Some noises planes make when they’re in the air can be unsettling, but one pilot has said passengers have nothing to worry about.
Even if you’re not a particularly nervous flyer, it’s hard not to be a little apprehensive when you’re on a plane. Most of us have little knowledge of how flying a plane actually works, and so you’re putting your faith in someone else to take you across the world safely by travelling through the air.
So, when your flight is taking off from the runway and there’s a series of beeps or dinging sounds, some people may start to panic. These noises often mean the pilot is trying to contact the flight attendants about something, and your first thought might be that it’s because there’s something wrong with the aircraft – but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
A pilot has taken to social media to ease people’s fears about flying, including explaining why they always contact flight attendants while the plane is either ascending after takeoff or descending before landing.
Peter Cappio shared that the dinging noises you hear overhead are simply there to tell the flight attendants that the pilots need full concentration to make sure the plane gets in the air safely – so they don’t want to be spoken to.
The pilot responded to a comment on TikTok from one person who said: “What are the dings overhead when we are climbing after takeoff? Those scare me. I know you are alerting the flight attendants about something, but what?”
Peter, who often shares content aimed at alleviating nervous fliers’ fears, responded: “Those dings that you hear are when the pilots are climbing through or descending 10,000 feet. 10,000 feet is a significant altitude in the aviation world, it signifies when you’re in and out of something called ‘sterile cockpit’.
“Sterile cockpit is when the pilots are only supposed to be concentrating on the particular flight and only conversations that are required for the flight. No small talk, no looking out the window, no doing anything but focusing on the task at hand.
“The reason flight attendants need to know that is if there’s something that happens in the cabin that they need to alert the pilots on, for example, if someone takes out a vape or something like that, is it critical for [the pilots] to know at that time?
“The pilots are super busy with air traffic control procedures, flying the aeroplane, landing, and taking off. It’s a critical phase of the flight.
“So they double-ding the flight attendants to let them know ‘Hey, we’re no longer in sterile, if you need to call us to check up on us or let us know that the person in 15B smells or whatever it may be, that’s the time to do it’. But not before those double chimes, and not after those double chimes when we’re coming in to land.”
The pilot also said it helps the flight attendants understand when it’s safe for them to stand up and start serving passengers.
He added: “It also signifies when the flight attendants are usually clear to get up out of their seats and start their service. Nothing to be scared of, very very normal procedures on almost every airline.”
Tips for nervous flyers
Having some nerves before a flight is common, but there are things you can do to help ease your anxiety before you get on your plane so that you can enjoy your trip. The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) recommends the following:
- Give yourself enough time to reach the airport
- Tell your travel agent and airline cabin crew that you’re nervous
- Wear comfortable clothing that allows you to relax
- Sit in an aisle seat or extra legroom seat to combat claustrophobia
- Stay hydrated and carry water with you
- Give yourself things to do to keep you distracted
- Try breathing exercises
- Avoid caffeine, which can make you feel more jittery