People who clap when the plane lands

[skyscraper101]

Is this mostly a European phenomenon? They seem to love it in Eastern Europe from my experience. But I've seen it creep in on flights within Western Europe too in recent years.

Does it happen elsewhere? I've never noticed it in America, North or South, and I haven't been to any other continents. Are you a happy clapper? Or are you too engrossed in your beats by dre phones to have noticed this peculiarity of travel?

 

[Manter]

People who clap should be shot in the face. Repeatedly.

 

[quimcunx]

I haven't noticed it as a thing except perhaps once or twice when there's been a storm or suchlike. Not a thing in Serbia.

 

[joustmaster]

I think it happened more in the 80s/90s

 

[editor]

I can remember it happening years ago, but I haven't heard it for years.

 

[ash]

The only time I remember this happening was in 1988 when I flew to Israel. I thought it was an Israeli - we haven't been blown up by terrorists or maybe we are in the Holy Land type thing. I haven't experienced it since.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Is this mostly a European phenomenon? They seem to love it in Eastern Europe from my experience. But I've seen it creep in on flights within Western Europe too in recent years.

Does it happen elsewhere? I've never noticed it in America, North or South, and I haven't been to any other continents. Are you a happy clapper? Or are you too engrossed in your beats by dre phones to have noticed this peculiarity of travel?

The only place I saw it was Southeast Asia. People don't clap in Canada, unless it seemed that there was a really good chance that the plane was going to crash. Like a seriously bad storm. And I've only seen that once or twice.

 

[nogojones]

Not been on a plane for a few years. Do they still do a whip round for the driver?

 

[gabi]

It's the norm in Latin America. I remember the first time I heard it landing in Chile, I thought it was quite sweet. You knew you weren't in grim Europe anymore.

 

[skyscraper101]

For the record, I don't clap. It's a bit odd TBH, but I might be tempted if the pilot obviously had to pull some serious skills in adverse conditions to get everybody landed safely, like the guy who hit a flock of geese and had to land in the Hudson for example.

 

[Dr_Herbz]

I decided to take it to the next level and I now perform a solo Mexican wave when I receive my Zinger burger at KFC

 

[ice-is-forming]

i have haven't clapped but i have breathed an audible sigh of relief on some flights!

 

[purves grundy]

People who clap should be shot in the face. Repeatedly.

It's annoying but surely it's not *that* bad

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Spinoff thread: 'People Who Crap When the Plane Lands'.

 

[EastEnder]

Clapping when the plane lands is a bit like saying "Well done Mr Pilot! You managed to NOT crash!! YAY!!!"

Seemingly unlike some people, my expectation is that the plane will land safely because the pilots are doing their jobs. Clapping someone for not screwing up is silly & patronising.

 

[bubblesmcgrath]

I can remember...people clapping and cheering when the plane landed after we'd gone through dreadful storms and massive turbulence. At one stage even the flight hardened Japanese tourists had been screaming. The pilot tried three times to land and eventually he managed it.
It was absolutely terrifying. The plane was tilting and the wings were swaying up and down as we landed....they nearly tipped the ground a few times. Turned out the pilot had had to land the opposite direction on the runway due to storm force winds.
It may be coincidence but I've not flown since...

 

[gabi]

Clapping when the plane lands is a bit like saying "Well done Mr Pilot! You managed to NOT crash!! YAY!!!"

I get this feeling when people manage to give birth successfully tbh. I know I'm a grinch, but seriously.. All you've managed to do is fulfil your evolutionary duty. Clap clap. Are we really expected to congratulate you on adding to an already overburdened world, and no, that baby is not beautiful, it's fucking ugly. If you had spawned a puppy, then yes, you'd get a present. But not another fucking human.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I've seen spontaneous applause on trains when they finally move after being held in the middle of nowhere for ages. It's quite nice really.

It's more logical to clap when the plane lands as you made it down in one piece.

*goes round Manter's and claps repeatedly*

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

People who clap when the lights go on...

 

[littlebabyjesus]

It's the norm in Latin America. I remember the first time I heard it landing in Chile, I thought it was quite sweet. You knew you weren't in grim Europe anymore.

Yeah I liked it there too. It's a nice little communal moment.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Clapping when the plane lands is a bit like saying "Well done Mr Pilot! You managed to NOT crash!! YAY!!!"

Seemingly unlike some people, my expectation is that the plane will land safely because the pilots are doing their jobs. Clapping someone for not screwing up is silly & patronising.

I think we should give marks out of ten for the landing.

 

[emanymton]

Clapping when the plane lands is a bit like saying "Well done Mr Pilot! You managed to NOT crash!! YAY!!!"

Seemingly unlike some people, my expectation is that the plane will land safely because the pilots are doing their jobs. Clapping someone for not screwing up is silly & patronising.

You don't clap at the end if plays then either?

 

[ffsear]

DO i need to be on the plane? Or can i stand at the end of the runway applauding?

 

[EastEnder]

You don't clap at the end if plays then either?

Spurious comparison. A play is an art form, a performance - one does not attend the theatre in the hope that the performance will be adequate, one hopes it will excel. If it was a bit naff, I probably wouldn't clap. Flying a plane is an occupation - I don't yearn for the pilots to excel, merely to perform their duties adequately, thereby not crashing. If the plane had been stuck by a meteorite, lost an engine & half a wing, and despite that the pilots still landed safely, then I would most definitely clap - they would deserve it. I do sometimes wonder if the people who clap on a plane had been half expecting it to crash...

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Landing a plane is an art form.

Done well, you barely feel it as the wheels caress the tarmac before gently increasing the pressure.

Other times, it's 'boof, oops, boof, nearly got it, boof, there we are'.

 

[Chilli.s]

I always clap when the bus gets to my stop.



Not.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Insensible to the wonders of everyday life.

 

[marshall]

They were whooping, cheering and a clapping when we landed in Vegas a few years back.

 

[weltweit]

I recently had a difficult landing in deep fog and felt like clapping. We had been holding for an hour and a half and were close to being diverted to another airport. We had one failed approach flying off after having descended to 1000ft which was not so great for the confidence. Anyhow I was glad to be on terra firma.

 

[ffsear]

Spurious comparison. A play is an art form, a performance - one does not attend the theatre in the hope that the performance will be adequate, one hopes it will excel. If it was a bit naff, I probably wouldn't clap. Flying a plane is an occupation - I don't yearn for the pilots to excel, merely to perform their duties adequately, thereby not crashing. If the plane had been stuck by a meteorite, lost an engine & half a wing, and despite that the pilots still landed safely, then I would most definitely clap - they would deserve it. I do sometimes wonder if the people who clap on a plane had been half expecting it to crash...

You don't think they are actually clapping the pilot do you? It's an expression of celebration about arriving at your destination / starting your holiday etc etc .

The pilots normally stand outside the cockpit at the end of the flight and people say thank you then.