Recently I read a news report that six people were injured from severe turbulence on a U.S. Airways flight from Philadelphia to Orlando twenty minutes after take-off. Passengers reported that they suddenly rose out of their seats for 5 seconds, causing people and objects to go flying in the cabin. The plane returned to the airport enabling those who were hurt to get medical attention.
This incident is a stark reminder that unexpected things can happen in-flight, and how important it is to follow the safety procedures established. These rules can be inconvenient or sometimes seem silly, but they are put in place for a reason. Let’s review a few of the most common ones and why they exist.
1. Buckle-Up: The golden rule of air travel is to keep your seatbelt fastened during the entire trip. As a frequent flyer, I am always amazed at how many people do not follow this advice, particularly while sleeping. Turbulence is something that can happen suddenly and unexpectedly. Although the news article did not mention it, those who were hurt are likely the passengers who were not wearing belts. It is also important to keep small children strapped in as well. I recall another story indicating that a 6-month-old baby flew out of her mother’s arms and landed several rows ahead after hitting rough air. Pilots indicate that most turbulence is harmless, but injury can easily happen if you are not buckled up.
2. Storing Laptops and Carry-ons: I know that it can be annoying to clean up around you and put your laptop or carry-on bag back in the overhead compartment. Even if they can technically rest on your lap, it is quite important to put away all loose items especially during take-off and landing. Those two stages of flight are the most complex and risky, and if an issue or turbulence is encountered, your belongings may become projectiles that can fly around the aircraft and harm someone. I don’t know about you, but I would not like to be hit with a laptop traveling 500 miles per hour.
3. Lift up window shades on take-off and landing: This may not seem like a serious safety requirement, but it is actually very crucial. In case of an emergency, the flight attendants need to see outside of the windows to determine what the best route of evacuation will be. I always wrongly assumed that it was done to make the plane look neat and clean when arriving to the destination.
As always, I wish you all the happiest and safest of travels!
