Have you ever wondered why cabin crew on commercial flights ask you to raise your window shade for takeoff and landing?
We asked around the office and got all sorts of answers, from passenger curiosity to conspiracy theories about terrorism threats.
We decided to ask Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) corporate communications manager Peter Gibson to explain the real reason behind it.
"The simple answer is, for safety reasons," Gibson told Business Insider Australia. "In case of an emergency, cabin crew need to decide which side of the aircraft is safest to disembark from. Leaving the window shade up allows them to make a quick call."
Gibson said the measures were part of commercial airline safety procedures in Australia and applied to all large commercial aircraft.
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