At the request of a reader, The Village decided to find out why Russian passengers clap for pilots after the plane lands and when this tradition was born. For an answer, we turned to an experienced pilot and a psychologist who works with aerophobes. The answer was rather unexpected.
Why Russian passengers
clapping on landing?
Oleg Smirnov
pilot with 40 years of experience
It's really not what you think. The habit of clapping after landing is peculiar not only to Russians, on the contrary, this tradition came to us from the West. We started to clap en masse only after the 90s, when people started to travel abroad and saw how they do it there.
And in Soviet times, passengers sometimes clapped, but only when the landing took place in some difficult weather conditions or when the flight was associated with some kind of difficulties. Then, yes, it happened.
I’ll tell you a secret: the pilots don’t hear you clapping in the cabin, they are separated from you by an armored door, but the flight attendants always report: the landing went well, the passengers were happy and applauded. Of course, this is a pleasure for us, as for any person who has done a good job and who has been appreciated.
tatyana volkova
psychologist working
with aerophobes
There is no single version of where the tradition of clapping your hands after landing came from. The following can be considered the most plausible: this tradition became especially popular in the 90s, when information about plane crashes and other incidents in the air ceased to be a state secret and came out to the masses. Of course, the people were impressed and ... rejoiced.
Clapping after landing is almost the same as saying “thank you, it was very tasty” after dinner at a restaurant. Pilots, as well as cooks, will not hear this and can only learn about the reaction of grateful passengers from flight attendants. Accordingly, clapping, we do it not so much for them, but for ourselves.
It can be seen that immediately after landing there is not a flurry of applause. There are always two or three soloists who start first, and other passengers already join them. I would venture to suggest that these soloists are more or less afraid of flying and their tension reaches a peak during landing. People are stressed, they need to release their emotions urgently. Doing something eccentric, like screaming, dancing, and the like, is not comme il faut. And to thank the pilots and the crew is the most it. This explanation is also supported by the observation that clapping is most common on charter flights. After all, charters are used for the most part by those who fly once or twice a year on vacation and, accordingly, are especially nervous out of habit.
Why do passengers clap for pilots after a plane lands and when did this tradition begin? For an answer, we turned to an experienced pilot and a psychologist who works with aerophobes. The answer to this question was quite unexpected:
Oleg Smirnov, pilot with 40 years of experience:
It's really not what you think. The habit of clapping after landing is characteristic not only of tourists from the CIS, on the contrary, this tradition came to us from the West. We started to clap en masse only after the 90s, when people started to travel abroad and saw how they do it there.
And in Soviet times, passengers sometimes clapped, but only when the landing took place in some difficult weather conditions or when the flight was associated with some kind of difficulties. Then, yes, it happened.
I’ll tell you a secret: the pilots don’t hear you clapping in the cabin, they are separated from you by an armored door, but the flight attendants always report: the landing went well, the passengers were happy and applauded. Of course, this is a pleasure for us, as for any person who has done a good job and who has been appreciated.
Tatyana Volkova, psychologist working with aerophobes:
There is no single version of where the tradition of clapping your hands after landing came from. The following can be considered the most plausible: this tradition became especially popular in the 90s, when information about plane crashes and other incidents in the air ceased to be a state secret and came out to the masses. Of course, the people were impressed and ... rejoiced.
Clapping after landing is almost the same as saying “thank you, it was very tasty” after dinner at a restaurant. Pilots, as well as cooks, will not hear this and can only learn about the reaction of grateful passengers from flight attendants. Accordingly, clapping, we do it not so much for them, but for ourselves.
It can be seen that immediately after landing there is not a flurry of applause. There are always two or three soloists who start first, and other passengers already join them. I would venture to suggest that these soloists are more or less afraid of flying and their tension reaches a peak during landing. People are stressed, they need to release their emotions urgently. Doing something eccentric, like screaming, dancing, and the like, is not comme il faut. And to thank the pilots and the crew is the most it. This explanation is also supported by the observation that clapping is most common on charter flights. After all, charters are used for the most part by those who fly once or twice a year on vacation and, accordingly, are especially nervous out of habit.
