crazy habit?

[muppes]

sorry folks, just one simple question.

why do passengers always clap their hands after charter flight landing? nobody does this crazy habit on normal flight... or an´m I wrong?
who has taught them so? as a frequent business flyer I get get always confused?
Could anybody tell me?

[unwiseowl]

it's because they're glad to be alive

[jungly]

Maybe its just the 'crazy germans' wiff ze 'crazy clapping'?

Only seen it once and that was on Egypt Air (Internal)....much raptuous applause from the heathen masses as we touched down. Of course everyone was already standing in the aisles, carry-on baggage ready to go from top of descent. In fact most people stayed standing for the entire flight!

[Landing_24R]

I've seen this a couple of times myself; once was on a Go flight to Stansted (ah, memories...) which was packed with rowdy schoolkids coming back from a jolly to Italy. Raptuous applause after landing from said kids, although the approach was very turbulent so perhaps they were just glad to be down in one piece!

The second time was on a charter flight a couple of years ago, Britannia MAN-VCE. It was early in the season and packed with very distinguished elderly couples going on holiday for a bit of P&Q. I was as surprised as anyone when they started clapping after touchdown at VCE, although I have to say it was a supreme landing ;)

Landing_24R

[Georgeablelovehowindia]

Hmmm ... nobody seems to applaud my landings, but then it's possibly because nobody sleeps through them either!
:}

[GrantT]

"it's because they're glad to be alive"

I'm going with that :p

[superspotter]

Probably Americans................:ooh: :ooh:

[gohogs]

superspotter,

If it's "the clap" I have no doubt they are from Cheshire, UK....

[HugoFirst]

I don't mind pax applauding, as long as they remember to have a whip-round for the driver!

[Avman]

The Germans are well known for it. However, I have noticed recently that now they don't begin to applaud until the a/c has slowed down to taxy speed. Maybe they had a past experience of being in full applause as they ran off the end of the runway :\

[russelldav]

it only takes 1 or 2 though to start every1 else off.

ive only ever seen it on good landings. on the choppy variety most people are too busy clinging to their arm rests. you can easily pick out the frequent/confident fliers - they'll be the ones clapping (probably at the nervous looking bunch sat around them)

[broadreach]

Happens in Brazil and Argentina as well but only after long intercontinental flights. Everyone happy to be safely back, that's all. I first heard it around twenty years ago and only occasionally; now it seems the norm.

[planepeanuts]

I was on a flight into Kai Tak with Garuda Indonesia once when everyone clapped on landing. I had never flown with them before. Clearly everyone else had.

[skinteastwood]

I heard they clap Ryanair flights on take-off......

[ShyTorque]

I once had the pleasure of flying back from RAF Germany on a B737 "civvy trooper" to Luton.

The landing was the worst one I have ever experienced, including whilst teaching ab-initio students to fly. During the "touchdown" (I use that term loosely), many of the overhead baggage lockers flew open, showering the appreciative pax with luggage, and the oxygen masks deployed.

I was sitting in row 1, opposite the stewardess. As we smote the earth, her upper torso was thrown down so hard that she almost bit herself on the knees! For a few seconds, I was convinced that we were going off the runway.

The stunned passengers (mainly soldiers) responded, not with applause, but with such comments as "What the f*** was that?", "Have we crashed or what?", "Who's flying this - the f***in' Navy?" etc.

I smiled at the stewardess and asked "Co-pilot's landing?". She nodded. "Will the co-pilot be buying the drinks tonight then?" She just raised her eyebrows and said "I'm just glad we're all alive!" :D

Yes, I have been on flights where they applauded, but not that airline.

[Jerricho]

Very bumpy approach into Stanstead one evening on a Ryanair. Given all the jolting about on final, pilot absolutely feathered it onto the runway. The group I was with were all impressed, and couldn't help a polite little "golf clap". Half expecting the driver to run from the cockpit for a Victory Lap up and down the plane, with high 5's all round. And he would have deserved it! :ok:

"250kts below 10000' or taxiing......."

[Tapinhas]

I fly for TAP Air Portugal as an FA almst for 10 years(12 on the job).
I remember since an early age,that landings at FNC airport(Madeira island),allways had a big cheer and applause.Unfortunatelly:p ,and since the RNW as been extended this "old" habit is starting to disapear.

Unless we have one of those hairy approaches:yuk: ,the pax won't clap anymore.:ok:

[Onan the Clumsy]

Call me a miserable old b@st@rd, but I hate it when people do that. I think it's so stupid.

:mad:

Clap that is, not land gracefully :}