Do you do anything to prepare for a plane crash?

[Brooke01]

I am a nervous flyer at the best of times - and I fly a lot for my job.

Habits I have gotten in to -

* Saying a little prayer/mantra to a deity that I don't really believe in ! LOL - so not really of much help, but it is just one of those 'things" i do !
* Always, always pay attention to the safety briefing.
* As I am usually in Row 3 (Virgin) - know my surroundings.
* I always have a ziplock bag that I put in the seat pocket that has a credit card, my medication, and my phone in it. In theory, would hope to grab it if anything was to happen. All other carry on would be left behind.

Always keep shoes etc on anyway.

It's something that I think about a lot - unfortunately !

Cheers,

Brooke

 

[dfcatch]

My aircraft fire training (with accompanying analysed pictures of charred fuselages) burned into my mind (excuse the pun) the need to be prepared to exit über-fast, and possibly wiping aircraft parts from your body as you go....

So - seat belt tight, shoes on, legs uncrossed, be aware of exits.

Hadn't thought of glasses, but I usually do have them on.

 

[MrHyde]

I do most of the things mentioned here.

- Shoes always on for take-off and landing
- Feet flat on the floor and uncrossed
- Sitting as straight as possible

I have a mobile in my pocket, but leave the passport in the overhead locker - will have to re-think that. I don't like the passport in pocket, in case it slips out while I'm sleeping (which has happened on numerous occassions). Same with wallet, I leave it in bag in overhead locker.

In addition to the inflight items, I also do a couple of things before every flight.
- Backup of the "My Documents" folder of my laptop onto a DVD and left in office (more in case laptop is stolen while on trip).
- Tell wife where all the financial documents and will are kept so that they can access finances as well as know where my various investments are in case the worst happens.

 

[TonyHancock]

I always make sure my iPad is nearby. If anything does happen to go wrong I'll be able to log on to Flyertalk. Many members there, even though they are not piloting or working as flight attendants on the aircraft will obviously be better informed that the actual crew!!!!!!!!!........apparently.

 

[Pushka]

My husband says he always gives a final tighten on the seat belt. He always wears shoes so no problem there. Me? I never gave it a thought but was we are flying into Bali in 2 weeks time I've just done some rethinking. Thanks for all the tips and starting the thread. Shoes are going to be my problem here.

 

[ash.1111]

While at work... brace position whilst doing my silent review. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixty_second_review

When not operating, I tend to exercise good posture in the case of a hard landing and ensure my seat belt is low and tight.

 

[Happy Trails]

A quick shave, brush my hair and straighten my tie.
I've done the fast living and while it's too late to die young, I'll still try to leave a good-looking corpse.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

stay thin enough to be able to adopt the most effective brace position!

my cabin crew friends tell me the best position is the full brace... head on knees. if I can't do that I know it's time to diet!

i think the most confusing thing however is exactly which IS the best brace position? placing your head on the seat in front just doesn't 'feel' right to me. and I wonder if that is merely the best position recommended because seats are now so close together?

 

[puppysparkes]

Seat belt done up tight, feet flat on ground, passport in pocket when in International and ALWAYS an aisle seat.

My shoes are on (possibility of having to walk through glass etc, burning fuel).

Yes, I do all of these things consciously in case of a mishap on take-off and landing.

All of the above. Additionally, after watching a doco on passenger behaviour and psychology in a simulated emergency, I book seats no more than 7 rows from an exit.

 

[openseat]

Like many other here I always keep my shoes on and tied up until cruise and put them on for descent. I also wear natural fibre clothing, trousers and long sleeve shirt (got that one from CASA website).
For international flights I keep my passport secure on me with credit cards.
I count the seats to the nearest exit and work out how I might get to an exit on the other side of the plane if my side was impeded in some way. I also keep feet flat on the floor.
Being a believer, I also pray.

The glasses wearing is something I haven't thought about before, but I can imagine that the g forces in a sudden stop could mean that you can lose your glasses and make it that much more difficult to get out and clear.

 

[dajop]

I always sit up straight facing forward and uncross my legs.

Yes for some reason, I always (often in the last minute or two) will uncross my legs and plant them firmly on the floor. I honestly don't know why I do this, I just do - maybe it's the subconcious programming of safety demonstrations around brace position. Shoes on of course. On international flights, before landing I tend to have passport in my shirt pocket and wallet in rear pocket. The rest is irrelevant, although phone is usually in front pocket as well.

 

[ALH]

Sturdy lace up shoes on for take off and landing. Don't get into my pyjamas until well after cruising. Passport, mobile phone and credit cards in zipped pockets of light jacket. Long pants. Aisle seat as close to front as possible.

