Page 8 THE SUNDAY MAIL, ESCAPE December 27, 2009 thesundaymail.com.au 8 Escape.com.au Flying facts Straighten up and fly right BRACE YOURSELF: Airline safety procedures have a purpose. Roderick Eime ALL the rules and procedures about flying on planes can make the journey a real drag. Buckle this, stow that, turn that off. Are all these regulations just to intimidate passengers and make aircrew feel important? Paul (not his real name) flew as cabin crew with a major Australian carrier for more than a decade. I asked him about some of the rigmarole that most of us ignore. Brace. ‘‘Always good for a giggle, but if things get messy, you should know how to do it properly. The idea is to get you sitting as far forward as possible so if there’s an impact you don’t go flying all over the place. If we tell you to remove your tie, dentures and spectacles, then it’s serious.’’ Stow your tray table, seat backs upright. ‘‘It’s a drag I know, but there are two reasons. One, to give you clear access if you have to move quickly and, two, to remove hazards in the event of a sudden stop. Also, if your chair is reclined, you could slide under your belt.’’ Lifejackets are under your seat. ‘‘Seriously, make sure you know where it is and how to put it on – and whatever you do, don’t inflate it until after you exit the aircraft. Remember Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961.’’ (Scores of passengers drowned when the cockpit filled with water and they couldn’t swim out.) Greg is a captain with a major Asian airline, with 15,000 hours’ total flying time, and has held a commercial pilot’s licence for 30 years. What’s the secret to a silky smooth landing? ‘‘The best landings are really in the hands of the pilot and 99 per cent of landings are done that way – good and bad. The best landings are when all the ducks are lined up (approach speed, no crosswind, glide slope etc) and you just nail it.’’ And the rough ones? ‘‘Well, you’ll expect me to say this, but it’s most likely a computer system mistake where the ‘autoland’ feature has not properly selected the flare point for any number of reasons. If there’s a bad crosswind, storm or it’s gusty, a pilot will want to get the plane down ASAP and that can be indelicate.’’ Ray (not his real name) is a senior certifying engineer with 20 years’ experience and signs off the big Boeing and Airbus aircraft. Turn off your mobile phone. ‘‘That’s a myth, but most airlines, I reckon, keep mobile phones off for passenger comfort and it’s still against the law in most places. Thankfully, most phones won’t work at altitude anyway.’’ (Airlines are trialling in-flight equipment and ‘picocells’ – mini mobile phone towers inside the aircraft that communicate with land or satellite systems.) Where is the safest section of a plane? ‘‘Most survivors seem to be in the back.’’ True. Despite claims by many authorities suggesting no ‘‘safe zone’’ existed, Popular Mechanics magazine analysed 20 accidents in the US and found passengers sitting rear of the wing had a noticeably improved survival rate. Pay the convenient way The Courier-Mail Classifieds accept these cards - Top End, Rail n River From $2995pppensioner twin 11 nights. All inclusive of... • 4 nights Mantra Pandanas • FREE Litchfield day tour • FREE Darwin half day tour • 2 Days / 1 night Kakadu tour • The Ghan Darwin to Adelaide with FREE upgrade to Gold service • 2 nights Murray River cruise includes River view cabin, all meals and tours or 2 day Kangaroo Island tour • 2 nights Adelaide 5 Star Stamford Plaza • Barossa Valley & Hahndorf Tour Travel now - 31 August Ultimate Rail Holiday Fr $2089pp pensioner twin 10 nights. 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To become a member visit couriermail.com.au/subscriber If you are a current subscriber of The Courier-Mail and The Sunday Mail , you can now manage your subscription online at couriermail.com.au/subscriber at a time that is convenient to you. This handy new website will allow you to update your details, suspend your newspaper while you are away on holidays, upgrade your subscription, and more. MANAGE YOUR NEWSPAPER SUBSCRIPTION ONLINE Applies to subscribers who pay their account directly to The Courier-Mail l The Sunday Mail. Subscriberadvantage rewards do not apply to subscribers paying their account directly to their newsagent and/or are not 7-day sunscribers GLASS HOUSE a/c, sep sleepout, share fac, $240pw 0407 732 279 CAIRNS 4 Star Quality Inn Rainbow Southside. 7 nights $400. Available till February (07) 4033 7722 AWARD WINNING Luxury accommodation, absolute ocean front. Phone: 1800 075 061 CHARTER YACHTS AUSTRALIA Whitsundays - skipper yourself. 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Ph: 07 5536 2000 www.coolangattarealty.com.au ALTERATION TO DEADLINE Due to the Christmas Day and Boxing Day public holidays, the deadline for Travel and Holidays ads publishing on Sunday 27th December will be 4pm Monday 21st. MANILA RETURN $838 inc taxes Jetset Kenmore 1300 734 653 MEDICAL + DENTAL Holidays Jetset Kenmore 1300 734 653 HAMILTON ISLAND fully self con- tained. 2/3brms 2/3bath beach front/buggy. Phone 4946 8833 www.hamorent.com.au HAMILTON ISLAND 2 bed 2 bath, FSC, A-C apartment, buggy, BBQ, seaviews. 02 9774 4330 www.hamilton-island-escape.com TANGALOOMA B’front, villa, fully s/c, sleeps 8 Ph 0403 378 959 ABLE TO ESCAPE Relaxing on the beautiful Tweed River 5524 3222 TWEED RIVER Boyds Bay House- boats Free info pack 1800 468 732 Where to go Where to stay