Crew on take-off

Thanks; however I didn’t specify the airline 😊
I read this:
This query is not about Qantas in particular, but perhaps @milehighclub might let us know what the situation is?
as implying that the query arose because of an incident on a Qantas flight but your question was broader and extended to other airlines.
Sorry if I misread the subtext!
 
Surely on QF they do that with the safety demonstration at least domestically. Though on some airlines the crew don't participate it is just the video.
They may run through some of the steps during the demo, but they should be doing it again during takeoff and landing. As well as being alert to anything out for the ordinary (in case that’s a precursor to an emergency).
 
Surely on QF they do that with the safety demonstration at least domestically. Though on some airlines the crew don't participate it is just the video.
This isn't about the safety demo - I'm pretty sure all crew could recite it word by word (I still have PTSD for two shots mate).

This is a specific checklist that crew run through (OLDABC) when they sit down before take off. At QF/JQ, the last thing the cabin crew are told is "commence silent review" during the final call back before departure. All aircraft doors are different, so this is about how would you operate this one in an emergency, would you even open it (as not all doors are opened in certain situations), who are the passengers in my zone that might require extra assistance, what commands would you yell and when, who could assist me etc.
 
This has reminded me of our recent UA flight from Den to Muc in J. As we are pulling back from the gate I hear a bit of a commotion from across the aisle. Look across and there is a gentleman in sleep mode with eye mask on, wrapped snugly in his blanket and seat fully reclined. Attendants are anxiously imploring him that he must sit up, put seatbelt on etc. etc. Well it was an evening departure (8.30pm) and I guess he doesn't fly very often.....
 
I guess he doesn't fly very often.....

I actually find flying quite soporific and can fall asleep between the safety briefing and take off.
Twice in J I've had FAs put a blanket over me*. Once I woke up, when the CX FA was placing it on me. The other time I slept sitting up for at least an hour on a QF flight and woke up with the blanket on me.

I can fall asleep on a flight at virtually any time of the day. I mean it's always bed time somewhere in the world.

*Although, thinking about this, maybe they thought I was dead and just wanted to cover up the body? :eek:
 
Occasionally I can really sleep well on a plane. Best was BKK to AMM on RJ. Remember accelerating down the runway before lift off and the next was the Captain advising the crew to take their position for landing. Great flight.

The other was JAL F from LAX to NRT. I did wake as the FA was tucking me into bed but didn’t open my eyes and was soon back to sleep with a lovely memory.
 
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I may be able to help with the reasons for asking for flight mode with mobiles. Placing the mobile into flight mode disables the radio transmitter in the mobile, so people playing games (stored on the mobile) or reading texts or documents (again stored on mobile) or even composing emails is not impeded. (they won't be sent until landed and out of flight mode).
There is a slight chance of interference with aircraft systems, but this is mainly theoretical, but the main reason for requiring mobiles to be off or in flight mode relates to the terrestrial mobile network. Base stations are arranged into cells with a particular set of radio frequencies allocated to each cell. However as there are not an infinite set of frequencies available, the frequencies are reused a few cells away.
Communicating with a mobile on the ground means your mobile connects to the cell tower in the cell you are located in. If you are mobile and move into a different cell the frequency of your mobile changes seamlessly and you move to the next tower, (next cell).
This is effective because you are only in the range of one or two towers at a time, and if two, there are different radio frequencies on each and the change over is automatic to the strongest signal, any other towers are 'over the horizon'.
However from an aircraft other towers are not over the horizon, at the set of frequencies your mobile is using, and will be received by more than one tower that is equipped with that set of frequencies, because you are at altitude the signal strength will be similar, and unfortunately the radio magic employed to switch your mobile seamlessly from one cell to the next will become confused and there is a possibility of locking up the whole mobile network.
In some places in the world mobile communication from planes is permitted, but this uses a different system, with your mobile switching to specific set of frequencies in the plane which becomes its own cell and a link from the plane to the network completes the connection.
(hope this helps, sorry it was so long winded), I was formerly a Senior Technical Officer with Telecom (before it became telstra) with responsibility for the mobile network, amongst other things.
 
Welcome to AFF @Euripides Are you a 'travel tragic' ? :)

This is effective because you are only in the range of one or two towers at a time, and if two, there are different radio frequencies on each and the change over is automatic to the strongest signal, any other towers are 'over the horizon'.
However from an aircraft other towers are not over the horizon, at the set of frequencies your mobile is using, and will be received by more than one tower that is equipped with that set of frequencies, because you are at altitude the signal strength will be similar, and unfortunately the radio magic employed to switch your mobile seamlessly from one cell to the next will become confused and there is a possibility of locking up the whole mobile network.

That's interesting, but surely it would only confuse your phone and not the network? I wonder if the network has a form of control where a particular phone cannot register on more than a pair of adjacent cells? What is the vertical range of a mobile phone cell?

Light planes would be relevant here more than jets, wouldn't they? Lower, slower and probably constantly in range, plus unlikely to be ever turned off.
 
I was on QF8 (back in 744 days) on final approach into BNE, and we would have been about 1500 FT from the ground when a lady ran to the toilet and locked the door. The crew were shouting at her and made a call to the coughpit but it was too late to do anything.

I connected on to NTL in BNE, but my friend I was travelling with got back on QF8 and continued to SYD. He told me the same person did the exact same thing again on approach into SYD.

So bizarre. Maybe she thought she was safer in there?
 

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