No offense to you, or your mama, however, like many here, I've flown numerous airlines worldwide and have never heard an announcement tying the seatbelt sign to keeping my seat upright. Are you sure your mama didn't miss something that stated "... AND keep your seatbelts fasted until the seatbelt sign has been switched off"?

That said, I have only ever regulated one fellow passenger by asking him to switch off his crackberry while in flight

OK, I guess this isn't something that airlines with flights that originate/terminate in the USA do. But I know how anal my husband is (and I mean that in the nicest possible way ;) ) and he's bloody sure he's heard it recently.

Have you been on enough European bound flights that don't go through the USA to be sure we're all completely imagining this?

Surely someone else must have seen the phenomenon of flights full of Japanese pax where everyone reclines their seat at exactly the same time on this visual cue. It's pretty memorable.

No reflection on your husband (or your other relatives) -- I'm sure they heard what they heard. However, in addition to the U.S. airlines, I've flown Air China, China Eastern, Dragon Air, TAP, Lufthansa, KLM, Alitalia, Royal Air Maroc, EasyJet, Air Canada, Westjet, Iberia and probably a bunch of others that I can't recall at the moment. I've never, on any of them, in any language, heard an announcement that seats may not be reclined until after the seatbelt sign was off.

I've certainly not flown on as many European flights as U.S. domestic flights, but I've been on my share of European domestic and international flights and never heard it.

I haven't flown on any Japanese airlines, nor can I recall being on a non-US airline's flight with a large number of Japanese passengers.

Solution
 

Have a nice heavy leather glove made to fit, an extra two or three layers of pigsking across the knuckles, and a small sausage of sand which fits conveniently within the clenched palm. When you observe some major transgressor seated next to you, take it from your pocket, draw it slowly onto your hand, adjusting each finger, make a fist, and loudly slap your fist in your left palm.

Then say....."You didn't really mean to do that did you? in a soft and pleasing voice. Of course, it helps if you're wll over 6' and weigh (without much visible fat) in the range of 250, shave your head and have some visible facila scarring.

Yes, although I now live in California I was born, and grew up, in Scotland. I also routinely fly in and around Europe (most recently in London, Edinburgh and Paris a couple of weeks ago) Have never heard any announcement tying seatbelt wearing to keeping seats upright

Reminds me of a flight LHR-JFK a while back. Not waiting in line, but on the ground at least. I was in J, my seatmate seemed a nice enough chap, though not that frequent a flyer.

We land, deplane and are lined up in the immigration hall. He pulls out his cellphone, turns it on and starts fiddling.
Me - We're not allowed to use our cellphones here.
Him - I'm not using it, I'm just trying to get a signal.
Me - (indicating CBP officers) Do you want to try explaining that to them? :eek:

Been following this thread with wonder and amusement.... NOW someone said something that I have to pipe in on... Pilot saying it is an "opinion" eh?? How's this for a written rule:

FAR 91.3(a): "The pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible for,
and is the final authority as to, the operation of that aircraft."

What that says, how the FAA and the courts interpret this, and applying it to your statement: Pilot saying it (assuming it's the Pilot in Command) - it's the law. Period. Trumps the airline. Trumps the FAA. Everyone.

Now, having been there and done that, the PIC may have to explain him or her-self to the FAA and/or airline, but the point remains... on an airplane what the PIC says is law, not opinion.

Cheers,
D.

I agree with you and bolded the most important part. ;)
do we know the pilot ptravel spoke to was on duty or just a pilot he met somewhere? ...

Not arguing, just correcting misunderstandings in the spirit of the original post. FAR 91.117:
(a) Unless otherwise authorized by the Administrator, no person may operate an aircraft below 10,000 feet MSL at an indicated airspeed of more than 250 knots (288 m.p.h.).

Note this same FAR refers to lower speeds at lower altitudes and certain airspace classes.

A non-commercially-licensed pilot who doesn't fly for the airline in question is providing an opinion.

Except that your assumption is incorrect. J-M, who has been kind enough to participate in this thread, is a pilot, yes, but not a pilot-in-command of the commercial airliners which are the subject of this discussion.

This reminds me of the old game of telephone. ;)

I didn't speak with a pilot, I asked the FAs on the last UA flight that I was on.

J-M, who has been posting in this thread and provided his opinion, is a pilot, but doesn't fly commercial passenger jets.

You got it right. I can only provide my opinion on the subject because I'm not PIC of the flight in question. When I do fly PIC, then my opinion becomes the law for the duration of that particular flight.

That said, I doubt you'll find a pilot interested in making something law through PIC power that is not specifically in the FARs or company SOP.

I know it's easy to think that all "personal electronic device" requirements are based on the possibility of electromagnetic interference with the a/c's electronics - look at the thread on cell phone use. But the Ipod/mp3 player is in the same classification as the seatbacks/traytables - preparation for the always possible emergency evacuation.

We don't want you listening to your Ipod because you might not hear emergency instructions. Plus that Ipod or other device could turn into a flying missile in the unlikely event of a crash.

Jim

Ah... but I made no assumptions. I quoted an FAR regarding the comment that a pilot's comment is opinion only. It may be, but if he's making the comment in his capacity as PIC, it's law. I did not apply this to any specific comment.

D.

Not to comment on what you said, or off any assumptions or opinions, but there is NO Federal Aviation Regulation that says you can't use any electronic device on any flight or at any phase of flight. Note... this also includes Cell Phones. Yep... there is NO FAR that says you can't use a cell phone on an airplane. There is an FAR that says the airlines can restrict the use of electronic devices, and even that one excludes 4 devices that even the airlines can't tell you to not use during takeoff and landing. Cell Phones are restricted during flight by the FCC.

D.