have you ever recieved applause?

[Wayne_Prruney]

im curious to know if any pilots have ever had passengers applaud a landing?? and if so, what was the occasion?

[NudgingSteel]

I'm not a pilot, but was on a flight from Gibraltar to Luton in the late '80s with a bunch of school cadets. At the start of the flight, imagine a bunch of cocky teenagers having a laugh; this lasted for most of the flight 'till we started the final approach through heavy snow and turbulence, until a nervous silence gripped the cabin for the last few miles. As we touched down there was some considerable, relieved applause! Can't remember if I joined in or not....

[cringe]

A mere passenger here too. I've only heard applause upon landing once. Apart from the total solar eclipse we experienced, there was nothing unusual about the flight. I suspected that for a lot of passengers this was their first or second flight. I'm just wondering, are there still places/countries where applause (for seemingly no good reason) happens often on flights?

[Kestrel_909]

Seem to remember a few applauses on charter flights I've been on, maybe just the holiday spirit as we arrive back in sunny BFS again:cool:

[Sh00ter]

On my first flight with WN the FA's made a point to let the ENTIRE cabin know that it was my first flight in a 737. Received a resounding round of applause upon arrival..Even though I absolutely CRUSHED the landing.

Probably more out of relief than anything else :)

[FakePilot]

It's a tradition for Puerto Ricans to clap after the landing. So don't let it go to your head if you've landed in San Juan to much applause.

[as737700]

I've heard it a few times

The one I remember the most was a few years ago when we flew through the worst turbulence I have ever experianced in my life. When I talked to the crew after the flight, they agreed...so yes, it really was that bad ;) !!!

As soon as we landed, ever single persone on the plane (or so it seemed) was cheering like crazy.

It was pretty cool!

[BRS_Dispatch]

The only time I have seen the crew get an applause was on one of the last AF Concorde flights where the cabin crew were applauded for the saftey demo, Mach 1 received an applause as did Mach 2 and the landing (which was the smoothest landing I have ever had...)

[Wycombe]

Back in the early '90's, I took a Garuda 747 from FRA to BKK, so obviously most of the pax were German.

We flew through some prolonged turbulence over the Bay of Bengal (not that bad, just seemed to go on for hours).

There was quite an outbreak of applause on landing.

Perhaps this is normal behaviour from German pax, or they were just glad to have made it!

[ATNotts]

On quiae a number of flights I have experienced other PAX applauding landings, in what have been fairly benign conditions.

It's always struck me as slightly odd, since I don't get a round of applause when I "do my job" - why should flightdeck crew be congratulated for simply "doing what they are paid for".

Incidentally, I don't think any one nation or culture is prone to this behavior - I'd seen (heard) Brits, Germans, Americans etc all doing it from time to time.

[WHBM]

Recall that on Canadian charter airlines years ago (good old Wardair) this spontaneous applause was a standard thing. Not quite sure what they were actually applauding, I found it strange.

[ManfredvonRichthofen]

Once found myself on an MAS flight after the Hong Kong sevens with the Tongan team.

They cheered at everything, including the landing.
But mostly they cheered when the food came out. One of them had 4 meals

[DingerX]

Passenger here -- heard it a few times, never figured out the rationale behind applauseworthy landings and not.

The most interesting case of passenger applause was a CY A320 on final to FCO. Pops through overcast and decides to go around, firewalls the engine and pulls up and hard to the right. Wham! #1 compressor stall, the whole airframe shakes like it's been hit with a baseball bat, flames shoot out both ends of the engine.
Immediately, the whole cabin broke out in thunderous applause.

[zed3]

Germans generally used to applaud on landing with holiday dest. flights but haven't heard it for a couple of years or so .

[Avman]

Germans generally used to applaud on landing with holiday dest. flights but haven't heard it for a couple of years or so .

That's since the time the pax were still applauding the landing as their a/c ran off the end of the runway! :D

[MonarchA330]

Personally, as a passenger, I hate it when people applaud a landing! I'm about to start my commercial pilots training soon and I am considering banning all forms of applause, clapping etc on my flights. When I buy a flight ticket, I expect a landing to come with it.

Or maybe I'm a grumpy old 21 year old?!

