Clapping on landing
 

I've just done what I would call a couple of holiday flights as opposed to the usual sort of trips that I do.

Haven't done a holiday flight for many years......but what's with the clapping on landing????? (From the passengers, I mean.)

The clapping on landing is common place all over Europe but especially Poland and Italy. Possibly Catholic superstition ?! Not just charter either - happens on scheduled too.

Eagle402

:D We received a round of applause after landing today in Funchal following a typically lively approach. I'm not sure if it was directed towards my performance or just an expression of relief that everyone had arrived safely! It was nice anyway and much appreciated, always a pleasure to have such customers on board and to have been of service :).

Has anyone ever been booed? :p

I got a taking-the-p**s applause after a particularly, erm, "positive" landing at Fuerteventura a few weeks ago :D

I blame the slope in the runway!

The good news is that the company are covering the crew's physio and many will hopefully return to duties over the coming months...

It is common enough at Wellington, NZ, which is a city blessed with a never ending supply of quickly moving fresh air. Landings in a stiff northerly can be very interesting!:)

Being a very regular pax i have experienced the clapping on arrival syndrome on numerous occaisions and at times i have been scared sh..less by its furiosity .

I personally believe that there are a combination of factors behind a pax going into orgasmic clapping mode .

1/ They are still in awe of pilots & salute your incredible wit & tenacity & superb flying ability and that like a god the fact that you got your your wings means you shud be worshipped .
( if only they knew that you sometimes have a snooze at 35,000 ft while the auto-pilot continues flying the plane )

2/ They are so happy to be as far away as possible from the local ferals/chavs that on landing a wave of euphoria takes over and they cannot believe they have actually managed to escape .

3/They truly believe that their life is in your hands but they are are scared ****less by flying and the thought that the 2 up front in the cockpit might actually be human and therefore not so perfect ( we all make mistakes ) so when rubber hits tarmac its time to celebrate survival .

4/ It could be they are all pissed ?

5/ That they are all in fact aviation experts and as such know a good landing from a dodgy one which dos'nt really matter as you will get a loud round of applause for either !

6/They love you for just being you and want to show their apreciation .

the list is endless just like the bleedin clapping in my ears .
it annoys me and i dont know why ?

Another odd reaction at the instant of touchdown, according to the C/C, is to barf. Apparently the nervous fliers suddenly find release.

Rgards,
BH.

I've noticed this as passenger on some flights, seems to me to be cultural though with my limited sampling I may well be wrong. Lots of clapping on internal flights in South America though I've also noticed it through mainland Europe and China.

Oddest one was an Singapore A380 flight SYD-SIN the day after world youth "day" finished. A couple of nuns at the front of main deck economy started clapping and it took about two seconds for the remainder of the cabin to join them. Don't usually get much applause on that flight but perhaps the faithful were still in party mode...

I was startled on a Polish flight as passenger when everyone around me started clapping. If they are going to clap, then the converse is true, they should boo a hard landing. I'd rather they did nothing but frantically crossed themselves (if they think that will be of any help, good for them!).

After reading about the reasons behind positive arrivals on the 737 I'm not sure what qualifies as good/bad. I guess as long as we get off via the airbridge it's a good 'un.

One night after a particularly hard landing at Heathrow a young boy went "aaaaggggghhhhh". Caused a lot of laughter.

A couple of months back I was on a FlyBe from LGW to Belfast City. During pushback, those who werent reading a magazine, plugged into MP3s or finishing their phone conversations heard the female Captain introduce herself, to no audible reaction from the cabin (why should there be! :ok:).

Shortly before passing over the irish cost, we pitched down with speedbrakes/spoilers (sorry, just slf so don't know the correct terms) deployed. They stayed out until just before passing over the airport fence! The plane was rocking and rolling on final and flaps were deployed late (I think last position change again just before going over the fence).

To use a quote above it was a very "positive" landing (hardly surprising following the less-than-stable approach) and followed by hard braking, a scratching sound as if we'd locked up the brakes (is this possible, aren't there anti-lock systems?), thrown back in seats as brakes released, back forward as reengaged, obvious rudder/nosewheel action until finally at taxiing speed. :eek::eek::eek:

In fairness I guess the late descent may have been an ATC issue, but I figured it must be very gusty to cause the rocking and rolling and swerving, but in fact on leaving the terminal it was the stillest of still nights.

Never felt so much like clapping after a landing - but in relief, not in honour of the pilot flying!

Anyway, the only audible reaction in the cockpit was from a late teenager behind me, with perfect comic timing some seconds after it had all calmed down - "Woman driver"!!!!

PS - I don't defend the remark, but it did make me laugh. And yes, I realise that it's quite likely that the captain would not have been the pilot flying the landing but it would have been the (presumably) male f/o.

I get applause every now and then in my job as a piston single driver :D:D:D. I really get a kick out of it and usually give the pax some sort of bow :)

The funniest was landing a 206 one day... was a little bit fast and while the flare was at a perfect height, it was quite long. Shortly before touchdown the front RHS pax said with her american accent "Oh, that was a great landing".

I couldn't resist turning to her and chirping "Don't congratulate me yet... we're not actually on the ground!"

Needless to say the touchdown was smooth (as always:E )

Flying on an EI flight from AMS - DUB the other week, with particularly rough weather coming into DUB which made for a bumpy descent. We touched down and one passenger broke into rapturous applause. Only one passenger. Everyone else just kind of looked at her and it turned into "clap..clap...clap....clap.....clap......clap.......clap *silence" from that passenger :D

... and that was just on the flightdeck? :p

Lol, I can just imagine that :}

Can the pilots on jets even hear the clapping anyway?

No. But you can hear tantrums, and that from the flight attendants!

About a decade ago, I was in an A320 into FCO that initiated a rather abrupt go-around (allegedly due to another aircraft on the runway). #1 stalled and good, with flames shooting out the front and the whole airframe shaking as if it'd been smacked with a bat. The left side of the plane broke out into spontaneous applause. No, I don't know why they did that.