I found this video. If you've ever flown (or not) and wondered what using the emergency escape slide would be like, this might give you an idea. The simulation team did a good job maintaining a high level of stress, yelling at everyone and pushing them out the door. It's pretty cool to see how fast a plane can be evacuated if everyone cooperates and follows directions.
Tips for successful use of an airplane emergency slide:
1. Leave your suitcase behind. There's always a handful of people who think they need to rescue their underwear. Forget your manners and shove them down the aisle. Suitcases take up precious space in the aisles when people are trying to escape, and they can cause problems on the slides.
2. JUMP from the airplane, don't try to sit down on the slide and proceed in a dainty and dignified manner. Your hesitation could cause the person at the end of the line to die. Seriously.
3. Keep your feet down on the slide and your arms crossed over your chest to avoid friction burns and willy-nilly shifting about on the slide. You really don't want to crash into the ground at the bottom.
4. When you get to the bottom, move out of the way- to the side. Don't just stand there and revel in your freedom (or snapping a few upskirt photos for your blog). Other people behind you will have no objection to crash-landing on top of you.
(Don't give up- there's something good at the end of the post!)
(Did you just skip ahead to the end? Shame on you!)
Some related tips:
1. You shouldn't wear high heels or [Unconfirmed*] pantyhose when you fly. Pantyhose melt in high heat, so if your plane is on fire, guess where those melted pantyhose are gonna stick?
2. If you're in an emergency exit row and you really aren't sure whether or not you'll be able to manage a difficult-to-open and heavy door in a life-or-death emergency, ask to change seats! Again, hesitation can cost lives in an extreme situation.
3. Count the rows between you and the exits both in front of, and behind you. Use it as a mantra as you take-off. It could save your life in a smoke-filled cabin.
4. Pay attention to the safety brief at the beginning of your flight. I've been flying for 40 years and I always listen, because the arrangements on your aircraft might be different from a previous one. Oh, and because I'm insanely paranoid.
5. Wear your seatbelt even if you don't have to. Passengers were injured on a flight just a few days ago due to unexpected turbulence. Seriously injured. They literally flew out of their seats into the air and smacked head-first into the ceiling.
After spending the past few days researching airplane safety and reading accounts of horrific accidents, I'm totally freaked out. But, I wouldn't hesitate a second to hop on another plane to Japan! Flight is still the safest form of travel. Statistically speaking, of course.
But back to something serious: my speech. I had to select a current event to speak on for four minutes, so I chose the recent 'mishap' in which pilots of an aircraft bound for Minneapolis overshot their mark by 150 miles and had to turn around. An investigation is in progress, which seems silly. It is quite apparent that this is what they were up to:
Tips for successful use of an airplane emergency slide:
1. Leave your suitcase behind. There's always a handful of people who think they need to rescue their underwear. Forget your manners and shove them down the aisle. Suitcases take up precious space in the aisles when people are trying to escape, and they can cause problems on the slides.
2. JUMP from the airplane, don't try to sit down on the slide and proceed in a dainty and dignified manner. Your hesitation could cause the person at the end of the line to die. Seriously.
3. Keep your feet down on the slide and your arms crossed over your chest to avoid friction burns and willy-nilly shifting about on the slide. You really don't want to crash into the ground at the bottom.
4. When you get to the bottom, move out of the way- to the side. Don't just stand there and revel in your freedom (or snapping a few upskirt photos for your blog). Other people behind you will have no objection to crash-landing on top of you.
(Don't give up- there's something good at the end of the post!)
(Did you just skip ahead to the end? Shame on you!)
Some related tips:
1. You shouldn't wear high heels or [Unconfirmed*] pantyhose when you fly. Pantyhose melt in high heat, so if your plane is on fire, guess where those melted pantyhose are gonna stick?
2. If you're in an emergency exit row and you really aren't sure whether or not you'll be able to manage a difficult-to-open and heavy door in a life-or-death emergency, ask to change seats! Again, hesitation can cost lives in an extreme situation.
3. Count the rows between you and the exits both in front of, and behind you. Use it as a mantra as you take-off. It could save your life in a smoke-filled cabin.
4. Pay attention to the safety brief at the beginning of your flight. I've been flying for 40 years and I always listen, because the arrangements on your aircraft might be different from a previous one. Oh, and because I'm insanely paranoid.
5. Wear your seatbelt even if you don't have to. Passengers were injured on a flight just a few days ago due to unexpected turbulence. Seriously injured. They literally flew out of their seats into the air and smacked head-first into the ceiling.
After spending the past few days researching airplane safety and reading accounts of horrific accidents, I'm totally freaked out. But, I wouldn't hesitate a second to hop on another plane to Japan! Flight is still the safest form of travel. Statistically speaking, of course.
But back to something serious: my speech. I had to select a current event to speak on for four minutes, so I chose the recent 'mishap' in which pilots of an aircraft bound for Minneapolis overshot their mark by 150 miles and had to turn around. An investigation is in progress, which seems silly. It is quite apparent that this is what they were up to:
* About pantyhose melting...A comment below made enough sense that I took some time this morning to look into the pantyhose-melting-to-your-skin warning. Lots of "it happened to my friend" stories exist, but I couldn't find any actual documentation of such an incident. Funny, because I've been given this admonition for many years. Upon further investigation (I use that term loosely; it really just means that I Googled some stuff), I found that Mary & Elwyn Edwards published a book in 1990 titled The Aircraft Cabin that focused on safety. Reportedly (I haven't read the book, nor do I intend to), a warning is given within the book that pantyhose may melt from friction when using an emergency slide. But until I have time to light a bonfire in the backyard, conscript a human test subject, and play with pantyhose, I'm going to alter my opinion to: Probably won't happen, but not ruling it out. I've seen these things melt before and it's icky. But ambient heat melting them? Not sure without testing it out. Maybe I'll wrap a Barbie in pantyhose and stick her in the oven.
At any rate, I came across enough other facts about pantyhose and hygiene that furthered my resolve to never wear them again. Besides, stockings look cool. :)
At any rate, I came across enough other facts about pantyhose and hygiene that furthered my resolve to never wear them again. Besides, stockings look cool. :)
3 comments:
I hate to burst your bubble, but if the heat on a plane gets hot enough to melt your pantyhose, believe me that's the least of your worries. Almost the entire interior of the aircraft is made out of plastic.
Then why does the flight Crew wear pantyhose?
Burst my bubble? No bubble. Just maybe some irresponsible parroting of unsubstantiated information? It happens sometimes.
But now I'm gonna have to set something on fire and check out this pantyhose thing. I won't bother melting plastic; that stuff's uber-sticky.
Thanks for stopping by.
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