A modern aircraft is a complex piece of machinery. Equipped with sophisticated navigation equipment, it can take off in near-zero visibility and climb seven miles above the ground. It raced through the sky at 600 mph in an atmosphere where temperatures could drop as low as -94°F (-70°C), while maintaining comfortable conditions for the passengers inside. in.
As the plane nears its destination, pilots can guide their flight down a runway just 148 feet (45 meters) wide, landing safely even in the worst weather conditions. However, the flight deck isn’t the only place where there’s a wealth of technical equipment designed to keep everyone on board safe.
At first glance, the cabin of an airplane seems to consist of only rows of seats, overhead lockers and a few showrooms where flight attendants prepare food. Out of sight, however, are a number of safety features – from fire extinguishers and smoke masks to survival gear and portable oxygen tanks.
Fire equipment
You might think that your flight attendants are on board to keep you fed and provide drinks for the whole flight. This is part of their role. However, the main reason for their presence is to manage any emergencies that may arise in the cabin that the pilot cannot handle on his own. For example, flight attendants are trained to deal with any fire in the cabin.
All modern aircraft are also equipped with a multitude of fire detection and extinguishing devices to help the crew deal with this potential danger.
Smoke detector
Each restroom on the plane is fitted with a smoke detector in the ceiling, as well as a heat detector in the bin compartment. If smoke is detected in the cabin or heat is detected in the tank, the system will trigger an alarm in both the cabin and flight deck.
Upon hearing the alarm, flight attendants must immediately check the situation and take any appropriate action according to their training procedures.
The smoke detection system is very sensitive so sometimes, if the toilet door is opened at the same time as the oven in the kitchen, steam from the oven can trigger the smoke detection system. While this false alarm can raise your heart rate, you should know that the system is sensitive enough to detect even the slightest trace of smoke.
Fire extinguisher
If a fire breaks out in the cabin, the flight attendants must handle it promptly. As a result, a number of fire extinguishers are stored in various locations around the aircraft. This means that no matter where the fire is located, the nearest fire extinguisher is never far away.
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If more is needed, other crew members can quickly collect and bring to the scene of the incident.
Smoke hoods and fire gloves
Other fire hazards are asphyxiation of smoke and heat from the fire. It wouldn’t do a crew member a fire extinguisher if they couldn’t get close enough to the fire to deal with it. Therefore, typically under or around each cabin crew seat is a smokescreen and a pair of fireproof gloves.
The hood is stored in a quick-access box, which means a crew member can grab it and put the hood on in seconds. Once switched on, the hood provides adequate respiratory protection, prevents smoke from entering the hood, and provides a constant flow of oxygen into the mask.
Fire gloves allow a crew member to retrieve a fire extinguisher near a fire without burning their hands.
In a wheelchair
Many flights may have some passengers with reduced mobility. Passengers with the least mobility will typically bring their own wheelchairs to the door, where they face a problem: Most individual seats are too wide to fit in the narrow aisles. of the plane. To get passengers to their seats, most larger aircraft have special wheelchairs on board that passengers can use.
Wheelchairs can also be used during the flight, allowing passengers to get in and out of the bathroom when needed.
Related: 7 tips for air travel for wheelchair users
Queuing stop
If you sit near a showroom during a flight, you’ll be sure to hear a near-constant rattling throughout your journey, especially around the time the crew is getting ready to take off and land, or meal preparation and beverage service. What are these strange noises?
An airplane’s showroom close to a restaurant kitchen is fully operational because you’re seven miles off the ground. However, it would be extremely dangerous without some special features designed to address the dynamics of aircraft: In other words, this kitchen is constantly on the move, and so does everything in it.
Trolleys and boxes that flight attendants frequently open or close are used to hold all the food, drinks, plates, glasses and other knick-knacks for hundreds of passengers during the flight. These items and the boxes are very heavy. If they come loose during take-off, landing or turbulence, they can cause serious injury.
As a result, all airplane belongings have some form of latch or lock to ensure that any box, stroller or any other item stays securely in place, no matter how folded the trip. how rapids. The default position for all pegs on the plane is the locked position because turbulence can strike at any time.
This means that any time the crew needs to access these storages, they must unlock the latch, remove the cart or item they need, and then re-lock the latches. It can be loud and distracting but it ensures that the risk of injury to the crew or passengers is kept to a minimum at all times.
