Why planes have hypnotic spirals painted on their jet engines
Published on Sep 23, 2025 at 7:23 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Sep 23, 2025 at 8:47 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Planes have hypnotic spirals painted on the front of their jet engines, and many of us have been left wondering why.
The spirals are interesting to watch and quite fun, as they spin round and round and can have us all in a trance.
Yet while they might be hypnotic and arty, they do serve a purpose beyond just looking pretty at the front of the aircraft.
In fact, not only is there more going on than meets the eye, but the spirals actually date as far back as World War II.
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The origins of the hypnotic spirals
Turns out that it was safety concerns that led to the spirals being added to the aircraft engines.
This practice began during the Second World War.
They were placed on the front of the engines to identify that one is up and running.
It is more of a problem in jet engines.
This is due to the speed of the turbines and how fast they run.
The spirals act as a visual cue to the ground crew to avoid being sucked into an aircraft engine.
During World War 2, the tips of propellers were dabbed, usually with white paint.
When the engines ran, the white was clearly visible against the black of the rest of the propellers.
This helped the ground crew on both sides of the conflict to identify that the engine was up and running.
The spirals still serve a purpose on jet engines
With a jet engine, the spiral is painted onto the cone seen at the front of the engine itself.
It becomes highly visible with the engine spinning.
It helps the ground crew who are perhaps wearing ear defenders.
A glance can sometimes not be enough to determine that an engine is on and running.
There is also a theory that the spirals aid in preventing bird strikes, such as the one over the Hudson River.
The theory is that the spinning white makes the engine appear different to a bird.
Otherwise, the jet engine looks like a cave to the bird.
So while it looks like they are just there for decoration, the engine spirals actually do serve a very useful purpose or two.
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Henry joined the Supercar Blondie team in February 2025, and since then has covered a wide array of topics ranging from EVs, American barn finds, and the odd Cold War jet. He’s combined his passion for cars with his keen interest in motorsport and his side hustle as a volunteer steam locomotive fireman at a leading heritage steam railway in England.
