people started clapping just after we landed

[MNBluestater]

Hmmm, if you loosen the fastened belt and turn it over

Originally Posted by DingerX

. Non functioning seat belts was the most common, on the occasions when there were cabin crew (sometimes there were none) they just told you to tie the belt in a knot if the buckle wasn't there or didn't work.

Heck, I saw that happen in the min-nineties (97 to be exact), on a Tower Air flight (JFK-ORY) during their brief run at trying to be a regularly-scheduled airline.
Seatbelt of the guy next to me was installed backwards. On popping the cushion, we found that a pin was installed to prevent seatbelt from "deplaning" -- so we couldn't fix it. Called the FA over,

"It's your seat, sit in it"

Interestingly, the aircraft never got above FL220, and there was no applause on landing (but plenty of relief).

Voila, the buckle is on the top !!! And if you tighten a little, it will hold you in just fine...

That's what I assume you meant by "installed backwards" that the buckle faced down...this would not be a situation to keep an aircraft from taking off...

[MNBluestater]

It happens on US flights on arrival in Las Vegas

Originally Posted by seacue

My only experiences with clapping pax have been French charters between Paris and holiday destinations.

Never seen it happen here in the USA.

It happens on US flights on arrival in Las Vegas, people have a ton of dough to spend...not too happy when they get on the a/c on the way back home....

[Blues&twos]

Taking this to its other logical extreme, maybe as pax we should boo and throw rotten vegetables following delays, bumpy landings, blocked toilets etc etc.

[Marsh Hawk]

It also happens upon arrival on a plane full of grateful vacationers to some warm tropical destination in Mid-January .

[daniel3982]

Ive only ever seen it twice, on Royal Brunei landing in BSB and on Wizz Air landing in Gdansk on an A320 95% full of polish

[Al Fakhem]

The ultimate sign of gratitude (and, conversely, the lack of airmanship) must be kissing the ground upon arrival. But then, the pope does fly Alitalia

[big.al]

After a 23hr 45min delay with Eurocypria MAN-LCA a few years back, everyone burst into applause (and tears of relief) on TAKE OFF....

[Kolibear]

anotherglassofwine - as a PPL, you will never, ever have anyone applaud one of your landings.

But congratulations anyway, now you start learning

[anotherglassofwine]

Kolibear - hehe I'd have to agree - maybe you've seen a few of my recent landings! ... does applauding myself count?

[flyboy2k4]

The clap...

I fly a corporate airplane for a software company, my cargo is usually the "big shot" owners. About 2 months ago coming back from Houston, my "know-it-all" owner is telling me that he's never gone this slow on final before. I guess he got the term "final" from a book because he's NOT a pilot. Anyway after explaining to him while trying to keep my hand-flown, stable approach, why we were going so "slow" is because our airplane doesn't go faster unless you want a bad landing. I stuck a phenomial landing and he started clapping. He is "a self taught aviation expert" and "as many times that he's flown he'd never had a better landing." So M... Thank you for the comment but don't critque the approach because it obviously worked out great.