TOP 10 AIRLINE SAFETY TIPS

"BlkAv8tor Checking In!!!"

This is some of the things you should know as safety tips. I have put my 2 cents in as well and I have highlighted my personal opinion in blue. Have a good flight!!!

1. Fly on Nonstop Routings
Most accidents occur during the takeoff, climb, descent, and landing phase of flight so flying nonstop would reduce exposure to these most accident prone phases of flight. The most critical times of flight are the first 5 minutes after take off and the last 15 minutes before landing. Most in-flight emergencies happen during these times. when an in-flight emergency happens during flight (at cruise) in most cases you have as much as 30-40 minutes of time to prepare, listen to safety instruction and your crew will ready the aircraft for what the emergency is.

2. Choose Larger Aircraft
Currently, aircraft with more than 30 passenger seats were all designed and certified under the strictest regulations. Also, in the unlikely event of a serious accident, larger aircraft provide a better opportunity for passenger survival. Now this is somewhat of an easy task depending largely what airport you’re flying out of. If it's a major airport like Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) then depending on where you’re going the odds are in your favor that making this choice will be easy. Now if you’re flying out of a smaller airport like Prescott Valley, Ernest A. Love Field (PRC) the odds are you will be on an aircraft that holds 19 passengers, definitely less than 30. The aircraft are safe and the pilots follow the same rules that the mainline carrier pilots do. Now experience levels could be different and flying the commuters are somewhat of a stepping stone to the majors but most pilots don't want to screw up to kill their chance of making it to a major carrier. Safety is going to be somewhat the same as a major airline but each situation is different. Make your own decisions about if you choose to fly on smaller aircraft or not.

3. Pay Attention to the Preflight Safety Briefing
Although the information seems repetitious, the locations of the closest emergency exits may be different depending on the aircraft that you fly on and seat you are in. That said I know most people will not pay attention to this. From emergencies on planes I have worked (it's been many) passengers don't listen when the situation is out of their control. Hopefully more do listen than don't but passengers are creatures of habit and will copy what the crew does. This is a little late if it's a decompression and the mask just appeared in your face. You won't see the flight attendants for a couple of minutes depending on the severity of the decompression till they get a chance to put on POB's (Portable Oxygen Bottles) and walk through the cabin to check the passengers are on oxygen and assess conditions. The best travelers are the ones best informed and are proactive during their travels and they don't lose minutes out of their lives because they were thinking ahead. Humor the crew and watch them perform the safety demo because it is different from airline to airline in how it's delivered.

4. Keep the Overhead Storage Bin Free of Heavy Articles
Overhead storage bins may not be able to hold very heavy objects duringturbulence or hard landing so if you or another passenger have trouble lifting an article into the bin, have it stored elsewhere. Most of today’s carry-on luggage is over weight and unnecessary. Now take out the airlines ability to lose luggage for a moment. This is one of the fastest ways to get hurt on a flight, before, during or after. If you see someone who cannot lift their bags into the over head easily then it should be stowed elsewhere ie. beneath the seat in front of you. We as a society should go back to hats, coats and women’s purses in the overheads like back in the 60's. People don't talk to each other anymore, read books or talk with your children when on a plane. Once the airlines get a hold on carry-on luggage requirements and fees (its coming) and better checked luggage procedures I think injuries will decrease.

5. Keep Your Seat Belt Fastened While You are Seated
Keeping the belt on when you are seated provides that extra protection you might need if the plane hits unexpected turbulence. I have been in sever turbulence and for the average Joe it's not a great roller coaster ride at all. I have seen a man get thrown to the ceiling and then to the floor after his thigh slammed down on an arm rest to a seat breaking his leg in two and shattering the arm rest. All passengers should keep your seat belt at least "4 fingers" loose. It still allows for comfort and the chances of you getting pulled out of your seat in an explosive decompression are minimized greatly.

6. Listen to the Flight Attendants
The primary reason flight attendants are on an aircraft is for safety, so if one of them asks you to do something like fasten your seat belts, turn off electronic devices, open window shades do it first and ask questions later. Flight Attendants are not there to serve you like in a restaurant. They know more about that airplane than most weekly travelers and what they need to do when something goes wrong. Crew members don't come on your job and act less than respectful so don't come on theirs doing the same. Asking questions is fine but remember they will answer the same question 100+ times in one flight maybe and again if your better informed before the flight most things that happen won't be a surprise. Flight attendants do need to care a little more I think! Now there are thousands of great flight attendants flying for U.S. carriers and many of them take what they do seriously. Now like any job you will have people who don't have the same drive when they got hired, stresses of life etc. but my though on that is this, "if your life is so bad that it bleeds into your work life, then you need to find a new line of work or suck it up!" Passenger don't do well when the crew looks stressed, so the more collected you appear while with the passengers the better it will be for everyone.

7. Don't Bring Any Hazardous Material
There are rather long lists of hazardous materials that are notallowed, but common sense should tell you that you shouldn't bring gasoline, corrosives, poisonous gases, and other such items on the aircraft unless they were allowed by the airline and shipped in a proper container. I'm gonna go on a limb and believe most people know this by now.

8. Let the Flight Attendant Pour Your Hot Drinks
Flight attendants are trained to handle hot drinks like coffee or tea in a crowded aisle on a moving aircraft, so allow them to pour the drink and hand it too you. Your not a flight attendant so don't try to do what they do. Remember the McDonald's hot coffee incident??? Do you go to a restaurant and pour your own beverages when you have a server bringing it to you? This is part of what they do so let them do it, it's for your own good and safety.

9. Don't Drink Too Much
The atmosphere in an airliner cabin is pressurized to about the same altitude as Denver, so any alcohol you consume will affect you more strongly than at sea level. Moderation is a good policy at any altitude. There is one thing travelers should know about drinking "before" a flight. If you have a cocktail before you get on a plane and then you get "loud" with an agent, flight attendant and they can smell alcohol on your breath you can be denied boarding. This is a law not an airline rule because the Pilot- in-Command cannot knowingly carry anyone who appears or acts like they are under the influence of alcohol. The airlines can give you drinks on one flight and deny you from another because of your actions, so be cool and low key if you drink on a flight or before you fly!

10. Keep Your Wits About You
In the unlikely event that you are involved in an emergency situation such as a precautionary emergency evacuation, follow the directions of the flight attendants and flight crew and exit the aircraft as quickly as possible. Don't try to be a hero because you don't know how many crew members are on your flight. Crew members commute on planes like everyone else commutes on buses and trains. They don't always where their uniform when they fly but when something is happening they will make themselves available to the crew. Don't try to tell the crew members how to do a particular thing because they are reading very direct rules for every situation and it's possible they are taking direction from the ground as well. If you want to help and your a doctor, police or fire person, military and your not traveling with family members, offer yourself as an ABA (Able Body Assistant) so if something does happen they don't have to go through the cabin looking for someone, they already know who you are. Let the lead flight attendant know this when you first board the aircraft, they'll appreciate it.

I picked up a lot of my info from AirSafe.com and then added my input and this is for your information to have a more enjoyable flight.