Anyone who has ever traveled on a commercial aircraft knows how strange it is to see flight attendants sitting on their hands throughout takeoff and landing. It can seem like a strange practice, but in reality, it’s a safety precaution to protect both passengers and employees.
In addition to serving drinks and ensuring that passengers are comfortable during flights, flight attendants have several other duties. In charge of managing in-flight emergencies and ensuring everyone’s safety, they are highly skilled safety professionals.
One of the many protocols that flight attendants follow that many customers find most noticeable is the bracing position they adopt during takeoff and landing.
After drawing attention to this little-known in-flight procedure, Henny Lim, a flight attendant for the Philippine airline Cebu Pacific, recently gained popularity on TikTok.
In her film, she begs the question, “Have you ever wondered why cabin crew sit like this during takeoff and landing?” At the start of the movie, the flight attendant can be seen assuming the “bracing position” in her jump seat.
In the event of an evacuation, which is statistically more likely to happen during the critical takeoff and landing stages of flight, the bracing stance allows cabin crew members to react quickly.
“This position involves fastening seatbelts securely, sitting upright, sitting on hands – arms up, thumbs tucked – and arms loose, and feet flat on the floor,” the video’s narrator says after it was first uploaded in 2022.
Clasping hands
In the video, Henny and another cabin crew member demonstrate how they strap into their jump seats and tuck their hands between their legs to keep their arms and hands secure and strong. They steer clear of involuntary movements caused by turbulence, hard landings, or sudden crashes, which could impair their reaction time.
In the event of an unexpected emergency, the objective is to keep the body in a rigid position to reduce harm.By restricting body movement, this lessens the chance of injury in the case of an impact.
Additionally, during this time, your flight attendants will be going through the “silent review,” which prepares them to manage any emergency circumstance throughout every takeoff and landing.
Before the video starts, the words “…Safe flight everyone” are uttered.
“Not a rule”
An experienced flight attendant told Reader’s Digest that sitting on hands is a matter of taste more than regulation.
We do need to position our hands correctly as part of the brace position. You could sit on your hands if you’d like. “It’s just that you can’t hold on to the harness,” said Erin Thomas, a flight attendant with more than 15 years of experience. “Being in the brace position is the most important thing.”
Thomas disclosed that she prefers to keep her hands on her lap. Passengers will notice our composure during takeoff, she adds, “I think it makes me look calm.”
Despite its rigid appearance, this position is crucial for reducing crew injuries and allowing them to assist passengers immediately.
You might be surprised to learn why flight attendants sit on their hands. Please share your thoughts on this story!
