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Have you ever applauded an aircraft landing? Or are you in the group that finds it wrong
and unacceptable? Opinions are divided as to whether it’s a good or bad thing to do.
Nevertheless, it still happens regularly in some locations.
Today, let’s look at the debate over applauding an aircraft landing…
There seems to be no clear reason as to when, where or why clapping happens upon
an aircraft’s successful touchdown. Online discussion suggest several possibilities - to
celebrate the return home after a long journey, to congratulate the pilots and crew,
or even as a celebration from fearful fliers that it's all over.
Perhaps the theory that makes the most sense is that clapping started back when flying was
less common (and riskier), with landings being a novel and slightly scary experience at the time.
Research from Mic.com finds that the first recorded example of clapping on landing
was in 1948, when the Cincinnati Enquirer reported how all the passengers clapped after
the successful landing of an American Airlines flight at Cincinnati after circling with a
malfunctioning landing gear. Of course, there are likely other early cases, but it certainly
doesn't seem to be an early tradition. Whatever its origins, it seems clear that
clapping is not a long-held historic tradition. Yet, these days there are frequent cases of
passengers clapping upon landing. This certainly seems like a cultural variation. A read through
online discussion forums backs this up, with many people referring to specific nationalities.
There are some apparent trends: It seems much less likely in Scandinavia
than compared to Southern Europe for example - but it still remains varied.
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And now, back to the rest of the video,
Comments and experience indicate more likelihood from nationalities including (but not limited to)
German, Romanian, Russian, Italian, Portuguese, Jamaican, Polish, and Israeli - particularly when
flying into home airports. Slate.com summed this up well in its analysis,
expressing the opinion that no nationality would claim to follow the custom:
"Everyone who believes in landing claps—and finds them quaint, silly, or suspicious—seems
inclined to pin the custom on the passengers of another, less sophisticated culture. We
don’t cheer at airplane landings. They do." Aside from national tendencies, applause is
often heard on certain occasions. Landing after a diversion, emergency or other difficulties
could warrant a hearty round of applause - likely with more passengers joining in.
This might even be true in horrific situations. Slate.com notes the following for the crash of
Southwest Airlines Flight 812, in April 2011: "A hole tore though the cabin roof, flight
attendants passed out from lack of oxygen, and the cockpit crew lost access to its main controls.
People clapped when that plane touched down and then began to hug one another."
Of course, not everyone will clap, or appreciate others clapping. It appears
clapping after landing has been a divisive issue for a long time, and still remains so today.
As flying becomes more and more common for people, it seems likely more people will oppose it.
Writing for the Huffington Post, flight attendant David Puzzo,
listed clapping as one of the 12 things people should never do an aircraft.
Other comments from anti-clappers featured in a Conde Nast article include the following:
"It’s not a performance, and I don’t clap when a taxi driver drops me off at my apartment,
or give a standing ovation to the ferry driver who deposits me safely on land,
so this falls into the same category for me." And:
"Why are we clapping? Because we're alive? Is it surprising that we're alive? Is it because we
arrived at our sunny destination in the Caribbean? Did we think we wouldn't? If the pilot navigates
a bumpy landing with skill and style, I'll clap. But I don't give participation trophies."
Airlines seem less opposed to it, however. Ryanair, for example, used to play a recorded
congratulatory fanfare that often led to applause after landing. As another example,
JetBlue advertised new routes to Puerto Rico with images of passengers clapping.
And as a final thought, New York-based etiquette expert Thomas
Farley (reported by the website Mic.com) states: "For infrequent air travelers or nervous fliers,
a round of spontaneous applause upon landing is perhaps the most natural form of expressing
relief, gratitude and excitement about reaching a destination. As long as the clapping is brief
and doesn’t morph into the whole plane doing the wave, I don’t see an etiquette issue here."
The debate will no doubt continue. While some hate the idea of clapping,
others will continue to express thanks, relief or just celebrate after landing. And so,
the big question of the day: Do you clap or think its acceptable to clap when an airplane lands?
Why or why not? Let us know by leaving a comment.