Pilot Announcements on civilian transport

[Rodger Ramjet]

Why does the captain or f/o make announcements to the passengers about how high we're flying and how fast and stuff? I mean, when I'm sitting on a bus or train, the driver keeps pretty quiet.

Is it a throwback to when flying on a plane was seen as glamorous and pilots were tally-ho Biggles types? I'd rather just listen to the radio. :ugh:

[VP8]

It makes them feel wanted:E:E

VEEPS

[david.craig]

I'd assume for the same reason that people ask for window seats, they like to know what's going on!

[boe777]

I suppose, so you can calculate the impact at which you are going to hit the ground/water and the velocity that you are likely to travel at, in case there was any trouble and you are ejected from the aircraft... infact if you check the monitor it will even give you outside temperature -40 etc.

Next time you fly, jot this handy equation down...

F=ma where m=Xkg and A= 9.8m/s^2(accelaration due to gravity)+GPE(gravitational potential energy i.e. weight x height)

X is your weight, multiply the height given by the pilot = gravitational potential energy.

( now you know, The Pilots give height and speed for a reason.)

[trident3A]

Purely to put the passengers at ease I imagine

[smudgethecat]

Your travelling on the wrong trains then, was on the superb french TGV recently and the driver made an announcement when we reached a very impressive 300 kph, which was nice to know, (even more impressive is the fact they can go a lot quicker, the record is well over 500 kph i believe)

[deltayankee]

Is it a throwback...


Actually you'll find that if you go back far enough there were no announcements (too noisy) so the captain or FO passed a piece of paper around the cabin.

This has all been Ppruned about before. Some people prefer silence; some would prefer a running commentary. Can't please everyone.

I have also been on trains with announcements. Once in the UK the driver forgot to turn off the mike after one and we enjoyed driver gossip for the rest of the journey.

[Otto Throttle]

Maybe it's because train drivers are either asleep or on strike, and there is nothing interesting about a bus driver telling you that you are thundering along at 27mph. Almost everybody drives, or has some idea of what the speed ought to be on the road, so it would be rather pointless info. Flying however, is something outside of most people's experience.

That said, I don't hold with the idea of telling folk how fast and how high we're flying. For the nervous flyer, the very idea could be terrifying. It's a simple short message with the arrival time and whether or not they're going to need a brolly or coat.

[eastern wiseguy]

the captain or FO passed a piece of paper around the cabin.

Had a map passed round on a recent BFS-FAO flight with EZY...wasn't sure if he wanted assistance or was just sharing....:ok:

[jugofpropwash]

If the driver of your bus or train needs to report altitude, I think there might be a problem.... :eek:

[6chimes]

It could be that a PA from the flightdeck is part of a number of procedures in preparing the passengers for the flight. Usually the announcement also includes a reminder that the cabin crew will be giving you a short safety briefing and would you kindly listen.......... The captain is someone who seen as having some authority, so his request for you to listen is often seen to give credibility to the much ridiculed safety brief.

Obviously there a number of the flying public who do consider hurtling along at 500 mph in an environment not designed to sustain life, similar to traveling on a train or a bus. To get up and down again there is the small matter of going very fast on the ground. Any serious problems may involve tragic consequences as the thin metal skin of your 'life support tank' is ripped apart and you are exposed to burning aviation fuel.

But of course preferring to listen to the radio is an option you all have.

6

[simonchowder]

The only words i wish to hear from the driver are the ones informing us were begining the decent into XX airport so you then know it wont long before your off the bloody thing, the days of flying being glamorous ( if ever it was) are long gone.

[parabellum]

Tell us Rodger, do you listen and watch the safety brief each time you fly or are you above that too?

[Bealzebub]

The P.A's are a combination of public relations and of safety related information.

The use of the PA allows the pilot to make introductions as well as conveying information on the reason for delays or any other interruptions to the routine of a flight. It also conveys information that may well be of interest to a sizeable proportion of the intended audience. This may very well include details on flight times, flight levels and routings. These things are variable from day to day, and many people like to know the information that is applicable to their flight. With a train or a bus, it runs to a timetable and if it stops on the track or is stuck in traffic the passenger can usually see the reason for the delay.

