This excellent article in the Sydney Morning Herald explains why we should all pay attention to the airline pre-takeoff safety briefings.

The briefings are not for entertainment:

• Federal aviation regulations require that passengers be briefed before every flight.
• You chance of surviving an accident increases if you follow the instructions.

Think about  David Cassebohm (QF32 page 45) whenever you are shown the “BRACE” position as part of the safety briefing.   David was the  first aviator who proved to the world in 1968 just how effective that position is, and how it saved his life.

Whether the briefing is:

• Funny (Air New Zealand briefing with the crew in body paint)
• Nationalistic (Qantas using Australian Olympians and Paralympians)
• Simple (British Airways’s animated figures)

…  the aim is the same – to ensure that you gain the knowledge to ensure you stay calm, help yourself and others around you in the event of an (unlikely) emergency.

I highly recommend the SMH article (above).   Thank you:

• Sully Sullenberger  (the best flown flight of the century)
• Emma Sophina  (for sharing her story)
• David Cassebohm  (for proving the “brace position” (QF32 p 45))