Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2016 5:09:29 GMT 7
Have you ever eavesdropped on an airline cabin crew, and wondered the meanings of their jargon? What does “cross-check” mean? Or "all-call"? And what about when they mention taking their “jump seats” during turbulence — are they preparing to strap on parachutes and jump out of the aircraft? The airline world has its own shoptalk and jargon, and listening passengers can discover an entirely new language.
We’ll let you in on some of the obscure terminology heard before and during a flight.
"Prepare doors for departure/arrival."
In an emergency situation, evacuation slides — which stow in a housing at the bottom of each aircraft door — are designed to automatically deploy with a blast of compressed carbon dioxide and nitrogen in just six seconds flat. But they won’t work if a crew member hasn’t “armed" the door: that is, pushed a lever on the door that connects the slide to the sill. Doors must be prepared, or armed, before a plane leaves, and disarmed upon arrival.
Depending upon the make and model of aircraft, this can mean lowering or raising a lever with one hand, or physically bending over and securing a bar to the floor latches. Some older aircraft require a strap to be placed across the cabin door’s windows, so employees greeting the aircraft from the jet bridge know whether the slide is engaged or not. Door safety is imperative: unsuspecting gate agents could accidentally open an armed door and have a slide pop out onto them and into the bridge.
"Cross-check" and "cross-check complete."
After flight attendants prepare for arrival or departure, the aircraft’s doors need to be cross-checked — airline-speak for double-checked by another flight attendant. Sometimes you will hear, “Doors are armed and cross-check complete” which verifies the doors are engaged and ready for an evacuation in the event of an emergency. Some airlines' cross-checks are said over the PA and others are verified via the private intercom.
www.bbc.com/autos/story/20160816-the-secret-lingo-of-flight-attendants
We’ll let you in on some of the obscure terminology heard before and during a flight.
"Prepare doors for departure/arrival."
In an emergency situation, evacuation slides — which stow in a housing at the bottom of each aircraft door — are designed to automatically deploy with a blast of compressed carbon dioxide and nitrogen in just six seconds flat. But they won’t work if a crew member hasn’t “armed" the door: that is, pushed a lever on the door that connects the slide to the sill. Doors must be prepared, or armed, before a plane leaves, and disarmed upon arrival.
Depending upon the make and model of aircraft, this can mean lowering or raising a lever with one hand, or physically bending over and securing a bar to the floor latches. Some older aircraft require a strap to be placed across the cabin door’s windows, so employees greeting the aircraft from the jet bridge know whether the slide is engaged or not. Door safety is imperative: unsuspecting gate agents could accidentally open an armed door and have a slide pop out onto them and into the bridge.
"Cross-check" and "cross-check complete."
After flight attendants prepare for arrival or departure, the aircraft’s doors need to be cross-checked — airline-speak for double-checked by another flight attendant. Sometimes you will hear, “Doors are armed and cross-check complete” which verifies the doors are engaged and ready for an evacuation in the event of an emergency. Some airlines' cross-checks are said over the PA and others are verified via the private intercom.
www.bbc.com/autos/story/20160816-the-secret-lingo-of-flight-attendants
