolutely breathtaking. I blocked as much cabin light as I could with my pillow, shaded my eyes, and wondered at how well I could see so clearly. Except I couldn't see much. Because of the thickness of the window (triple-paned), and its small size, my view was severely restricted. And I had to twist around to a rather uncomfortable position in my seat in order to get a decent view.
In fact, it would seem that airplane windows are sized and positioned as to be as useless as possible. Sure, if you happen to be flying at sunset and the plane happens to be pointed in the right direction and you have a window seat on the correct side of the plane, you'll get a good view. But you can see sunsets from the ground. What do people want to look at when they're up in an airplane? The ground, of course. Or, as in my case, if they notice the brilliant sky above, they'll want to look at the stars. But you can't get a decent view of either without smashing your face up against the glass, and even then, your view gets distorted by the three panes separating you from the outside.
You would think that after some fifty-plus years of jet airline design and construction, airplane manufacturers would have noticed that their windows are inadequate for any practical purpose. But no, windows are only slightly larger in the upcoming Dreamliner as they were in the DC-3.
C'mon, Boeing. You've made planes attractive for the airlines by making them more efficient. Now make them more attractive to passengers by improving the view.
While you're at it, those seats could use some work, too.
Pressure... (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Seriously, everybody complains about airline seats, but if we were effectively entertained, or even just distracted, I'm sure we wouldn't notice the seats so much.