Re:One dead as London-Singapore flight hit by turbulence
by pintxo on Tuesday May 21, 2024 @12:43PM
(#40430761)
The seatbelt light nowadays is mostly a don’t move around sign.
Re:One dead as London-Singapore flight hit by turbulence
by lxgr on Tuesday May 21, 2024 @08:04PM
(#40435805)
During take-off and landing, it is. At cruise altitude, it really does mean "the pilots are expecting turbulence and suggest you stay seated", at least in my experience.
Of course they don't always get it right both ways: Sometimes reports of turbulence ahead turn out to be false positives, and at other times, strong turbulence can happen without any warning.
Re:One dead as London-Singapore flight hit by turbulence
by tdeck on Wednesday May 22, 2024 @01:26PM
(#40443596)
I've been on smoothe flights where the sign was kept on practically the whole time. Unfortunately I suspect some pilots forget about it, and I have observed that the public have gotten used to getting up to use the bathroom even when the sign is on (excluding takeoff and landing). I haven't flown enough to notice a pattern with specific routes or airlines.
Re:One dead as London-Singapore flight hit by turbulence
by chrisbolt on Tuesday May 21, 2024 @01:30PM
(#40431337)
There are times when the pilots are expecting turbulence, when they are notified by ATC or other planes ahead of them. During that time, the light means passengers shouldn't use the lavatories.
Re:One dead as London-Singapore flight hit by turbulence
by mrguyorama on Tuesday May 21, 2024 @02:23PM
(#40431948)
>Are there enough of those people still flying that it makes sense to keep that light in use?
There are entire states in the US that take that approach. Live free or die and all that.
So free.
Re:One dead as London-Singapore flight hit by turbulence
by fuzztester on Tuesday May 21, 2024 @03:14PM
(#40432573)
>There are entire states in the US that take that approach.
Which ones? Rust belt? Flyover zone (or some such term)?
Re:One dead as London-Singapore flight hit by turbulence
by Symbiote on Tuesday May 21, 2024 @05:40PM
(#40434359)
A "stay in your seat" light would be an improvement.
Re:One dead as London-Singapore flight hit by turbulence
by lxgr on Tuesday May 21, 2024 @08:25PM
(#40435978)
That's a good point! They even have a design for that on the bathrooms already (and now I wonder if that's always been the case, or if there was a time when people were frantically searching for the seatbelts there when the chime came on :)
It makes you wonder why they ever even turn off the seatbelt light. Just keep it on the whole time, just like the equally anachronistic no-smoking light.
I feel like the light is just there to mollify the older generations who didn't grow up with mandatory seat belts wearing in cars, fought those laws loudly, and are still bitter that the government makes them take a sensible safety precaution. Are there enough of those people still flying that it makes sense to keep that light in use?