V-Flyer

This topic has cropped up in the forums in the last couple of days in a couple of threads and instead of hijacking them I thought I'd start a new one.

Why do people want to get out of their normal clothes and into sleep suits, pj's and whatever else they want to sleep in as soon as they get on board? The same also goes for shoes off (and even socks in some cases that I've seen), all prior to departure!

In the extremely rare situation of an emergency evacuation, do you really want to be standing around in your shorts / pj's / sleepsuit on an airport runway / taxiway in who knows what kind of weather or did you think you'd have time to change first?

Also now that your out of the plane and are frantically rubbing your backside or legs due to the friction burn you just got going down the slide you can wander around in all the flammable liquid or razor sharp debris without your shoes on, for who knows how long before you get taken off somewhere nice and warm.

I for one don't and would never consider taking off my shoes, changing clothes or in winter even the possibility of putting my coat away until we were airborne just in case of that one in a million chance you end up getting off the plane not in the way you had planned.

Over cautious, probably, but I guess spending a career in the emergency services makes your mind work that way.

Just my thoughts on something that I guess most people these days of safe flying don't necessarily think of or if they do it's one of those things that won't ever happen to them.

My near-guaranteed comfort against the very unlikely chance of an emergency? Hmmmmm...

Comfort wins.

My shoes are never far away and I think I'll have time to pop them on before landing/ditching/whatever.

I do however wear clean underpants as I couldn't beat the shame of being found in dirty ones.

Ohh, and on the same logic, you shouldn't wear PJs in bed at home as a house fire is far more likely than an plane crash.

Darren Wheeler wrote:My shoes are never far away and I think I'll have time to pop them on before landing/ditching/whatever.
.

I got soundly told off on Emirates for removing my shoes off before take off...

pjh wrote:

Darren Wheeler wrote:My shoes are never far away and I think I'll have time to pop them on before landing/ditching/whatever.
.

I got soundly told off on Emirates for removing my shoes off before take off...

But that was down to the smell

Darren Wheeler wrote:Ohh, and on the same logic, you shouldn't wear PJs in bed at home as a house fire is far more likely than an plane crash.

Houses aren't traveling through the air while suspended on two wings carrying thousands of gallons of highly flammable liquid :-) It's much easier to egress from a house while minimally clothed, than it is from the burning/twisted body of a plane that has crashed or landed roughly.

on lesser flights i do keep my shoes on until after takeoff

but if i'm flying UC i always feel that VS would never impair the experience by allowing anything untoward to occur, so after a preparatory bubbly i'm off to get sleepsuited in time for a top up or two before departure

also, the ladies must remove high heels before the slide, so as a gentleman i feel it only right to show camaraderie and be prepared to go similarly unshod into the unknown

sungod wrote:on lesser flights i do keep my shoes on until after takeoff

also, the ladies must remove high heels before the slide, so as a gentleman i feel it only right to show camaraderie and be prepared to go similarly unshod into the unknown

What a gentelman

Darren Wheeler wrote:

pjh wrote:

Darren Wheeler wrote:My shoes are never far away and I think I'll have time to pop them on before landing/ditching/whatever.
.

I got soundly told off on Emirates for removing my shoes off before take off...

But that was down to the smell

And the mangled syntax...

Darren Wheeler wrote:
I do however wear clean underpants as I couldn't beat the shame of being found in dirty ones.

Clean underwear after a plane crash shows you're not afraid of death I suppose

SNOMO wrote:

sungod wrote:on lesser flights i do keep my shoes on until after takeoff

also, the ladies must remove high heels before the slide, so as a gentleman i feel it only right to show camaraderie and be prepared to go similarly unshod into the unknown

What a gentelman

I also show camaraderie and equality
However these do not go well with PJs

In business class on Turkish Airlines you are provided with slippers for you flight, but no sleep suit.

Thank goodness i didnt have to evacuate the plane while wearing the bright pink onesie......

SRB appears not to be wearing footwear.

I agree with AlphaEcho here - yes, might be over cautious, but it's the sensible thing to do, a precaution just like paying attention to the safety briefing, noting where emergency exits are and keeping seat belts loosely fastened when in your seat.

It's just risk mitigation.

Flying, whilst incredibly safe, and getting safer every year, is still a calculated risk. Next time you are having your nthy glass of wine with you rmeal, consider for a moment that you're hurtling through the stratisphere at close to the speed of sound, that it's about -45C outside and there's not enough air to breath. You are sitting in a tin foil tube that is a marvel of compremise between strength and weight...

Ok - so maybe it'll never happen to you, but I bet the passengers on the LGW flight (MCO flight wasn't it) that had to evacuate onto the runway thought the same...

