# Paranoia fun - airplane windows

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paranoia-fun-airplane-windows/196989>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 22, 2003, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paranoia-fun-airplane-windows/196989 "2003-08-22T18:38:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paranoia-fun-airplane-windows/196989/41 "2003-08-25T12:13:21Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by pilot141 \*  
> \*\*There have been no changes to exit doors on passenger airliners recently. We have no control of exit doors from the cockpit- all we have are indications of which doors are open or closed. The only door that we have control over is the cockpit door. These HAVE been changed since 9/11, and are much more secure than before. \*\*

**Sigh** 🙂

Isn’t that what I said?

V

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**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paranoia-fun-airplane-windows/196989/42 "2003-08-25T12:20:38Z")

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BTW, what _exactly_ does “cross check” mean with respect to the airplane doors?

And I’ve also heard the flight attendents tell about “arming the doors”. Are they referring to the slides?

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**Author:** ![ummm.yeahh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ummm.yeahh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ummm.yeahh)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paranoia-fun-airplane-windows/196989/43 "2003-08-25T13:07:06Z")

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Thanks for your input **pilot141**. I appreciate your knowledgable responses.

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**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paranoia-fun-airplane-windows/196989/44 "2003-08-25T13:45:49Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Anthracite \*  
> \*\*BTW, what _exactly_ does “cross check” mean with respect to the airplane doors?
> 
> And I’ve also heard the flight attendents tell about “arming the doors”. Are they referring to the slides? \*\*

Arming the door as you so rightly said activates the escape slide system. The means vary with each aircraft type. For example on a Boeing 757 when activated, the door operation would be assisted by compressed gas, and the slide would deploy automatically. The doors are notoriously heavy and awkward to manipulate so you need some help in an emergency!  
I can’t help with “cross check” unless it means another attendant has to verify if the door is locked and armed.

V

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