What These Black Triangle-shaped Stickers In Aeroplanes Indicate

The aviation sector follows numerous rules and regulations, which usually appear as a mystery for passengers, if unaware. A similar incident took place after a passenger posted his query on Quora – a public interactive platform, about the existence of a black triangle-shaped sticker above one of the seats in an aircraft. He wondered about the reason for the sticker, as it was not present above every seat in the plane, but the only ones which were adjacent to the wings. Responding to this query, one of the users said that the black triangle marks the location of what has been called ‘William Shatner’s Seat’ – the seat with the clearest view of the wings. The responses have gone viral now.

According to Reader’s Digest website, this black triangle is made in line with the wing of the plane. More than passengers, this mark is useful for the plane’s personnel, that is pilots or flight attendants, in case of emergencies. If there is a problem on-board and the crew is unsure about the condition of the aircraft, then this mark indicates the cabin crew for the window that should be used to inspect flaps, and slats or to look out for icing which may form due to height.

There are usually four of these triangles in the cabin. One to inspect the forward of the wing for icing, the slats and the engine on each side and one at the back of the wing for the flaps. This is extremely beneficial in the case of an emergency, as the crew doesn’t have to search for the right window to visually inspect the wings of the plane.

On Quora, many netizens also said that these stickers look easily detachable and can be removed by anyone. To this, users responded and said that it’s part of the flight attendants’ duty to make sure that all the triangles are intact.

Apart from cabin crew, passengers can also benefit from this mark. Many times people who feel nauseous in the plane prefer to take a seat near the wing. Since the wings are always in the middle, the seats beside them receive less shocks when compared to other seats. Apart from this, sitting in the middle makes the plane more balanced.