Concorde RIP wrote:I agree with AlphaEcho here - yes, might be over cautious, but it's the sensible thing to do, a precaution just like paying attention to the safety briefing, noting where emergency exits are and keeping seat belts loosely fastened when in your seat.

It's just risk mitigation.

Flying, whilst incredibly safe, and getting safer every year, is still a calculated risk. Next time you are having your nthy glass of wine with you rmeal, consider for a moment that you're hurtling through the stratisphere at close to the speed of sound, that it's about -45C outside and there's not enough air to breath. You are sitting in a tin foil tube that is a marvel of compremise between strength and weight...

Ok - so maybe it'll never happen to you, but I bet the passengers on the LGW flight (MCO flight wasn't it) that had to evacuate onto the runway thought the same...

That's why I have my nthy beer or champagne!

Is that a new style sleep suit SRB is wearing?

A very interesting topic for me, and seems to have struck a chord and I feel compelled to give a response, and I can't quite seem to see why. Normally I'd read a thread like this and chuckle and be jealous that I'm not due to be in the clubhouse tomorrow morning! I've written, edited, deleted, and re-written the following a few times. I'm just hoping I don't become ostracised (although I'm a small time user compared to many) from this amazing board and community for my random musings...

I have a very close family friend (as in we're related, AND I think he's amazing and we get on like a house on fire) who's an aviation lawyer and he will never touch a drink on or before a flight. Sadly he knows more about aviation "issues" from being one of those unlucky few who ACTUALLY listens to all those black box box recorders (as in he doesn't get told the press brief version) and hears what ACTUALLY goes on in those last few moments if the s**t hits the fan than any of us junkies want to ever really know. Yes, he's heard the recent GermanWings recording, and NO he won't reveal/talk more about it for 101 different reasons, but these things do tend to give you a perspective in life I suppose!

The long and short of it is... to him, it would seem who cares what you're wearing, you're statically more likely to survive one of those "issues" if you're in something like the first 50 people off the plane (as in 1st 50 equals approx 90% chance of survival, number 51 and above equals 40% survival chance). However, your chance of being in that top 50 is NOT related to what you wear (OK, your ability to desperately scramble over a fellow passenger is apparently increased if you're wearing your best chinos and blazer, are holding your laptop, and by some physics-related miracle the plane lands tail first therefore preserving the 20ish seats in Upper ); but all those CH Red Heads and Lansons and sleepy "I've had a long day and I've flown a million times so I don't really need to pay attention" comas that we ALL slip into are going to do you no favours whatsoever.

Having said that, personally I don't care what I wear, I don't care what happens on the ground in an emergency situation (because let's face it, being alive and wandering around on the ground is a bonus), and I'm certainly (even with all the facts) not going to change my pre and during flight alcoholic rituals/desires but one thing is for sure, a little perspective may be required! It would seem PJs and shoes (or lack of) are the least of the inhibiting problems. I do what I'm asked/told by cabin crew. I happily remove my headphones and show the CC respect by acknowledging them during the briefings and I make sure we're at least off the ground for 5 minutes before switching into my reckless devil-may-care (OK, I'm not that much of a rebel really) attitude.

Reading this back, I totally accept it may be seen as almost a rant, or being boring and doom-mongering and mocking a genuinely interesting and thought provoking thread. I promise I'm not normally that way inclined, and I would NEVER get in the way of people doing what they want to do. I'm on a plane somewhere or other every other week (not that glamorous, sadly!) and love every moment of it, always enhanced by the VS experience where possible. We all have our rituals and we all take our risks. So for now, I'll be listening out for the first call in the CH, ordering a beer, changing into my sleep gear, jumping on board, praying my IFE works, and seeing what happens... Would love to hear any thoughts/comments - not to provoke anything, but just to see how other people genuinely feel on the subject as posted previously.

Mr G.

For most recent flight related incidents it wouldn't have made one jot of difference whether the passengers had shoes on or were a bit squiffy. For those where controlled landings are attempted, having experienced the adrenaline rush when in a life threatening incident (none flight) a few years go, I think sobriety and focus would come pdq.

I think I have more chance of preventing an unnatural termination of life by not drinking and driving, not using my mobile while driving, not texting or wearing headphones when walking around the city and making my own judgements when crossing the road rather than blindly following the person in front of me.

I would, if I could, get into the sleep suit in the clubhouse. Well, at least at HKG for the flight back to Blighty.

Jax1970 wrote:Is that a new style sleep suit SRB is wearing?

It was a special one off limited edition.

You might find one on e-bay though (SRB not included!)

Ahhhh....memories!!!


I get straight into my sleepsuit as soon as it's handed out! I don't sit in the house watching tv in chinos! I do it in my pj's!
D