M330

[AIRWAY]

It happens quite alot when i fly has a passenger to FNC - Funchal/Madeira Island ( Portugal ) :O I don't blame them, that approach can demanding during turbulence :uhoh: :ooh: but it is beautiful during a calm day :ok: :}

[The SSK]

Way back in the 1970s a pal of mine made a trip to Moscow, at a time when Western travel there was very unusual and fraught with hassles.

On the flight back (Pan Am) the Captain announced that they were just leaving Russian airspace, at which point the cabin broke out in a huge cheer.

[814man]

Late 80s/early 90s living in Berlin I took a few holidays involving charter flights various destinations in the Med area and recall being very surprised the first time when on landing all the pax started to applaud. It seemed to happen on every landing, both outbound and on return, and so far as I could tell did not seem to reflect the performance of the crew (either good or bad). I was told that it was a peculiarly German thing and was certainly still going on in about 1993.

[airborne_artist]

Way back in the days of the cold war the UK would have a five-yearly excercise to mobile a large part of the TA (army reserves) and get them out to (West) Germany. We used to be processed through Windsor Barracks and then bussed to a temporary terminal on the S side of LHR.

Imagine an entire regiment of young, fit (ironically we were an airborne unit) men on a 747. The lovely BA lasses got a round of applause just for the safety brief, and then plenty of attention for the rest of the 100 minute flight. Can't think why they preferred us to grumpy business men and crying babies.

They were happy too, since they were a long haul crew, and so they got several rest days after completing 2 SH sectors.

[FLCH]

Recieved applause from the Flight Attendants in the cabin, when they found out I got laid....I was a brand new Second Officer on the DC-10 with a very senior back end crew. This was all a very long time ago.....

[wub]

Glaswegians are prone to giving a round of applause when their charter flight lands at their destination.

A friend, a first officer who was seeing the passengers off, had half a crown (2/6d) in old UK money pressed into his hand by an old lady at Glasgow, with the words "Well done son"

[Spunk]

@ 814man

.... and it is still going on in 2005 :-)

[Tempsford]

At the end of his pa the captain said to the pax that the this was the #1's last flight as she was leaving to lead an all female expedition up the Amazon. Not only did she receive applause, a number of pax wished her luck as they disembarked and one pax advised her to watch out for snakes.

Temps

About 30 years ago, Liverpool fans walking out to get on a B720. Very \'loud\' as they walk out. As they board the aircraft, they become very quiet and appear somewhat nervous. Understandable, but the #1 was having none of this. She switched on the pa and said \'come on you w*nkers, give us a song!\' That was it, the aircraft came to life and when it returned the cabin crew were covered in rosettes, scarves etc. Pure brilliance, never get away with it these days. Well done \'Bat Lady\'! God bless ya!

Temps

[MarkD]

Applause regular LHR-YYZ on touchdown, not so much YYZ-LHR :D Could be the overnight sector curbing the enthusiasm!

[Doug E Style]

I thought clapping on board was standard practice as the first time I flew back in 1988 was with El Al from London to Tel Aviv and the Israelis on board clapped when we came over the coastline and again on touchdown.
More recently, flying into Anchorage in 1999, we had a bumpy last few miles to touchdown followed by a firm landing which elicited a good round of applause and the following comment from one of the FAs; "Please take extra care when opening the overhead lockers as there is a greater than normal chance that some items may have become loose. Don't forget, shift happens."
And finally, just before Christmas I flew over to Germany with Mrs. Style and the stylettes on a very windy evening. It was blowing right down the runway at Stansted so we went up like a rocket but the final approach was quite lively to say the least and the mostly German passengers erupted in applause as soon as we were down. Alas, it didn't stop the elder stylette from being sick. Seat 2E on Air Berlin's 737-400 D-ABAH is the one to avoid...

[Gerard123]

I was on Lebombo's last passenger flight, lebombo being SAA's oldest 747-200 (32yrs). Everyone appluaded after a low pass and steep climb over FAJS and once more after landing.

Only time I received an appluase was after taking up my mom in a cherokee........ probably sheer relief:(

[Maude Charlee]

Rapid beating about the bone dome from the CO can sound like applause. Wouldn't recommend it tho'.

[Coastrider26]

Many many years ago when I was an first officer on the Beech1900 we came back into Miami. Just after I read back the taxi clearance we heard a very strange noise.

