Essentials to carry on board aircraft?

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Kepis

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 17, 2005
6,710
2,200
Sussex
Quite the opposite of the commercial flights I've taken. They brief you to use your seat cushion AS a flotation devise. Could it be different airlines? Over the years I've flown Coniff, Pan Am, Delta, Eastern and Frontier (although I suppose Frontier shouldn't count as it didn't fly over water and 3 of the others are now defunct)

Correct they say that the seat can be used as a floatation device, your life jacket is however under your seat, ive flown with American, Delta, Jet Blue and a couple of the smaller US feeder airlines and they have always said the life jacket is under the seat, be that on a Beech 1900 or a 737/A320, it's the same on every commercial aircraft ive ever flown on, including Russian ones.
 
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Andy BB

Full Member
Apr 19, 2010
3,290
1
Hampshire
Quite the opposite of the commercial flights I've taken. They brief you to use your seat cushion AS a flotation devise. Could it be different airlines? Over the years I've flown Coniff, Pan Am, Delta, Eastern and Frontier (although I suppose Frontier shouldn't count as it didn't fly over water and 3 of the others are now defunct)

I've flown Delta fairly recently, as well as KLM, BA, Singapore, Garuda, Emirates, Virgin, American Airlines, Jet, Lufthansa and a few others I've forgotten in the last 12 months. And in all of them they have provided life-jackets, and given endless instructions on how to wear and inflate them.

Re smoke hoods, there seems to be a misunderstanding here. The ones I referred to in my earlier post did not have O2 generators, and are perfectly legal to carry onboard. And would hopefully stop you having to scratch soot off your eyeball with a fingernail to find the exit following a crash - see earlier comment by a Manchester crash survivor.
 

Crazivan

Member
Aug 17, 2010
32
0
Oxfordshire
I tend to fly quite a bit, and the following is in my carry on at all times (actually, I tend to carry this in my backpack every day anyway):
Dry food: cereal bars (3 or 4), m&ms (peanut and chocolate), mints (14 hours without brushing your teeth can be pretty rough!)
Compact wash bag (dry): toothbrush, razor (and travel shaving brush), nail clippers, small roll of toilet paper (about the size of a cardboard inner tube), KFC sealed wet wipe, floss, shaving soap, small bar of general purpose soap (can be used for all sorts, including washing clothes)
Liquids bag: small toothpaste, deodorant, aftershave, small tin of vaseline (if going somewhere cold)
Comfort: noise cancelling in-ear headphones (ever since I went on a transatlantic flight and couldn't hear the film despite having the sound up to max!), iPad (loaded with a few movies and endless games like sudoku, connect 4, jetpack jim, etc.), bottle of water bought airside (aircraft are seriously dehydrating), earplugs & sleeping mask on long flights, pen and writing pad, tiny folding umbrella (my coat doesn't have a hood)

I also dress smart casual with no belt, it tends to minimise the fuss at security/border/customs, and comfortable shoes can make the difference between a difficult and a nightmare journey in case of delays.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
Correct they say that the seat can be used as a floatation device, your life jacket is however under your seat, ive flown with American, Delta, Jet Blue and a couple of the smaller US feeder airlines and they have always said the life jacket is under the seat, be that on a Beech 1900 or a 737/A320, it's the same on every commercial aircraft ive ever flown on, including Russian ones.

Makes perfect sense to me but I've never been on a flight that briefed it that way. Gotta admit it's been over 20 years since I've flown commercial though.
 

spandit

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 6, 2011
5,594
308
East Sussex, UK
That was a controlled landing onto water. Not a crash.

We're getting into semantics now. That Wikipedia article mentions the "C-word" on more than one occasion.

Remember, crashing into a mountain is called a CFIT incident (controlled flight into terrain) :eek:
 

Bushwhacker

Banned
Jun 26, 2008
3,882
8
Dorset
I really want to start a thread now.

"I've been spending a lot of time lately just sat at home in my pants. Considering most accidents happen in the home, what survival gear should I carry on my person?"
 

spandit

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 6, 2011
5,594
308
East Sussex, UK
Difference between that and open water is no waves! But still an excellent piece of flying.

Having listened to the CVR, they are remarkably calm. I feel sorry for the bloke who designed the ditching button - he must have felt so smug until they broke the news that it wasn't pressed! :D
 

pteron

Acutorum Opifex
Nov 10, 2003
389
12
59
Wiltshire
pteron.org
Correct they say that the seat can be used as a floatation device, your life jacket is however under your seat, ive flown with American, Delta, Jet Blue and a couple of the smaller US feeder airlines and they have always said the life jacket is under the seat, be that on a Beech 1900 or a 737/A320, it's the same on every commercial aircraft ive ever flown on, including Russian ones.

If the flight does not go over water then they do not have to carry life jackets. I've flown on US flights that have not carried life jackets just had the seat cushion as flotation device.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
If the flight does not go over water then they do not have to carry life jackets. I've flown on US flights that have not carried life jackets just had the seat cushion as flotation device.

TBH I don't believe an inflatable would/could meet Class I PFD requirements anyway.
 
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Kepis

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 17, 2005
6,710
2,200
Sussex
If the flight does not go over water then they do not have to carry life jackets. I've flown on US flights that have not carried life jackets just had the seat cushion as flotation device.

In my personal experience, every flight i have travelled on in the CONUS has had life jackets on board.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
Sure they do - most offshore yachting PFDs are inflatable. You can't work effectively wearing a foam class one.

Just looking online now and it looks like you might well be right about them being legal. That said most boaters here don't actually wear their PFDs while working; only during a drill or getting ready to abandon. I haven't been on yachts but the charter fishing boats all carry a regular Class I for each person aboard (hanging in an easily accessible spot)
 
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santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
In my personal experience, every flight i have travelled on in the CONUS has had life jackets on board.

Logistically that would make sense. Even if a particular flight isn't going over water it would be pointless to remove them. Unless of course the airline never flies over water and simply never installed them.
 
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