Captains also have statutory duties, that require them to ensure that various aspects of safety related information are conveyed to passengers, and in turn that certain checks are complied with. Although there are a number of ways this requirement can be fullfilled, the P.A is a useful tool in conveying and reinforcing this information, and aiding others in complying with this requirement in a timely manner.

Finally in these days of more hightened security, there is very little interaction or contact between the pilots and the passengers. The P.A is a useful link to remind the passengers that there are real people in charge of their flight, and that those people do care about the provision of safety, regularity and timely information as it might affect the customers in their charge.

Whilst I can perhaps understand you personally fail to understand or appreciate these requirements, and would prefer to "listen to the radio." In fact you are not permitted to listen to radio's, so I suspect you mean the IFE, which isn't switched on until the aircraft is in flight in any event. Even then, it usually supends for the short period an announcement is made, if one is made. What I find a little strange, is that given your declared disinterest, why you register to a Professional pilots website to make these proclamations? Do you recall posting a question as follows:
Our flight from BHX to GLA went round in circles for a while over LANAK last night. (BA1807)
It's the first time that's happened to me. Was it because ATC were particularly busy ?
Just wondered !
It seems like the P.A's you are so dismissive of, would have answered these and similar questions.

[hector]

The Captain´s introductory PA has the added benefit in that at least you have heard his/her voice, even if you haven´t listened to the content.

This means that if later you are unfortunate enough to hear the same voice say something along the lines of,

"THIS IS THE CAPTAIN! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY! EVACUATE, EVACUATE!"

you might just be galvanised into action that little bit more quickly, rather than sitting there for a few seconds saying to yourself "Who was that? What did he say?":8

You never know, one day it might just save your life.

[911slf]

On a recent holiday flight there was a very slight vibration during climb out, scarcely noticeable. After it had ceased, the pilot apologised for it, told us he suspected there was a resonance at the climb speed, and he had fixed the problem by changing the speed of the aircraft.

People I was sitting close to were a little perturbed by this and on balance would rather not have been told anything. I guess there are lots of different attitudes among passengers and there is no pleasing everybody.

Of course we should always listen to safety announcements. And I appreciate being told the local time on arrival.

[G SXTY]

Ask a hundred passengers what sort of PA they'd like, and you'd get everything from 'wake me up when we get there' to people who want the name of every town we're passing. Ergo, we can never please everyone.

For what it's worth, I try and tailor my PAs to the target audience. I keep it short and sweet on business flights, while a cabin full of holidaymakers would get a bit more of a speech. Not that it makes much difference - I've lost count of the number of times I've given the passengers an ETA, only to be called by the cabin crew 5 minutes later because someone wants to know what time we're getting there . . .

[Rodger Ramjet]

OK, I sit in a big metal tube with a load of other people and blast through the sky twice a week. This is a ludicrous arrangement at the best of times. I listen to the safety messages - it's important.

[radiosutch]

Is it true that if the captain is a man he does the talking on the ground. If the captain is a woman the F/O does the on ground announcements and the female captain does them in the air? and vice versa?
I suppose it is so people can't get off when they hear a female pilot? :)

I was on a Trislander once, the (female) pilot has the sun visor down. I swear she had a mirror on the back and was putting her lippy on (as we shimmied through the air):)

[Bealzebub]

No, it is no more true than the suggestion that a poster needs to exceed the I.Q attainment of a Daffodil, in order to be able to post here. :)

[Latearrival]

On a recent holiday flight there was a very slight vibration during climb out, scarcely noticeable. After it had ceased, the pilot apologised for it, told us he suspected there was a resonance at the climb speed, and he had fixed the problem by changing the speed of the aircraft.

People I was sitting close to were a little perturbed by this and on balance would rather not have been told anything. I guess there are lots of different attitudes among passengers and there is no pleasing everybody.

People never cease to amaze me. I would have appreciated the information and found it interesting.