"Cabin crew, doors to automatic and cross-check please." We've all heard that on a flight before take-off, but what the heck does it all mean? Well, thanks to a video from British Airways we now know it is all to do with arming the door's emergency slides, just in case something happens and we all need to make a hasty exit from these mechanical birds taking us to far-off ports.While it is exceptionally rare for the slides to be deployed, there can save lives in exceptional circumstances.
All but the very smallest of commercial aircraft are fitted with a number of them. They are there to ensure passengers and crew can, in the event of an emergency, get off the aircraft quickly and safely. As aircraft doors are often quite high above ground level, these huge inflatables can be up to 14 metres which is around 46 feet, in length. Most also double as extra-long life rafts in the unlikely event of a water landing, or ditching as it's often called. Yet, whilst these slides may never get used or even seen by passengers' eyes, they do form part of the aircraft's crucial safety equipment and it can't take off without them!
British Airways has created a short behind-the-scenes video, giving access to rarely seen regular tests on its evacuation slides.
British Airways licensed engineer Peter Dyer explains in the video that every British Airways aircraft is fitted with evacuation slides, and these systems are checked on an almost daily basis. The airline’s highly trained engineers also frequently ‘blow’ the slides to ensure they work properly.
The aircraft shown in the video is one of British Airways’ Boeing 777-200 planes at London Gatwick, which is fitted with eight slides. Peter explains that if the aircraft door is opened when it is in what is known as the ‘automatic’ position, the slide will automatically deploy. Incredibly, it takes just six seconds to fully roll out.
If you’ve ever heard cabin crew being asked to ‘cross check’ a door, Peter explains that ‘Doors to automatic’ or ‘manual’ are the positions the door needs to be in prior to taking off and landing, so that they can be used in an emergency. Cross-checking is a way of cabin crew making sure that they are in the correct position. They shouldn’t be armed (ie, with slides ready to inflate) when the aircraft is about to arrive at the stand to start disembarkation.
So now you know what doors to automatic and door to manual is all about and thankfully the cabin crew cross-check each other's door to ensure its set in the correct position.
So now you know what doors to automatic and door to manual is all about and thankfully the cabin crew cross-check each other's door to ensure its set in the correct position.
