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1. Fly Nonstop: Most accidents occur during the takeoff, climb, descent, and landing phase of flight so flying nonstop would reduce exposure to these most accident prone phases of flight. 2. Choose Larger Aircraft: Currently, aircraft with more than 30 passenger seats were all designed and certified under the strictest regulations. Also, in the unlikely event of a serious accident, larger aircraft provide a better opportunity for passenger survival. 3. Pay Attention to the Preflight Briefing: Although the information seems repetitious, the locations of the closest emergency exits may be different depending on the aircraft that you fly on and seat you are in. 4. Keep the Storage Bin Over Your Head Free of Heavy Articles: Overhead storage bins may not be able to hold very heavy objects during turbulence, so if you or another passenger have trouble lifting an article into the bin, have it stored elsewhere. 5. Keep Your Seat Belt On: Keeping the belt on when you are seated provides that extra protection you might need if the plane hits unexpected turbulence. It will also make identification of your remains easier in the event your seat is blown out through a hole in the fuselage. 6. Listen to the Flight Attendants: The primary reason flight attendants are on an aircraft is for safety, so if one of them asks you to do something like fasten your seat belts, or look out the window to see if the engine is missing, do it first and ask questions later. 7. Don't Bring Any Hazardous Material: There are rather long lists of hazardous materials that are not allowed, but common sense should tell you that you shouldn't bring gasoline, corrosives, poisonous gases, tarantulas, and other such items on the aircraft unless they were allowed by the airline and shipped in a proper container. 8. Let the Flight Attendant Pour Your Hot Drinks: Flight attendants are trained to handle hot drinks like coffee or tea in a crowded aisle on a moving aircraft, so allow them to pour the drink and hand it to you. 9. Don't Drink Too Much: The atmosphere in an airliner cabin is pressurized to about the same altitude as Denver (very low!), so any alcohol you consume will affect you more strongly than at sea level. Moderation is a good policy at any altitude. This advice also applies to the pilots. 10. Keep Your Wits About You: In the unlikely event that you are involved in an emergency situation such as a precautionary emergency evacuation, follow the directions of the flight attendants and flight crew and exit the aircraft as quickly as possible. Preferably after it lands. 11. Choose Your Fellow Passengers Carefully: If your plane suddenly takes a nose-dive toward the ground at 700 mph, and the person ahead of you panics and is slugged by a nun, and the person behind you is George Kennedy, you will probably survive. |