seats reclined for take off?

[mummyred]

Do all pax seats have to be in the upright position for take-off & landing, or can some eg. sleeper seats, be reclined?

Thank you!

[sixmilehighclub]

(subject to airline) With most airlines, seats must remain upright or at the angle they would cope best with structural stress in an emergency.

Seat backs when fully upright, protect the backs of heads from flying debris and allow clear evacuation from a set row if need be.

Even back rows in front of bulkheads, occupied or not should be raised.

If an over head locker collapsed on emergency landing, and one or two seats were out of alignment, the locker could veer off to an angle and cause far mor injury, or block an ailse, etc. Also parts of the aircraft are designed to move in impact to protect the structure so seatbacks in the wrong position could contort the shift motion and momentum and cause problems.

If a seat will not stay upright with someone seated in it, the seat should be vacated, and not used, and any passengers in the row behind should be moved if it may impede their exit.
Sleeper seats have a 'safe' setting also, and this depends on what the stress engineers have deemed as safest for these seats during the design process.

[warkman]

The Virgin Upper Class seats can and are reclined at take off, but I think this is allowed because of the "air bag" on the seat belt.
Slightly strange take off with the bosy moving sideways, but is the way to fly! :)

[westozflyer]

Its an old rule, that was designed when seats reclined to a depth that would actually hinder evacuation of the pax in the row behind.

These modern planes dont have seats that recline far enough to hinder!

Any reasonable (international flying) airline's aircraft has sleeper seats in business and first, the majority of these do not recline into the space of the rows behind, so that isnt an issue.

It's an old rule, from the 'lounge-recliner' aircraft seats of the past, and should be scrapped. The overhead locker comment is not an issue - the 747's overhead lockers in economy cover almost 3 rows of seats, it would matter not the position of the seatback if those things managed to fall from the ceiling.

Again, yet another rule within this industry that started in the day of the dinosaurs, yet never kept up with the modern aircraft we fly today.

;)

[Dogs_ears_up]

These modern planes dont have seats that recline far enough to hinder!...

It's an old rule, from the 'lounge-recliner' aircraft seats of the past, and should be scrapped...

Again, yet another rule within this industry that started in the day of the dinosaurs, yet never kept up with the modern aircraft we fly today...;)
Oh yes, and your industry credentials for amending the legislation are...? What? Presumably something more than just an informed guess based on sitting/working in the cabin quite often? Presumably you have published a paper on the subject and are recognised as something of an authority within international aviation circles? Cranfield, maybe? You'll need to have done so because you'll have to attract the intention of virtually every civil aviation authority in the world since they all mandate upright seatbacks. If only they were as well informed as you...

[amy_lou34]

I was also told that having your seat reclined may not allow you to brace correctly in an emergency

[westozflyer]

oh Doggy_ears
Touchy little thing arent you?
Well, as someone who has been flying as crew for over 20 years, yes I think I can comment on whether modern aircraft seat reclines are less of an evacuation hazard than those in the past... ah the old 707 recline, what a beauty.
Take a chill pill, get over yourself, and listen to an opinion - as it was intended. If you have a differing one, then why not post it - rather than just attacking.

woop-woop-woop 'Geek alert' :E

[apaddyinuk]

Wow westozflyer....what spacious lounge jets do you work on???
I know for a fact that on my airline (and our Y class seats are generous enough space wise) that if a person in an aisle seat has their seat reclined for take off/landing then the person in the row behind inside will have great difficulty making an exit from their seat in an emergency!!!

As to the origional point of the thread!!! BA's Club World seat has to be set at a somewhat reclined position for take off and landing!!! Pax always get confused by it...Bless them!!!:hmm:

[sixmilehighclub]

Just to clarify guys, my comment re overhead lockers (and other comments for that matter) came from experience in working with stress engineers in aviation, and from conversations with air crash investigators, who compile reports following accidents which are submitted to aviation authorities, so that action can be taken to implement new regulations to avoid a reoccurence.