Circuit Breaker
Fire is a hazard in the showroom as well as the cabin, so only certain items in the room have power. These include ovens and brewers to warm up meals and make hot drinks, and chillers that help keep food trucks and drinks and their contents cold, even on long-haul flights. .
If any of these equipment malfunctions or the crew senses smoke or fire, the first course of action is to disconnect power from the equipment. All devices are wired to the aircraft’s power supply, so there are no plugs to pull out.
Instead, there is an electrical panel located in the room containing a main electrical switch for all appliances and several circuit breakers. Turning off this switch and pulling on the breaker cuts off power to the device, eliminating a potential source of fire.
Taking these actions is completely fixable, so if it is a false alarm, the crew can always turn it back on and get back to work. Better to be safe than sorry.
Related: How airplanes generate electricity and what happens if it fails during flight
Partitions and cabin partitions
Have you ever seen your crew mess with the bulkhead between the cabins before takeoff and landing and wondered what was going on? If you don’t pay close attention, you may not notice at all.
Every request that the crew makes to you before the critical phases of your flight is there to ensure your safety. Make sure your bags are under the front seat, your seat is upright, and your tray table is folded to allow you to quickly get out of your seat (especially window seat occupants) in emergency situation.
The cabin dividers are there to divide the plane into different areas when there are no solid features like restrooms or showrooms. If this divider is in the area between the aircraft door sets, it is important that people behind the median have a clear view of the space ahead until the next exit.
This is done so that again, in the event of an emergency, passengers and crew have a clear view of the entire cabin and can see if there is smoke or other problem beyond the bulkhead.
These bulkheads, while they seem sturdy, actually have a large section in the middle that can be opened up, creating a large window and giving rear occupants a good view of the cabin ahead.
Defibrillator
When you’re seven miles above the ocean, you’re far from emergency medical care. For this reason, flight attendants are trained in advanced first aid, including the use of a defibrillator. on all American planes.
If an unfortunate passenger suffers a heart attack during a flight, cabin crew are trained in how to use a defibrillator, providing critical care that can make the difference between life and death.
Portable oxygen
“If the plane loses cabin pressure, pull the oxygen mask towards you and breathe normally.”
This phrase is probably second nature to most regular flyers. However, in the event this happens, what are the flight attendants supposed to do?
At the first sign of a mask falling in the cabin, the crew must stop what they are doing and immediately retrieve the mask. Even when every seat is taken away, the aircraft manufacturers have this in mind and every other row has an extra mask, which ensures that a mask is always available.
However, if depressurization occurs on high ground, it may take a while for people to take off their masks. Meanwhile, the crew may have to move around the cabin to reach the passengers.
To enable them to do so, portable fire extinguishers and oxygen tanks are stored in various locations around the aircraft. If the crew needs to move around the cabin, they can grab one of these bottles, sling it over their shoulders, put the accompanying mask over their faces, and continue taking care of the passengers.
Portable oxygen tanks can also be used if a passenger is unwell at any stage of the flight. At times, especially for elderly passengers, traveling by plane can become overwhelming. A few minutes of 100% oxygen from one of these portable oxygen units may be enough for them to feel normal again.
Related: 6 aircraft systems that help pilots keep you safe in an emergency
Restraint Kit
Sadly, since returning to mass flying after COVID, many airlines have seen an increase in disruptive passenger events on their flights.
Being trapped in a small metal tube while one person causes chaos is not safe for anyone. If the crew is unable to reassure the passenger and they see the disruptive passenger as a threat to those around or the aircraft itself, the captain may authorize the use of a restraint.
This procedure varies between airlines but typically includes a form of handcuffs that flight attendants are trained to use to safely restrain disruptive passengers and hold them in place until the plane lands and they can deliver to the police.
Key point
While you can book a flight based on the quality of the food on the plane or the comfort of your seat, all of those amenities are secondary to the safety features of the plane. Whether it is a fire detector, a fire extinguisher or a circuit breaker, there are a number of systems in place to ensure that fire never becomes a serious threat to an aircraft.
Even seemingly inconsequential things like latches and locks ensure that heavy trucks in the warehouse don’t come loose in bad weather and injure people. For those with reduced mobility, there is even a special wheelchair kept on board to help them move around the plane when needed.
Comfort is always there on long flights, but safety will always be the number one priority.
