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applause upon landing?

applause upon landing?

Old Feb 18, 2007, 9:52 pm
  #31  
 
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Originally Posted by Fraser
It is strange phenomenon...almost as odd as clapping at the end of a movie. Something I've never understood either. Do those involved with the film have a special sense of hearing? Do we throw rotten fruit if it is a duffer?
FWIW, I think applauding at the end of a movie has more to do with appreciating a common experience, or when the film speaks to people in a palpable way. Probably the airplane experience is similar. A way of recognizing the shared experience.

Both are something that once were wondrous and amazing, and now are merely prosaic, at least to those who 1) watch a lot of movies, 2) fly a lot, or both.

Actually, both experiences are actually still pretty cool, when you think about it with a naive/fresh perspective. Like a 4-year old at Christmas, maybe, or someone enjoying Mardi Gras for the first time.

Happy Mardi Gras, by the way.

lux
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Old Feb 19, 2007, 12:29 pm
  #32  
 
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Sometimes I think it has to do with whether there's an organized tour of people who know each other.

I was part of a youth choir that traveled via air. There were about 20 of us plus 6 adults. Each time when we landed back at home -- LAX -- we broke into applause. I think it was due to the fact that we were actually glad to be home after 3 weeks away -- especially on the trip home to LAX from South America. The other was a flight from Colorado back to LAX. (Maybe other pax were applauding because they were glad to be done traveling with a group of kids?! Though we were pretty well-behaved....)

Since then, I've accompanied my sons on school field trips from SAN to SAC. Again about 30 kids and 15 adults in the group, and again the plane broke into applause when we landed. I think the kids were excited to be on the fun field trip, and I think the other pax were glad the flight with the obnoxious kids was over. (That's the way I felt and I was one of the chaperones!)

I've been on other flights that have had school groups or youth sports teams flying (but have not been part of the group/team -- just a private pax) -- usually to HI. Applause happens when landing on either leg of the trip and I think it's the excitement of traveling in a large group of friends.

Also remember one flight with lots of turbulence and a rough landing where the pax clapped. I'm sure it was relief that the ride was over!
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Old Feb 19, 2007, 12:54 pm
  #33  
 
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I've experienced it three times. The first was in Albania when the Albanians were all seated in the back of the plane. They all burst out into applause as we taxied to the terminal. Guess they were glad to be home.

Next was when I took a flight from PVD to New York on Ransom Airlines. The way back was horrid. We had to get a jump start to even get the plane going. As we took off the engines caughed. Right. Caughed.

No heat in the darned plane, not even beverage service. Nasty November rain. I had a hangover. We all found religion on that flight.

The third time was, as another poster mentioned, a full brace landing. We'd left DFW to BOS and the flight returned to DFW after the landing gear refused to go up or go down. There really was a risk to that plane's safe landing yet I felt strangely calm throughout. But I did join in the applause when we came to a safe stop.

Rita
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Old Feb 19, 2007, 1:00 pm
  #34  
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Applauding happens almost all the time on Air France flights (at least the ones into/out of Bangkok). Is this a French flying etiquette thing? I have no idea, but it's good fun to applaud so I always join them. Rarely happens on Thai Airways flights though.
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Old Feb 19, 2007, 2:53 pm
  #35  
 
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I only had it happen to me on my Air Jamaica flights from EWR-MBJ.

- HF
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Old Feb 19, 2007, 4:20 pm
  #36  
 
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Iv'e had it happen quite a few times times. It seems when you land in the Caribbean the clapping happens a lot. I have been there many times and most of the time it happened. Also, twice when landing in Hawaii it has happened.
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Old Feb 19, 2007, 5:41 pm
  #37  
 
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Originally Posted by slickalick
... just very recently on PR.
Recently flew PR last month: between LAX-MNL-WNP, lots of clapping on the landings (good and bad touchdowns)

MNL-BKK and MNL-PPS more clapping (still on PR)

But taking Nok Air from BKK to CNX, no clapping.
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Old Feb 19, 2007, 6:08 pm
  #38  
 
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I, too, have experienced this clapping:

1) many times on flights to hawaii.
2) many times on delayed flights during the holidays.
3) couple times on flights with a large group flying together.
3) one time, on a flight where the pilot was retiring and this was his last commercial landing.

for some odd reason, I always feel bad if I don't clap. ...

... SO NOW I MAKE SURE THAT I YELL, SHOUT, POUND FEET, CLAP AND WHISTLE AS LOUDLY AS I POSSIBLY CAN.

it feels good, if only for a moment.
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Old Feb 19, 2007, 6:19 pm
  #39  
 
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OT but more thoughts on the clapping...

after the movie, INCONCEIVABLE TRUTH, everyone clapped in the theater. it was a public screening. Also, that movie documentary that bashed BUSH got applause from all the dems in the audience. again, public screening. I have never seen anyone clap for a horror movie.

But every movie that screens at sundance gets applause no matter the quality. every movie that screens at its own premmier gets applause. the cast and crew screenings always get applause as well. Suppose people are applauding themselves and each other in these situations.

But should you applaud for yourself when your name is read as a nominee for an oscar? some nominees do, some don't....
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Old Feb 19, 2007, 8:19 pm
  #40  
 
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Happens a lot to/from Greece
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Old Feb 19, 2007, 8:24 pm
  #41  
 
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Wow - surprised this is so rare for many of you in the US. I see this quite often - most often coming to/from Orlando. I'll also say that I have seen it on airlines that seem to cater more to families - Southwest, the late Song, JetBlue. From listening to conversations, I think a lot of people that don't fly often are excited about the travel, and also, happy nothing bad happened. Seriously.

I have also experienced clapping on on very turbulent flights on various airlines.
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Old Feb 19, 2007, 11:58 pm
  #42  
 
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On Qantas, the passengers applaud Ralph Fiennes.
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Old Feb 20, 2007, 4:25 am
  #43  
 
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Seems like it just happens a lot!
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Old Feb 20, 2007, 5:42 am
  #44  
 
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This is one of my pet peeves. I wonder, when the plumber clears their drains, do they clap? When the pharmacist fills their prescriptions, do they applaud? My favorite comment, that I make often, is that I never received a single clap for completing a procedure, or witnessed people doing the wave when patients awaken from anesthesia. So why clap when a pilot does his/her job?
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Old Feb 20, 2007, 8:12 am
  #45  
 
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Originally Posted by meducate
This is one of my pet peeves. I wonder, when the plumber clears their drains, do they clap? When the pharmacist fills their prescriptions, do they applaud? My favorite comment, that I make often, is that I never received a single clap for completing a procedure, or witnessed people doing the wave when patients awaken from anesthesia. So why clap when a pilot does his/her job?

Maybe you chose wrong specialty. I'm sure there is applause galore every time a hubby returns with a sample pack of Viagra.
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