applause upon landing?
Feb 27, 2009, 1:38 am
#183
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 146
Only once. December 1999 Dad was about to turn 60 and was flying his last trip as a UAL 777 Capt. MIA to Buenos Aires. The airline allowed us (family) to come along for the ride in Business. They made some announcement about it being Captain Bob's last flight (of course it wasn't really, he had to fly back!) and then they said something again when we landed and we all clapped & cheered. 
Feb 27, 2009, 9:37 am
#184
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: PHX
Programs: US GP, UA Prem Exec, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold, SPG Gold,
Posts: 15
Tucked, Prayed, then Clapped Last Week
1st post!
COS-PHX last Wednesday on a USAir/Mesa CRJ900
We blew a nose tire taking off from COS...felt like a small bump. The moment it blew, the pilot rotated back and up we went. We were unaware of the event until 30 mins prior to landing. The FA came on and told us that the tire blew and that the airplane reported nose gear damage. An emergency landing into PHX was declared. We were then instructed how to take the crash position, how to evacuate in a fire, etc.. The FA tried to keep things calm but from my perch in 2A, I could hear her instructing the non-rev pilot in Row 1 on how to open the emergency door and open her restraints in the event she was "incapacitated upon landing".
Five seconds prior to landing, the pilot announced "Crash crash crash" as promised. We hunkered down and waited. The rear wheels made contact and we hurtled down the runway. The pilot held the front gear up for as long as possible... something like the Space Shuttle landings. Eventually we dropped onto the 1 good tire and came to a stop. Out the window we could see 10 firetrucks and 2 news choppers (with camera crews quite peeved that we didn't cartwheel or fireball).
Then we hooted, hollered and clapped. That's my story.
COS-PHX last Wednesday on a USAir/Mesa CRJ900
We blew a nose tire taking off from COS...felt like a small bump. The moment it blew, the pilot rotated back and up we went. We were unaware of the event until 30 mins prior to landing. The FA came on and told us that the tire blew and that the airplane reported nose gear damage. An emergency landing into PHX was declared. We were then instructed how to take the crash position, how to evacuate in a fire, etc.. The FA tried to keep things calm but from my perch in 2A, I could hear her instructing the non-rev pilot in Row 1 on how to open the emergency door and open her restraints in the event she was "incapacitated upon landing".
Five seconds prior to landing, the pilot announced "Crash crash crash" as promised. We hunkered down and waited. The rear wheels made contact and we hurtled down the runway. The pilot held the front gear up for as long as possible... something like the Space Shuttle landings. Eventually we dropped onto the 1 good tire and came to a stop. Out the window we could see 10 firetrucks and 2 news choppers (with camera crews quite peeved that we didn't cartwheel or fireball).
Then we hooted, hollered and clapped. That's my story.
Feb 27, 2009, 6:28 pm
#185
Join Date: Dec 2005
Programs: QF Gold, SQ, AA, HA
Posts: 126
Only time I can remember people clapping is upon landing at KTM on TG in 2003. It was a bit of a bumpy ride but nothing hugely out of the ordinary so I guess it must have been a cultural thing.
Oh, and welcome to FT sbeach
Oh, and welcome to FT sbeach
Feb 28, 2009, 11:00 am
#186
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: AA EXP 3MM
Posts: 1,773
A couple of different times when there was a bumpy approach. It seems a little funny since they were probably autolands - hey, I rarely even clap my dishwasher when it finishes.
(Plus one time on a captain's last flight with a hose down)
(Plus one time on a captain's last flight with a hose down)
Last edited by beerup; Mar 10, 2009 at 11:27 pm
Mar 3, 2009, 4:08 pm
#187
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Happiest Place on Earth~ Mickey's Home: ORLANDO, SUNNY FLORIDA!
Programs: #1 Delta, National, Marriott #2 American, Hertz, Hilton
Posts: 125
Latin America and Carribean
Everytime I have flown into Latin America (Guatemala) or the Carribean (San Juan, Santo Domingo) people tend to clap. They love it and it brings a HUGE smile to people's faces. I absolutely LOVE it. What a way to end a flight.
Mar 3, 2009, 5:02 pm
#188
Join Date: Sep 2002
Programs: Marriott Ambassador elite & lifetime Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, Emirates Plat, Flying Blue Plat
Posts: 236
I've seen clapping several times, it happened more often in the past.
Just the ones I remember:
* My first time arriving at JFK (from Spain) on a TWA flight full of Spanish tourists, back in '90 or '91, I remember seeing just ocean until quite close to touchdown, then people started clapping.
* Landing at Frankfurt-Hann, February, extremely windy, the most I've ever seen and snowing. Plus it was a Ryanair flight, mostly young passengers, probably not that used to travel and I think everybody was a bit scared, you know, just silent and watching. They started clapping once we all felt "safe".
Another time, just on a very very smooth landing, very well executed, Iberia in BCN, people started timidly clapping and then the rest joined. That is the only time I've clapped. It seemed like a really good landing.
