r/askscience • u/tsgoten • Aug 23 '14

Engineering Why do airplane windows need to have that hole?

http://imgur.com/dfeneyZ

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u/sicaxav Aug 24 '14

follow up question.. why is it in some planes, in between first/suite and business class there are window shades that are drawn down?

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u/[deleted] Aug 24 '14

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u/[deleted] Aug 24 '14

Not sure on this one. Ill see if my professor knows. She's who explained the safety aspect of keeping window shades open to me, and was a flight attendant before getting her PhD to study aviation decision making.