And we looked at eachother "What the :mad: is that?" Found out that our German guests felt the need to applause. Must have been a very good landing:E

[No comment]

Seem to remember reading about the round of applause just as the MD-11 touched down at HKG a few years back....before flipping over.

Perhaps wait until the seatbelt sign is off?

(sorry to lower the tone!)

[Evening Star]

Notice the Russians are rather partial to a good round of applause after landing. Have yet to make up my mind whether this is cultural or cynicism.

[FakePilot]

Evening Star, you nailed it on both accounts. In Mother Russia, cynicism is cultural. :)

[K-SIMM]

As a PPL, I often applaude myself when (and sometimes IF) I manage to get it down in one piece.:O

I know there's a few first officers out there on 737's who do the same!;)

[Old Smokey]

No applause for this contributor, but 1 case of delayed reaction raucous laughter from the cabin.

After a pile driving, haemmoroid busting marginally controlled arrival (impact?) in a B727, there was an outbreak of laughter about 20 seconds later from the passengers.

The Flight Attendant had responded to the controlled crash with a PA saying "Ladies and Gentleman, we have just dropped in to Coolangatta".

Such is life............

Old Smokey

[Scoob]

Had applause a couple of times but mostly it is pats on the back from the skydiving instructors. Because it is such a rare occasion for them to stay in the plane and the usual reason for it is the wind has gone over their legal limits they are all a bit tense as are much happier jumping out and landing themselves. I think it is because they are pleased to still be alive after having not jumped but made it down in the plane which they hate having to do as it scares them. Odd logic I know but you have to be odd to jump in the first place.

[Dash-7 lover]

Every time you land at Plymouth (EGHD)!!!!

[BOAC]

A fine SCCM of my acquaintance used (in the 'old days') to come into the flight deck after a firmer than normal landing with a deliciously frilly pair of knickers around her ankles to say
" Who the **** landed that.....":D

[SLFguy]

As an 'expat brat' circa 1974/5 ish when BAC111's first started Brisbane - Honiara we were intercepted by a baby cyclone...2 go-arounds followed by an 'assume emergency landing position' or somesuch...we did cheer!!

[lexxity]

Have seen appluase at JFK many a bumpy landing.:}

[Christo]

think there was spontaneous applause from everyone after each arrival at Kai Tak!

[aeroconejo]

I got a round of applause for my 'welcome aboard' PA in French in Paris last week.

A big thank you to 'Twin Aisle' who wrote it! :ok:

aeroconejo :)

[marmotte]

ever flown ryanair to/from italy? guaranteed round of applause every time from my experience..probably due to relief.. :confused:

[wingzakimbo]

I worked in the charter industry from Scan in the 80's and 90's, and it was "tradition" for charter tourists to applaude when landing. This tradition has even been depicted in various films where the applause is a must once arriving safe at your destination.:cool: :cool: :cool:

[DanielP]

Oh yeah, Ryanair. I swear that they train their pilots to land as if on an aircraft carrier!

I clearly remember one flight Torp to Stan: everything fine until on the glideslope at Stan, a/c nose suddenly pitches down + experience sustained and character building sink rate (pax turn green and clammy). Landing was what could best be described as "firm" (most pax winded) + extremely rapid decel and exit of runway (and I am comparing this with Ryanair's usual urgency to leave the runway).

Releived and spontaneous applause follows this circus :} :} . Was almost expecting an announcement along the lines of "passengers may now collect their hand luggage from the piles that have formed at the front of the aircraft!"

Cockpit door remains firmly closed during pax unload.

Probably just hit some sort of turbulenc e on approach because it didn't seem to be a crosswind situation.

Daniel

[rearwhelsteer888]

only through sexual prowess!!!:yuk:

[Laikim Liklik Susu]

As luck would have it in this post, my one and only landing comment that was not a profanity was also at Coolangatta, like Old Smokey, although only P2 said something.

It was THAT DAMNED SMOOTH I honestly was not sure if we were still in ground effect until the nosewheel came on (also smooth). P2 looked at me, I looked at P2. All he said was "You arsey bastard!". I just smiled. It was a true greaser!