Can't see a thing without my glasses and have always worried about that. After reading this thread will also keep my spare pair in my pocket as well.

 

[JohnPhelan]

Avoid Air France ??

 

[Hvr]

Actually re glasses, with the brace position and your arms across your face then maybe they need to be removed and secured in your pocket? Whilst my lenses are hardened plastic I still wouldn't want the frame pushing through my face.

 

[Skyring]

Glad to see I'm not alone in some safety habits. Shoes on for landing and takeoff - proper shoes, but not necessarily laceups - enough to protect my feet from light debris in the cabin and on the ground. The thought of walking barefoot on tarmac is enough to force me to put my shoes on well before landing, let alone tromping over broken glass and cough.

Seatbelt low and tight. Always during takeoff and landing. I'll give it a final tug to make sure there's no slack. At altitude, always loosely done up.

On every flight, I'll read the safety card. Yeah, I might have read it a hundred times, before, but I'll read it again. I want it fresh in my memory and I don't want to be thinking about my second last flight if I have to be thinking about exit locations in a hurry. I always check that I know where my lifejacket is - physically put my hand on the location. And I'll watch the safety demonstration very carefully. I don't need to know how to put on my seatbelt, but different airlines have different lifejackets and I don't want to be getting tangled up in buckles and straps trying to work out if it's the type that buckles at the front or I have to tie it in a bow or whatever.

Wallet and phone in pocket, passport and travel docs in my bright red "Roads Scholar", along with a spare credit card. My Cocoon gear bag is just big enough for ipad, passport folder, a few cables and a skinny camera. I could tuck it into my shirt in a pinch.

Carryon bag with laptop and clothes and anything else too valuable to entrust to checkin, that can burn. In an emergency I won't have time to get it out of the locker, and if anyone else is trying to get their stuff out of the lockers and I want to get past them, I'm going to be physically abusing them with anything I got to change their mind. Besides, I'm not going to be going down a chute with a rollaboard on my lap.

If there's enough time for an orderly disembarkation - minutes rather than seconds - then the aircraft is likely going to be in good enough shape for hand luggage to be recovered later. Someone else can do it.

Glasses could be a problem, but then again, if there's smoke and poor visibility in tight conditions, I probably won't be relying on good distance vision. I can see well enough within a few metres.

Bottom line for me is that if an accident is survivable, I've got to be in a position where I can survive and then get out fast. I won't have time to do up shoes, study safety cards or search for stuff, and I can't expect anyone else to be looking after me.

 

[Mal]

Generally wear long trousers or jeans on flights. Usually check that life jacket is where it should be. Passport and phone lives in one pocket. Wallet in other. Shoes normally stay on but can get removed for long haul.

Now the big exception... J or F flights when I change into airline supplied PJs. They really aren't designed for a crash...

 

[Skyring]

Now the big exception... J or F flights when I change into airline supplied PJs. They really aren't designed for a crash...

Yeah, but if something happens during the cruise, it's either going to be something so catastrophic that no protective clothing will survive it, or there will be plenty of warning.

 

[Mal]

Yeah, but if something happens during the cruise, it's either going to be something so catastrophic that no protective clothing will survive it, or there will be plenty of warning.

I usually change before takeoff.. Something I probably should revise.

 

[Reggie]

As most have already said, shoes - normally ankle high boots, more often than not steel caps even on international flights, as my steel blues are the most comfortable shoe/boot I have ever found. I think steel caps would be good for moving the nummies referred to earlier by someone else. Passport, phone, wallet in pockets, denim jeans and long sleeve shirt or jacket.

A good friend of mine (and former colleague) was on the AF flight that ran off the end of the runway in Toronto. He was in J, he had time to get up (as did rest of J cabin) retrieve his jacket and carryon from over head locker and disembark using the slide. He lost everything else to the fire. Interesting talking with him, as the F an J pax were separated from the Y pax on the ground by a ditch and smoke, and he had to climb up on to a freeway bridge, and was given a lift to the terminal in a minibus from the public. When his group walked into the terminal saturated and in shock, and asked for assistance "as they on the plane that just crashed" they were called liars as there had been no plane crash. It was only when one of the pax started crying and collapsed were they taken seriously and assistance provided. It was only after a few hours did this group get reunited with the remainder of the flight, they had no idea whether they were the only survivors. He was put up for the night, bought some clothes and flew onwards the following day to his destination for work.

 

[Rebekkap]

Glasses off would be a problem. I can't see the ground without them.

Me too - I would be a danger to myself and others without glasses!