Hi Guys

I never understand why aircraft are equipted with lifejackets (which
cost money, makes the aircraft heavier etc) in case of a successful
crash landing and still they don't install the seats in reverse in case
of that same crash landing.

If it is much safer to face with your back in the direction that you're
decelerating, then why are we facing forwards in planes?

Regards
CE Auke

wrote:

>Hi Guys
>
>I never understand why aircraft are equipted with lifejackets (which
>cost money, makes the aircraft heavier etc) in case of a successful
>crash landing and still they don't install the seats in reverse in case
>of that same crash landing.
>
>If it is much safer to face with your back in the direction that you're
>decelerating, then why are we facing forwards in planes?
>
>Regards
>CE Auke

Because it's safer than backward facing seats. It's hard to make
the seat back strong enough to prevent it 'tilting' enough under
extreme G force to keep the human body in it (you sort of
'squirt' out from under your belt), while when facing forward
your body 'folds' forward 'around' the belt which transfers that
force securely to the a/c floor.

No explanation required about the jackets...just common sense
(you aren't gonna survive long in the Atlantic (especially with
no floatation devices))
--

-Gord.
(use gordon in email)

Also, many people get motion sick more easily when facing backwards
from the direction of motion.

lomcovak > wrote in
:

> People don't like travelling backwards. Many (most?) military
> transports, however, have seats facing backwards. I once flew out
> to the USS Eisenhower on a C2 COD and appreciated that when the
> caught the arrester wire. Never stopped so suddenly in an
> aircraft. Taking off via the catapult was another story ... !

I remember flying the Eastern Airlines Shuttle when they flew the
Lockheed Electra. There were rear-facing seats in the back and
(believe it or not) some folks actually preferred these seats.


--

John Godwin wrote:

> I remember flying the Eastern Airlines Shuttle when they flew the
> Lockheed Electra. There were rear-facing seats in the back and
> (believe it or not) some folks actually preferred these seats.

I also recall some DC-9 configurations back in the 70's or so
where the first row of the single class cabin faced aft towards
the second and forward facing rows.