V-Flyer

I've been flying for over 25 years and I still remember my first flight with BIA in BAE 111 to Athens back in the 1985.

One of the things I remember especially back then, as my family did the "package" holiday, was people cheering and clapping when they landed.

I have never noticed this practice since until last week....

....The reason for the long ramble is that I flew with Thomas Cook airlines to Turkey last week and both on the outbound and return flights, people cheered and clapped when they landed. The landings on both flights were without incident.

Apart from near death experiences and bumpy landings, when was the last time the v-flyer community was on a plane when the pax clapped and cheered on landing?

Nowadays people seem to think that on wheels down they should play the nokia tune, as they turn their mobiles back on.

I can't remember anyone clapping on a flight in years.

Thinking about this, I'm pretty sure it used to happen more often than it does now.

Only time I can remember in recent years was a Monarc flight back from Lyons full of returning ski-ers.

It was, by any one's standards, a hel of a day at LGW, gusting winds and rain, and the approach was one of the roughest I've experienced. There were at least two ladiesw within earshot of me in floods of tears for the last 20 minutes or so of the flight - it was very bumpy indeed, I felt myself hanging off my seat-belt a couple of times and could swear I'd have landed in a totally different seat on occasion if not strapped in.

Anyway, after thumping, very firmly, into the runway and slowing, there was a very relieved cheer and round of applause.

That's the last I can remember, and even then, I've always found it truely cringeable!

Mind you, when I left the plane on that occasion, I did happen to say to one of the CC "that was fun", to which she replied "no, not really!" - you see, I'm a bit of a psycho with things like that, I actually enjoy the turbulance etc; I consider it value for money as I get a roller-coaster ride as well as getting to where I want to be!

Maybe it's dying out as folk take it all so much more for granted these days?

Happened in and outbound on my last (Thomas Cook) flight to Cyprus in Jul 10.

Only recall it happening once on a flight I have been on and it was where on landing the CC making the announcements said that it was the last flight for the pilot as he was retiring but also the co-pilot, on achieving the right number of hours, was now a pilot having earned promotion.

Concorde RIP wrote:That's the last I can remember, and even then, I've always found it truely cringeable!

Ditto.

Treelo wrote:Happened in and outbound on my last (Thomas Cook) flight to Cyprus in Jul 10

People need to get out more.

Theme emerging? Holiday charter ops?

I really can't recall this EVER happening on a non-charter flight I have been on in years, save perhaps the last time I flew Ryanair, where I did STN-PSA the day after they had the cargo plane accident at STN in 1999. It was December 23rd, and there were a lot of frayed nerves that day. People were glad to leave 10 hours late, and glad to arrive. I think there was some clapping - also a lot of complaining that Ryanair wouldn't give anyone even a cup of coffee for free

Used to hear it a good deal more when I did MAN-PSA on charters many years ago. Amusing how people don't realize the pilot had an easier job overall that most average bus drivers do.

It does still happen and it happens on some routes more than others...

locutus wrote:Nowadays people seem to think that on wheels down they should play the nokia tune, as they turn their mobiles back on.

LOL

I also recall in the dim and distant past that reference was made to the "Reverse Thrust" of the engines on landing - this was both scheduled and charter

buns

Happened not that long ago on engine start at MCO.
The ash crisis was still on and BA flights had been cancelled.
We finally left about 2 hrs late.

The cheering and clapping was probably loud enough to be heard on the FD.

Sometimes on the Vegas route; feels like a charter flight, loads of booze plus bumpy landings in my experience. Sometimes I allow myself a sigh of relief. The cheering thing is awful, but I feel like a massive snob for saying so. Don't tell anyone!

Well in the same way that coach is sometimes referred to as "cattle class" I have similarly seen charter referred to as "clapper class"

The last time I clapped on an airplane was for a captain because it was his final flight before retiring.

Otherwise it seems odd to me.

I have heard it erupting from coach quite a few times on the MCO route

It makes me smile though and reminds me how lucky I am to travel so much and not to take it for granted

Sunshine

Monday October 11th!
Ryanair from Pisa to Stansted with a big group of American families on board and there was clapping and whooping (as only the Americans can do so well) on landing at STN.

I couldn't think of any reason to clap flying back into the cold and wet after beautiful Tuscany but I am glad if the appeal of London makes people want to burst out in applause.

Ed

My last BA flight from Rome had this. But there was a large party of students on board so you have to forgive them.

FM

P.S. What is it about Italian students and rucksacks?

Tinkerbelle wrote:It does still happen and it happens on some routes more than others...

Do tell, so I know what to avoid?

Never experienced it, as like chavvy weddings, clapping should only be used in Theatres

FamilyMan wrote:
P.S. What is it about Italian students and rucksacks?

Well, I never had one myself, then again I was more of a hybrid ... but there was a time in London when you could spot an Italian from afar simply because they were carrying (inevitably) an Invicta rucksack. It was a genuinely distinctive sign, and omnipresent. There wasn't a single Italian postgrad at LSE who did not have it, let alone the tourists. Horrible things, too.

These days it's more diversified, and we're definitely seeing inroads from US stuff in Italy, like the ever popular Chrome bags, and I suppose Invicta have their own messenger bag lines now which are mildly popular outside the motherland (as are lots of things italian these days). Ten years ago, it was a dead certain tell sign

The only time I've experienced it was on a flight back on EasyJet from Portugal. Delayed 12 hours due to faulty hydraulics. Everyone clapped on takeoff and again on landing, much to the relief of the cabin crew who knew they were taking on delayed pax and were anticipating "complaints".

They were relived everyone took it in good spirits, but a day in the sun in an airport with a outdoor sundeck probably helped!

Only ever had clapping once, that was after a 30 hour delay with VS returning from Antigua (December 08), once we landed at LGW everyone clapped, I think we were all just finally glad to be on British soil

On BD130 that I was on (DUB-LHR), when we touched down at LHR, a couple of people clapped but realised that since no one else is clapping, they ceased immediately.

Followed by a Romanian woman getting up and walking up and down the aircraft aisle for some reason despite a flight attendant screaming at her to sit down as the aircraft was still taxiing to the gate.

I think clapping when the aircraft lands (as per routine on an uneventful flight) is kinda embarrassing, it sorta says to the other passengers, "I'm uncultured." Thus, embarrassing. It's alright to clap if you're a kid or the plane was experiencing major difficulty like delayed or malfunction IMO.

VS flight to MCO last year- I'd imagine this is one of the routes where the clapping is more frequent because of higher proportion of less frequent flyers and sheer excitement of people at arriving at Disneyworld!!

I remember being rather pleased about- it has been a long while since I heard clapping on landing- took me back to when I used to fly to Orlando as a kid on charter from Cardiff