Of course, since Murphy Law is always true, the landing on the next sector was a typical thumper - probably because I was trying to grease it.

[bluebird121]

:) as a pax i have flown quite a few times but the most applause i heard was when we landed at Glasgow having flown through some terrible turbulence..and i certainly clapped...:ok:

[MiG82]

In the late 80s we were flying to Paris from somewhere. I was about 7 or 8 at the time so details are sketchy, but I do remember thinking that ILS would see us through (I was "reading" aviation books since from the age of 3 or 4).
We had been in a holding pattern for ages (40 mins according to mum, I remember seeing sunlight rotating through cabin many times) due to fog in Paris. Eventually we went down for what I assume was a CATIII landing. My mum reckons that you couldn't see the wings but lets just take that as meaning really bad fog.
As evidenced by the long silence during descent and approach, the pax were not too comfortable with landing in such poor visibility. We made a smooth touchdown and the cabin erupted into applause.
However, the pilot then informed us that he couldn't find the way back to the gate due to the fog. So I guess that makes it pretty thick.

I think that situation was a bit more worthy of applause than most.
It probably just takes a few silly passengers to start clapping and then the rest will follow so that they don't look like b***ards.

[bluebird121]

:ok: yess i agree.. a few silly passengers will clap for the least little thing...i. e . after taking off..and that is so annoying..and i certainly do not clap after every landing either..but i think it was the feeling of total relief to be back on tera firma again after all the turbulence which made us all clap...:ok:

[dada]

i got the clap once

[Micky]

Hi there
Just came in from my crm initial and we were talking about why people applaud when the plan lands...
The instructor (A330 Capt with a degree in Phsyo whatever:} )
told us that becaus nearly 65% of all pax are scared of flying they applaud becaus it is a spontanious reaction to the relive of being back with mother earth...:D
But this does not happen apon Lufthansa flight because these are people who fly "five times" a day and do not get scared...:} :yuk: :} :yuk:
If you check out www.Dlr-web.de there is somewhere a documentation about a research in applauding at Ldg....
Personaly I have experienced it as a pax with the LTU but not with the LH...
I.M.H.O it a cool sound when 300 poeple start applauding...
Hope to here it from the right seat one day:O

so long

Micky

[jokova]

. . . . throw money", was the suggestion I made after fluking the only greaser of the trip, back at Mascot after a twelve day "Bill Peach" charter. On top of that the whole 52 of us on board the old Frugal-liner were now on the best of terms and sad that this period of enforced sociability was ending. (Something about an aerial trek, and the company involved, that a bus tour pales against in comparison, even though you may mimic Henry Higgins and say that "this upper class distinction, by now should be antique".)

Re: a post on 22nd April from rearwhelsteer888 ". . . sexual prowess", unquote -
more likely a dose of the clap from sexual EXCESS, I'd say Cock, if I may be that
familiar.

Laikim Liklik Susu - oh, but you are an "arsey bastard" and sorely in need of
of 'banis bilong susu". (Send me a
PM and I'll tell you a tale of the first time, as a tadger, I
ever heard of New Guinea
and pidgin and 'susu' from the first white woman to fly
into Telefomin the day the strip was finished.)

[The Real Slim Shady]

Happens all the time with Italian charter pax.

And Turks.

And Greeks.

And Belgians.

Brits don't normally applaud...............anything.

Scandies are usually only concerned with where the dirnks are.

French are just downright........French.

Germans.................can't wait to get off to chuck a towel on a baggage trolley.

Septics.....hands too full with carry on baggage.

[ConditionLever]

Yes - landing in the bush in low vis and pulling off a greaser.

[MD11_SW]

If you want to hear applauses, you should move to South America: Argentinean PAX do it every single landing, regardless of how smooth it has been. I suppose they are just commemorating their survival…

[Bob Stinger]

Have flown to Brazil a few times and had a few dozen internal flights , applause was the norm, same in Peru and Argentina.

[scrubed]

Yeah I've heard the Brazilians like it smooth, too.since I don't get a round of applause when I "do my job" - why should flightdeck crew be congratulated for simply "doing what they are paid for".That's because your airline schedule editing job is down-right boring and poindextrous..... :eek: :hmm: :zzz: whilst pilots do something worthwhile and exciting and for which women will happily give themselves.