View Full Version : Emergency Food Rations?
rich_g85
24th Jul 2008, 23:04
Hi everybody,
Apologies for posting here (it's my first time out of Private Flying) but I had a question which I hope a professional pilot would be able to answer.
I read in a book published some years ago that passenger airliners carry sufficient emergency rations for everyone on board, in the form of dried food. This is supposedly kept at the rear of the hold (presumably to protect it from crash damage). The idea being that this food could be eaten by survivors in the event of a crash in a remote location such as a jungle or similar.
Can anyone confirm or deny whether this is indeed true?
No, it is not true. Not over here, at least.
The requirement on Australian operations is for carriage of survival equipment for sustaining life appropriate to the area being overflown, in two specific cases - designated remote areas, and flights where carriage of life raft is required. No emergency rations, no emergency water supplies (except a limited amount packed in with Life Raft emergency equipment).
In fact, if there is a catering stuff up, we often leave without enough food for the advertised in-flight service!
Food is way down on the list of priorities. Survival experts will tell you that people can survive for almost 30 days without food. Far more important to be attending to injuries, sheltering from the elements, etc.
If you are interested, take a look at our Regulations for survival equipment (http://www.casa.gov.au/download/orders/Cao20/2011.pdf). No rations.
reynoldsno1
25th Jul 2008, 01:14
Emergency priority list: Protection, Location, Water, Food - in that order :)
avionic type
28th Jul 2008, 19:01
The only emergency rations on B.E.A /Shorthaul was the "Cheese board"given to the Flt deck crew and eaten by both the flt crew and if they forgot to take it with them the ground crew, the Stilton was supurb.
now I believe discontinued .Shame.
The Real Slim Shady
28th Jul 2008, 20:58
Air France emergency rations for the flight deck were economy (Tempo) meals if there weren't any business class (Espace) meals left ;)
gas path
28th Jul 2008, 21:10
Many moons ago the 747 classic emergency packs used to contain packets of glucose 'spangles':8
Remember them? The hard boiled square sweets with dimples in.:ok:
They also carried a torch (flashlight!) that was totally useless by the time the raft went for overhaul, the batteries being a long time dead and corroded into one solid mass with the metal cased torch body.
Martin Hartwell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Hartwell)
It may not be his original name. See below,
Talk:Martin Hartwell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Martin_Hartwell)
Many northern operators do carry a survival kit with rations.