Probably, you, too, have witnessed the applause on the plane after a successful landing. This does not always happen, but often everyone got on a similar flight.
It is difficult to say where this tradition came from. Some say that it came from the West, and in droves our people “clapped” only after the 90s, when they began to travel abroad more often and saw how they do it there. Others argue that they began to applaud since Soviet times, when information about plane crashes and other incidents in the air ceased to be a state secret and came out to the masses.
On the one hand, passengers thus express their joy and relief that the flight was completed successfully. On the other hand, applause serves as a kind of gratitude to the pilot for a successful and soft landing (if it really was soft). But what does the pilot himself think about this tradition? The channel talks about it Airplane pilot". The following text is in first person.
***
We understand why it is impossible to applaud after the plane has landed.
Because most passengers do not know that the landing of the aircraft does not end when the landing gear touches the runway, but only when the commander announces it.
Let me remind you of a case in 2006 in Irkutsk, after landing, the plane could not slow down and crashed into iron buildings. People immediately clapped after landing, but the flight did not end well.
Wait for the announcement that boarding is complete. Then applaud, but I must disappoint you. We are you we won't hear, because the doors are armored and you can hardly hear anything between the cabin and the cockpit.
All enthusiastic claps are heard only by flight attendants and you! So if you want to thank the pilots for the flight, do one simple thing - be seated before the plane stops. For us, your safety is our greatest gratitude.
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Victoria Alaya 2 years ago
Do you applaud when landing?
(2 users)
Answer: Today I heard applause for the first time on a big flight and was very surprised: how can pilots hear them? But I do not understand people who compare the plane with the subway or minibus. The latter could be done by anyone after short courses, and many people already drive cars. And how much to study as a pilot and how? Have you ever seen the dashboard of an airplane in the picture? Or do you think all these light bulbs and toggle switches are there for beauty? And would you sit down and fly? Would you like to take the "course"? Wouldn't you be afraid? Time to sneeze?! Personally, I feel how much our lives are in the capable hands of the pilots during the flight and also experience a surge of emotions at the very moment of the touchdown, but I ask the flight attendants to thank the pilots when leaving. Still, there is something sacred in climbing into the sky, and people feel it, whose soul has not yet died out in order to "philosophize" that this is garbage and compare the flight with a trip to the subway! Although clapping in gratitude is, of course, stupid when you are not heard. Vampire 2 years ago
Do you applaud when landing?
(2 users)
Answer: To applaud or not is a personal matter for everyone. For example, I don't applaud. Moreover, I do not understand why they start clapping at the moment the landing gear touches the runway? After all, the speed is high enough for a possible incident, accident, etc. I can still understand if they were clapping at the moment the plane stopped, but at that moment everyone already doesn’t care, and my applause would be completely inappropriate. All the best and a soft landing!Catherine 3 years ago
Only on charter flights you can hear this. Only Russia and Ukraine have so much fun. The rest behave as naturally as in any other transport. Just by buying a ticket, for example, on Turkish Airlines and starting to clap during takeoff, they will look at you like an idiot. To be honest, I am terribly annoyed by such herd senseless applause.
(7 users)alltrueman 3 years ago
Do you applaud when landing?
Answer: But I thought, will they clap during a really difficult landing: during an emergency descent, depressurization or a throw during wind shear? It is unlikely that it will not be before, many will have wet pants ... So all this is nothing more than a tribute to stupid fashion, which, by the way, has appeared quite recently.
Donskaya 1 year ago
Answer: Yes, if this landing is soft, professional. This is an artistic tradition of people who fly very often to different cities and countries. When people ask why we don't bestow applause on minibus or subway drivers, then going further, one can ask the question: why applaud a circus artist flying under the circus dome? After all, this is his job! Let somersaults without applause! I admire what an artist, pilot, astronaut, surgeon does! Applause is given to the teacher after an interesting lecture, in choreographic halls, in acting classes at the end of classes! This is a sincere thank you for a job well done! And it is right! I will thank the people who took responsibility for my life for some time and henceforth!
