Aircraft safety card
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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 [citation needed]; 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.
See also
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.