Flying in an airplane is typically a fun and exciting way to get from one place to another. It can be a rather unsettling experience, however, if you have never flown before. Although the flight attendants will go over the safety procedures that you will need to know before the plane takes off, it can be helpful to know ahead of time what to expect if there is an actual emergency while your plane is in flight.
As part of the emergency procedure checklist, the flight attendants will explain to passengers where emergency exits are located. Once you have been given instructions as to where the closest doors are, both ahead of and behind you, count the number of seats that it will take to reach these exits should you need to use them. Although many planes have lights on the floor that will illuminate the way to the exits, in the event they do not work or you are unable to see them because of smoke or debris, you can then count the rows of seats until you reach where the exits should be.
In the event that the air pressure in the cabin of the airplane decreases, oxygen masks will drop down from an area located above where passengers sit. If this occurs, pull the mask down toward you, then hold it over your mouth and nose. These masks have an elastic band that you should slide down behind your head until the band sits just above your ears. Since the oxygen mask is designed not to release air when it is not being used, you may have to pull lightly on the gas line to get the flow of air started.
On long flights, the pilot may turn off the seat belt sign at his discretion. Once the seat belt sign is off, passengers may remove their seat belts if they need to make a trip to the restroom or stand up for a few minutes. If you do not need to get up, however, it is advisable to leave your seat belt on in case there is unexpected turbulence. Should you decide to take a nap, fasten your seat belt before going to sleep in case the sign is turned back on and you are not awake to see it. This will also keep flight attendants from having to disturb you once you are sleeping.
