Travel Tips From an Experienced Flier

I ABSOLUTELY love flying​—I always have. Not only does it provide the freedom to travel quickly from one place to another but it also allows one to cut through the clouds on a gloomy day and soar in the sunlight shining high above. I have enjoyed the thrill of flying since my first flight as a young boy in 1956. This love led me to a career as a professional pilot, but I also spent time as an aircraft accident investigator.

How safe is it to travel by air? And what precautions should you take when you have the opportunity to travel by plane?

Making a Safe Form of Travel Safer

Worldwide each year, almost 18,000 airliners regularly land and take off at thousands of airports, while transporting more than 1.6 billion passengers to their destinations​—all this with very few accidents. In fact, Lloyd’s of London, the well-known insurance provider, estimates that it is 25 times safer to travel by air than by car. Statistically then, the most dangerous part of your trip will be the drive to and from the airport. Nevertheless, a few sensible precautions taken when flying can help make this relatively safe form of travel even safer.

● Choose your airline carefully: Not all airlines have the same safety record. Established airlines generally are safe carriers. They operate modern aircraft and have a good reputation because of their safety and maintenance record.

● Choose your clothing thoughtfully: Survivors of a plane crash face the danger of fire and smoke. Therefore, wearing long sleeves and long trousers or a long skirt will best shield your skin from flames and heat. Clothing made of natural fibers offers good protection, but synthetic materials often melt or shrink onto the skin when exposed to heat, potentially causing more severe burns. Leather clothing may also shrink with heat and is not recommended. Wearing layers of clothing offers better protection than wearing just one layer, and light colors reflect heat better than dark colors. Flat shoes, preferably ones with laces, are more likely to stay on your feet and protect you from cuts and burns, and wool socks are better than synthetic ones.

● Listen to the safety briefing: Your crew will provide you with a comprehensive safety briefing before takeoff. In the unlikely event of an accident, you may have to extricate yourself from the aircraft using what you remember from that briefing. So listen carefully to the information. One survey of Canadian air travelers revealed that only 29 percent of passengers on a flight read or looked at the safety card. Take some time to study the safety instructions, particularly those showing how to open the exits, since you may be the first one there. Consider how you will find the exit if it is dark or smoke obscures your vision. One simple technique is to count the rows of seats between you and the exits. Then, even in the dark, you will be able to find and open the escape hatch.

 ● Limit your hand luggage: “A recurrent hazard [for passengers] is items which fall in normal flight from bins which have either not been properly closed or have been opened by passengers in flight, causing serious head-injury and even death,” states the journal Flight International. So remember, heavy hand luggage can be a safety hazard. Therefore, in a survival situation, leave ALL your luggage behind. Concentrate on surviving! Your luggage can be replaced later.

In Case of an Emergency

The most hazardous evacuation will be one where fire, smoke, and fumes are present. One accident report stated: “When the airplane landed the visibility in the cabin was virtually non-existent at heights higher than one foot above the cabin floor [because of smoke]. The survivors stated that they barely possessed the strength and mental capacity to negotiate the exits.” Survival depended on exiting the plane quickly.

The crew has been trained to help evacuate the aircraft quickly and safely. Therefore, obey their instructions immediately. However, things do not always go according to plan. Problems with public address systems, injuries to crew members, confusion, and the effects of noise, heat, and smoke may make the crew’s best efforts ineffective. The airline you are on may not use your native language, and this too can prevent good communication between the crew and you.

Accident analysis shows that your own determination to survive is a key element in your chances of living through an emergency. You need to have a clear plan of action and be willing to take responsibility for your own survival. Your plan should include anyone you are traveling with, especially children or older people, and steps to stay together to help each other during the evacuation. The magazine Flying Safety recommends: “If you must evacuate through smoke, have them hold onto each other. Their hand on your belt can provide a secure lifeline.” Tell your traveling companion or companions what your plan of action will be in the case of an emergency.

All forms of travel carry some risk, but modern passenger planes help us to avoid many dangers and allow us to arrive at our destination refreshed and ready for work or play. Be prepared but not anxious. Relax and enjoy your flight​—I always do.​—Contributed.

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Training for an emergency evacuation

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Listen to the safety briefing