Btw, I misread the title of this thread at first, reading too fast, I thought, what the f*
Just the ones I remember:
* My first time arriving at JFK (from Spain) on a TWA flight full of Spanish tourists, back in '90 or '91, I remember seeing just ocean until quite close to touchdown, then people started clapping.
* Landing at Frankfurt-Hann, February, extremely windy, the most I've ever seen and snowing. Plus it was a Ryanair flight, mostly young passengers, probably not that used to travel and I think everybody was a bit scared, you know, just silent and watching. They started clapping once we all felt "safe".
Another time, just on a very very smooth landing, very well executed, Iberia in BCN, people started timidly clapping and then the rest joined. That is the only time I've clapped. It seemed like a really good landing.
Btw, I misread the title of this thread at first, reading too fast, I thought, what the f*
Mar 3, 2009, 10:49 pm
#189
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Finland
Programs: *S(SK EBS), Marriott Platinum Elite
Posts: 131
2 weeks ago, on a very, very delayed flight from SOF to VIE, on a flight operated by Bulgaria Air, most of the people applauded upon landing. I dont know if this was because we finally arrived, or that we managed to survive the flight.... This was the oldest, and absolutely the oldest airplane I have ever flown on...
Apr 29, 2009, 12:32 am
#190
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: SBP
Programs: UA 1P
Posts: 207
Naples must have the shortest runway I've ever seen and it right between housing complexes. So we had do come in pretty slow with the pilot keeping just enough power to keep us in the air. Once we landed and stopped in time we all gave quite the ovation to the crew.
Apr 29, 2009, 11:37 am
#191
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 765
I was recently on a bus from BOS-NYC and there were some problems. It was 90 outside and no AC on the bus, so it was more like 100 inside. The driver opened the roof escape hatch for air. A few miles down the road, the hatch flew off, hopefully it didn't hit a car behind us. Then the bus made a funny noise so the driver pulled over to find out why. Turns out the bus was leaking oil and the oil level was low. We drove no faster than 45 mph the rest of the way, pulling over multiple times to check the oil level. When we were in New York, we hit another car that was turning, fortunately no damage. Upon arrival at the bus stop in NYC, everyone clapped.
Apr 29, 2009, 11:56 am
#192
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Bristol
Programs: FB,BA,M&M,Privilege
Posts: 65
Easyjet BRS-Milan three weeks ago. I think people were glad to be home but I have come across it with Italian and Spanish flights before. Usually leisure rather than business travellers. Never had it with Brits coming the other way.
Apr 29, 2009, 12:50 pm
#193
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: NYC
Posts: 40
Coming home to LGA on 9/11/2003. The "tribute in lights", 2 giant beams of light honoring WTC victims, were visible from quite a ways out, and everyone was staring at them. Some people were in tears, and when we landed there was restrained applause. Quite moving.
Apr 29, 2009, 1:03 pm
#194
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: GNV which is not where we would like to be :)
Programs: ABP, Mr. Mom without the kids, Signor Mucci, DL PM, HH & Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 4,526
^
Apr 29, 2009, 1:13 pm
#195
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Sunny So Cal
Posts: 17
I've been on lots of clapping flights.
I often fly into Toncontin (Tegucigalpa, Honduras) which has a very short runway. Pilots must have special training to land there. There is always clapping on TACA and almost always on Continental and American when we land. It is a pretty abrupt stop. A TACA flight overshot the runway there last May. As others have mentioned many Central Americans make the sign of the cross on take-off, too.
I've also been on flights into SNA that were possible slated to be diverted to LAX due to the curfew. When we land, people usually clap. It's a huge relief not to have to deal with a bus ride back to SNA at midnight.
One memorable flight while I was in college I was on a 747 from LAX-MSP. Due to blizzards in MSP we were the only flight from LAX to actually land at MSP for about 48 hours. En route we were told we could possibly be diverted to Kansas City, Chicago, and two other airports I can't remember. We were glad to make it into MSP and applause broke out.
I kinda think it's fun when it happens.
I often fly into Toncontin (Tegucigalpa, Honduras) which has a very short runway. Pilots must have special training to land there. There is always clapping on TACA and almost always on Continental and American when we land. It is a pretty abrupt stop. A TACA flight overshot the runway there last May. As others have mentioned many Central Americans make the sign of the cross on take-off, too.
I've also been on flights into SNA that were possible slated to be diverted to LAX due to the curfew. When we land, people usually clap. It's a huge relief not to have to deal with a bus ride back to SNA at midnight.
One memorable flight while I was in college I was on a 747 from LAX-MSP. Due to blizzards in MSP we were the only flight from LAX to actually land at MSP for about 48 hours. En route we were told we could possibly be diverted to Kansas City, Chicago, and two other airports I can't remember. We were glad to make it into MSP and applause broke out.
I kinda think it's fun when it happens.