Airplane Science

Forrest M. Mims III

There was a time when watching an airplane fly across the sky was a rare treat. Actually taking a ride in an airplane was an experience never to be forgotten.

Traveling by air has become so routine that frequent flyers often consider commercial aircraft as airborne buses or trains. Business travelers often pass the time working on their laptops. Vacationers might read a book or watch the movie.

Except for first time flyers, looking out the window doesn't seem to be as popular as it was in the days when traveling by air was much less common. One indicator I've noticed is the very small number of passengers who take photographs through their window. A more certain indicator is the number of window screens that are slammed shut when the flight attendants order passengers to close their windows when a movie is about to be shown.

This poses a dilemma for those of us who never cease to be amazed by the view from 37,000 feet. How do we take pictures of passing aircraft and contrails? How do we capture images of high altitude cirrus clouds, snow-covered landscapes, cities, lakes, islands and ships at sea?

My window stays partially open when TV reruns and movies are being shown. This permits general viewing, photography and measurements of the haze and water vapor outside the aircraft using sunlight instruments.

This partially open policy began after an obviously annoyed flight attendant ordered me to close my fully open window.

This presented a dilemma, for airline passengers are required by Federal law to obey the instructions of crew members. So I politely explained that I paid for a window seat to study and photograph clouds from aircraft.

The flight attendant wasn't impressed, so I said there was a time when early balloonists risked their lives to make photographs like those anyone can make from an aircraft window.

This didn't work either, so I said that my window seat ticket was purchased under the assumption that passengers could look outside. The flight attendant replied that the rest of the passengers wanted to watch the reruns and that sunlight from my window was interfering with their view. So I suggested a compromise, closed my window half way, and she left.

The Wilbur Wright Aerial Photography Society is the solution to this impasse. Wright co-invented the airplane and made the first photo from one almost a century ago. When ordered to close their windows by flight attendants, window seat passengers need only display their WWAPS membership card and a camera.

At least that's the way it's supposed to work. So far WWAPS has only one member, but that's a start. The virtual membership card will soon be ready, and I'll let you know what happens if I need to put it to use on an upcoming flight.

What do you think? Please send your comments to Backscatter . Or begin a discussion about this on the SAS Community Forum . See you there.