What happens every time a Briton flies, by British Airways, to France to remind him or her of the Titanic? ( No, it's not that you can never get ice in your drink). ********** 04-16-04, 07:28 PM FredPuli You Titanic lovers have failed me on this, the easiest of my three posed, methinks. Every time a British registered aircraft crosses open water, like the English Channel, the crew must demonstrate the use of the lifejacket. This ritual includes demonstrating not just how to fit it and how to inflate it and keep it inflated; it also, puzzling to many, includes showing that the jacket has a whistle on a cord. This all dates from the recommendations of the board of inquiry of the Board of Trade concerning the sinking of RMS Titanic. They have been carried over to aircraft (still called 'she' and still having a port and starboard side ) which were deemed ships for this purpose.
The puzzling whistle was a specific recommendation too. The Board found that many who might have been saved died of exposure and drowning because they were not located quickly enough, or even at all. There was a lot of shouting going on. It was all confused. Witnesses could not distinguish cries for help from the drowning from the general hubbub of lifeboats and rescuers shouting. Not only that but a shout is difficult to locate ,it does not travel well and it requires a lot of effort of the drowning person. A high- pitched whistle has none of these defects. How much use it would be in a plane crash in mid- Atlantic is not obvious, though 'planes do carry limited lifeboat/ liferaft capacity.
04-17-04, 02:09 AM Jenny Roberts Fred, I think we all thought that passengers were verbally reminded by British Airways about the Titanic disaster! I can't see the connection between this and Titanic trivia!
04-17-04, 02:46 AM FredPuli Jenny if we all thought that then none of us,not even a denizen of Cheshire, fly to Paris on BA or Easyjet (Your local airport for Easyjet is Liverpool John Lennon airport; book now to avoid disappointment and to do the 'lifeboat drill' Big Grin ). It would be great if they did say 'And now to remind you of a disaster.... the Titanic' on all flights. You could have hit on a great new ' quaint old British tradition' there, just for tourists. As it is they make do with this demonstration and the tradition of only putting one tiny lump of ice in your gin and tonic. (According to the author of " The Longest Day" some young men did scurry around picking up ice from the growler 'berg for their drinks then ).
Without the sinking we would not have had this ritual, right down to the whistle, on any British cruise ship ( by law it's on the first day of voyage) or any such flights, so I posted it under Titanic trivia. It is a link with that event of April 15th.
By the way: the Queen Mary 2 has not got as many lifeboat spaces as there is complement of passengers and crew. ( and by a goodly margin, too ) The Titanic more than complied with the regulations then but the formula, as is well known, was not devised for such a big passenger ship. I wonder what the current formula is ?
04-17-04, 04:06 AM Jenny Roberts In your original clue, you gave the impression that it was something that happens only on British airways and only on flights to France.I have encountered this lifeboat drill on every plane I have travelled on, to all destinations. I, and I think others reading the clue thought that you were referring to something that was specific to British Airways and French flights! Razz
04-17-04, 09:26 AM FredPuli Don't want to make it too easy, Jenny ! It may be that the International Civil Aviation Authority has the basic procedure as part of a convention for all member states. I can only say with certainty that the precise procedure we have for British registered aircraft is that laid down from the Titanic inquiry, first under Merchant Shipping legislation then under Civil Aviation statutes.
P.S. Does that mean you needn't fly to Paris to find out ? London-Paris is £64 return with BA next week.Easyjet is about the same for John Lennon -Charles de Gaulle (now there's a marriage made in Heaven, well San Francisco anyway Smile ).
This message has been edited. Last edited by: FredPuli, 04-17-04 10:58 AM
This message has been edited. Last edited by: DorianGreyed,
