GtW, doesn't matter. If your employer chooses to let you fly in Business Class you've earned it. And, believe it or not, many of us pay for Business Class out of our own pockets these days.

What if the company started offering non-drinking flights? Maybe one every three days or something, just to check demand?
I realise there will be some thinking through to do beforehand, but why not try it?

Passenger attempts to set hands on fire.
 

Monarch 933 from TFS to Birmingham turned around after about 30 mins and returned to TFS to off load two passengers who were misbehaving, apparently one was trying to set his own hands on fire.


Birmingham flight diverted after passenger disruption | Central - ITV News

Apparently he was using lighter fuel to light his hands on fire... so a run-of-the-mill bar trick rather than a mentally disturbed individual. Well until it gets to the part where the FA asked for the lighter and "he refused and attempted to light the lighter in her face". No doubt alcohol induced.

I`d agree with core dump and also guess the propellant was alcohol and not lighter fuel, that being the initiating cause in the chain which on this occasion mercifully failed to link with all the others waiting for the opportunity to join up.

I thought lighters were banned from hand baggage? Plus aerosols and lighter fuel ....

he might have hidden them inside his Samsung 7 fire proof shield for later use

Personal care aerosols (under about three and half ounces) are fine and the carry on lighter ban was lifted in the US nearly a decade ago. Typically the EASA parrots a fair amount of TSA rules.

Monarch 933 from TFS to Birmingham

... don't think we're talking Birmingham AL here though. and I would have thought that lighter fuel (in any container) could be considered a 'personal care aerosol' but then I'm known for being behind the times!! ;-)

You wouldn't necessarily need a separate bottle of lighter fluid to perform the trick. If you overfilled your zippo, there would be more than enough fluid in there that you could pour (or squeeze out). As for getting the lighter through security, throw it in a small pocket of your hand luggage with some pocket change. I've done that accidentally plenty of times, back when I smoked.

Or maybe the lighter was hidden where his head was stowed.

Well it is entirely possible our addiction to the consumption (and sale of) tobacco has led to an unusual split between TSA and EASA rules on lighters (and matches). I believe you are correct for travel under EASA rules. :ok:

Oh, and thank you for the Birmingham, AL reference. :D

Zippo petrol lighters not allowed in UK aircraft. Gaseous liquid lighters permitted upon the person but not in any luggage.

...or has that changed?

Assuming core dump has it right and it was a drunken attempt to 'show off', I wonder just how drunk one would have to be to think that lighting your hands on fire on an airborne aircraft wasn't a really, really bad idea :ugh:

I have no idea, but how in the world are you going to light your hands on fire with gaseous butane? If you had an aerosol butane canister and squirted it onto your hands upside down, would it not evaporate before you could possibly get your hand lit? I've never tried that method. It would not be impressive to your drunk friends even if it did do something at all.

As for what's allowed, I don't think someone drunk enough to pull this stunt on an aircraft cares in the least what's allowed and not.

No rational explaination need apply.

I trust the culprits will pay dearly for the 'return' flight.

I think the answer is "regular drunk". You can't do bar tricks successfully if you're "knee-walking drunk".

I'm old enough to remember drinking Flaming Hookers at the O-Club bar. Although I never set my face on fire, I witnessed several of my fellow Naval Aviators do exactly that. Often the flames engulfed their hands too. None of them were particularly drunk, just regular drunk.

Of course, that was a long time ago when performing stunts at the bar was considered just good old fun. Fighter pilots were expected to be ....... um........... colorful. These days even driving by the O-Club might be harmful to your career.

Apparently, you and I had a different set of friends growing up, CD. ;)

Mozella, this was 50 years ago :{

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...gbadly1968.jpg

Take one Ministry ashtray, invert top, place two Roman candles therein, liberally douse with lighter fuel and ignite.
And that was one of the lesser stunts.

At one 'do' the band was blown up with a thunderflash resulting in an on-the-spot rebuke - followed by an anxious wait until Monday to discover if it was going to be 'taken further'; it wasn't.

My faith in the mental faculties of todays youth is such, that I believe no thought process of theirs would lead them to think that far. Drunk or sober.