View Full Version : A320 Airbags
AussieAviator
28th Feb 2011, 08:31
Paxed on a Jetstar A320 the other day, and was seated in a emergency exit row. Noticed very strange seat belts and discovered that they have a airbag fitted. No mention was made in the safety breifing card, or the verbal given to you by a F/A. Great idea, but why only the exits?:confused:
frogfriday
28th Feb 2011, 08:49
You'll probably find they will only be installed in locations where they are needed to fulfil head impact criteria.
:)
Bumpfoh
28th Feb 2011, 09:03
Correct froggy,
where there is a bulkhead installed or risk of impact to a seat in front where there is a bit too much space to adequately assume a brace position against the seat in front without risk of injury, or at least somethiing along those lines.
From memory it is a FAA requirement adopted by CASA as of last year, affecting all new build aircraft.
Most business/first class seats have them as well because of the plastic etc around the seat as well.
4Greens
28th Feb 2011, 20:53
It is because most seats on civilian aircraft are the wrong way round. They should be facing aft.
ReverseFlight
1st Mar 2011, 02:26
They should be facing aft.
Hence the term Reverse Flight.
Sorry, I just couldn't help it. :E
Di_Vosh
1st Mar 2011, 07:50
It is because most seats on civilian aircraft are the wrong way round. They should be facing aft.
Erm... what aircraft have seats facing aft (apart from club seats)?
DIVOSH!
Di_Vosh
1st Mar 2011, 09:14
Okaaay.... That's ONE military aircraft.
Some of the seats in a Blackhawk face rearwards (but the Blackhawks also have front and side facing pax seats)
DIVOSH!
UPPERLOBE
1st Mar 2011, 09:32
The Bristol Britannia was the last airliner to have all pax seats facing rearwards, huge success (NOT).
mcgrath50
1st Mar 2011, 10:50
Flight Attendants (mostly) face rearwards. I was told (in the sort of discussion of aviation trivia/myths/outrageous facts) this was because the crash survivability was higher. Which sort of makes sense as you are forced forward in a crash, which for the FAs is backwards, just pushing them further into the seat.
Howard Hughes
2nd Mar 2011, 01:32
In my aircraft everyone flies backwards except for me...:{
Are aft-facing airplane seats safer? | Need to Know | Air & Space Magazine (http://www.airspacemag.com/need-to-know/Need-to-Know-Aft-Facing-Seats.html)
BOBO THE CLOWN 23
3rd Mar 2011, 09:04
Dash8 300 series has the first row on the r/h side facing aft.
belt up
8th Mar 2011, 12:24
The airbag is there to enable the seat installation to meet HIC to FAR 25.562 and 25.785 (16g and HIC requirement). It is also virtually impossible to certify a side facing seat without an airbag.
Cabin crew face rearwards primarily as they need to be able to see all the passengers at take off & landing; it is also more survivable.
fruitloop
11th Mar 2011, 02:39
C5 Upper deck all face aft !