Aircraft safety card

A LOT Polish Airlines safety instruction card from 1968 for the Ilyushin Il-18, Ilyushin Il-14, Antonov An-24 and Tupolev Tu-134.

An aircraft safety card is a document instructing passengers on an aircraft about the procedures for dealing with various emergency conditions that might arise during the flight.

The safety cards are usually provided by airlines on all commercial flights, usually located in the back of the seat in front of each passenger. Pre-flight safety demonstrations, either conducted by the flight attendants or through a video presentation, instruct passengers to familiarize themselves with the safety cards prior to take-off.

The cards are frequently laminated or made of plastic and contain instructions that are specific to the model of the airplane in which they are found. The contents are usually in the form of pictures, graphically illustrating such procedures as buckling the seat belts, bracing for impact in an airplane crash, dealing with depressurization, opening the emergency exit door or inflating life rafts in the event of a water landing. The graphic representation allows the cards to be accessible to those speaking a different language from the flight attendants, as well as to children and illiterate passengers.

When in some countries' airports, aircraft safety cards are considered prohibited items in Customs declarations ; unless it is for some uses like collections and more probably, aircraft safety cards are meant for aeroplane use only.

Aircraft safety cards are a collectible item among the aviation enthusiast community, since they are a reflection of an airline, an aircraft type, a culture, and a historical period. Many safety cards have been known to fetch hundreds of dollars at auction due to the rareness and collectability.

Known collectors

• Carl Reese, USA, Owner of Cabin Safety and often featured in aviation media, well known collector. Reese also published the book Design for impact depicting cards from 1950 to 1990 and designs cards such as those used on Eastern Air Lines and Reno Air.
• Kevin Cleynhens, Belgium, Owner and publisher of airlinesafetycards.be, collector of safety cards, operates a website that illustrates various safety cards.
• Chris Brady, United Kingdom, Author of Safety on board, collector of UK safety cards and owner of TechPilot. Brady is also currently a pilot for easyjet previously flying for British Midland International.
• Troy Dixon United Kingdom, Featured in aviation media for collecting,, collecting all types of cards and preserving in archives, he is also a sports scholar and student at the University of Warwick
• Judlu, France , International aviation consultant, focuses on collecting French and other European airlines.
• Errera Laurent, France, Operates safety card website and collects all types of airline safety cards,
• Carlos Pessini, Brazil , Pilot and operates website dedicated to safety cards, has interests in Brazilian cards, began collecting when working at São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport
• Constantin Klezl, Austria, Featured in travel magazine Anyway January/February 2006 as well as being a well established collector and contributor to safety card media, he also attends and manages various safety card conventions

See also

• Emergency aircraft evacuation
• Inflight magazine
• Sickness bag

References

• Ericson, Eric C.; Pihl, Johan; Reese, Carl (2003). Design for Impact: Fifty Years of Airline Safety Cards. Princeton Architectural Press. ISBN 1-56898-387-5.
• Johnson, Daniel L. (1984). Just in case: a passenger's guide to airplane safety and survival. New York: Plenum. ISBN 978-0-306-41576-0.

External links

• Russian safety cards
• Aircollection club. Collection of Aviation Airline Safety card. Trade and Exchange the Safety Card
• Directory of safety card sites