“She was dancing in the middle of the flight!
She was joined by another doing it right!
They were forcing us to watch you know!
It’s ok! It’s good! It’s the pre flight safety demo!”
Do you routinely watch the pre flight safety demo?
What is the relation between that and a flight which took off in 1928!?
Intrigued?
read onm!
When the flight is new or the destination is new or if it is the first few flights, many or all of us would like to watch the demo!
My first adult flight alone, I remember seeing the whole demo in both english and hindi! It was literally the same thing but I acting like a good student was even memorising the exit gates and the lines! I mentally even remembered where the life jacket was stowed!
I used to switch off the mobile the moment I was in the plane and only switch it on when I was out! Even getting off was only after the cabin crew told us that we can get off!
Some international flights with the LCD screens in every seats have the demo which is pre recorded and very colourful! Some of them apparently have beautiful 3d graphics!
Most of the times though I have seen that people just do not watch or do not care! They almost never listen to the instructions and keep on merrily play with either their phones or speak in loud voices when the intercom is even telling them that refueling in going on!
Safety makes us complacent and this is a dangerous thing! A flight is one of the safest things but every point is important and that is why the mandatory pre flight check up and the pre flight safety demo is really important!
Another thing we must understand that they are not our waiters or servants! They are designated flight cabin crew who are there to help us in every way!
Now did you know that this whole demo which is a very essential part of the flight is due to an international aviation law and treaty which mandates pre flight instruction for everyone?
Or that this treaty or rule was actually because of a crash which happened way back in 1928!?
So on 24 July 1928, a KLM-owned Fokker F.III operated a scheduled passenger sightseeing flight from and back to Waalhaven Airport in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
The plane with the pilot and five passengers on board stalled shortly after takeoff and crashed after it struck boats in the Waalhaven harbour next to the airport. One passenger died while many passengers though were saved but lost a lot of time while the airplane sank.
The pilot wasn’t properly trained for this older type of aircraft. The passengers weren’t aware of the emergency hatch, and all could have survived had they used this emergency exit.
It was after this accident that internationally it was suggested to tell passengers before the flight where the emergency exit is located!
Better visibility inside the cabin of the emergency exit was also advised. The accident also resulted in better procedures by which pilots are assigned to fly certain aircraft types!
All said and done let us not wait for the bomb to go or accidents to happen before we start training for safety!
Looking at both the sides of the road before you cross is to be done every time! It does not change! That is how for every aspect of safety! So next time the poor cabin crew is giving you great advice which could save your life, the least you can do is look at them! Anyway most of them look good if not great! Great of course was the father of Indian space research and birthday celebrity Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai!
Now start your pre sleep cleaning and sleep!
Shubh ratri!
ramadocblog 