My flight from Asia to the US was: Medan to Kuala Lumpur to Singapore to Chicago to Ft. Wayne. But tonight as I started back towards Asia my route is a bit longer. Tonight I flew from St. Louis to Chicago. Then tomorrow morning bright and early I fly Chicago to Los Angeles to Tokyo to Singapore to Kuala Lumpur to Medan. A little longer, a few more stops. But exhausting is exhausting.
I remain perpetually amazed by the miracle of flight, and the ease with which we engage in it. I get on a plane and before we even leave the gate many people are already asleep. It’s incredible such a miraculous event is not enough to keep people awake – including me sometimes!
As a seasoned flyer – now internationally as well as domestically – I wish airlines did a bit more explaining to people regarding the rules you follow on the plane. Constant news stories of ill-behaved people on flights has become typical, indicative again of how people take the miracle of flight for granted. And I know airlines don’t want to highlight the dangers of flying, thereby possibly scaring off customers. But still.
Boarding a plane is really an extension of the process of boarding a boat 200 years ago. When you board, whatever you were on the ground changes. You are now a passenger on board a vessel with a captain. The captain is in charge – you are not. There is no place for disagreement, just as mutiny among crew was a terrible event. The entire journey relies heavily on well-tuned obedience to the captain’s rules (which are often an extension of national or international aviation rules). Sometimes the captain still includes the admonition in his welcome announcement prior to take-off that passengers must obey all cabin personnel as they are an extension of the captain’s authority. As people are learning (sometimes later rather than sooner), disobedience can be very costly. If you’re lucky, the only cost is a hefty fine and prison time, rather than a risk to your life and the lives of the rest of the passengers.
There are additional restrictions during taxi, take-off and landing, including the three minutes or so when the wheels leave the ground and before preliminary cruising altitude is reached. Seat belts on. Tray tables up. Seatbacks upright and not reclined. Window shades up. All have good reasons that most people are unaware of. Takeoff and landing are the most dangerous times of the flight – more things could potentially go wrong during those timeframes, whether because of additional mechanical processes or basic air traffic.
Seat belts. Seat belts are essential when changing altitude. How long did it take for the US to really stick to the idea of seat belts? My parents recall fondly family trips without any safety mechanisms in vehicles or even cross-country trips in the back of a pickup truck. Now such events would merit arrest! Yet people remain rather obstinate about seat belts on a flight.
Things get bumpy during take off and landing, and when an airplane is literally traveling hundreds of miles an hour, the equivalent of a speedbump – whether on the ground or in the form of an air pocket – can be far more dangerous than a speedbump on the highway. Launching someone out of their seat straight into the overhead bins above them is no problem when there’s a speed bump of sorts on a plane. Injuries from such passenger launches can be severe – not just to the launched individual but the people surrounding them that they land on.
While it’s tacky to talk about, in such situations anything – and anyone – can become a projectile. That’s why you have to stow your belongings under the seat or overhead, rather than in your lap. That’s why you wear seatbelts. And because turbulence is not predictable always, that’s why you keep your seat belt on anytime you’re sitting down.
Tray tables are up so that you and the passengers next to you don’t have any additional obstructions if you need to exit the aircraft quickly. You also don’t have something hard slamming into your midsection if you’re thrown forward in your seat. Phones have to be unplugged from charging sockets soas not to create additional impediments to a quick exit. Seat backs are upright so you aren’t hampering the people in the row behind you from exiting quickly. Window shades are up so you can see what’s going on outside in the event of an unexpectedly harsh landing. Flames outside? Water outside? This changes the evacuation protocols. Paying attention can save lives.
Much like Biblical admonitions about good and bad ways to live our lives, the rules on an airline flight are intended for our benefit. And while they don’t share divine authority, they’re based on good common sense and probably some rather tragic firsthand experiences and observations. Obedience to the law is, under the best circumstances, always to our benefit. Always trying to reduce the damage done by disobedience in a sinful and broken world. What seems like an inconvenience probably has a very good rationale behind it, an extension perhaps of the imago dei we share with our creator – the ability to recognize good and necessary boundaries and restrictions.
Nobody ever expects catastrophe. But creating the habit of obedience to the laws and rules act as protections in the even catastrophe occurs. An insight I’m reminded of every time I board an airplane and give thanks to God for the miracle and convenience of flight!
The Nelson Family Indonesia 