Aircraft safety card

An aircraft safety card is a document instructing passengers on an aircraft about the procedures for dealing with various emergency conditions that might arise during the flight.

The safety cards are usually provided by airlines on all commercial flights, usually located in the back of the seat in front of each passenger. pre-flight safety demonstrations, either conducted by the flight attendants or through a video presentation, instruct passengers to familiarize themselves with the safety cards prior to take-off.

The cards are frequently laminated or made of plastic and contain instructions that are specific to the model of the airplane they are found in. The contents are usually in the form of pictures, graphically illustrating such procedures as buckling the seatbelts, bracing for impact in an airplane crash, dealing with depressurization, opening the emergency exit door or inflating life rafts in the event of a water landing. The graphic representation allows the cards to be accessible to those speaking a different language than the flight attendants, as well as children and illiterate passengers.

Aircraft safety cards are a collectible item among the aviation enthusiast community, since they are a reflection of an airline, an aircraft type, a culture and a historical period.

External links

* [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/inflight-safetycards/ In-Flight Safety Cards--The World's Largest Safety Card Community]
* [http://www.airtoons.com/ Airtoons - the lighter side of safety card illustrations]
* [http://www.planespotter.de/safety.php?PHPSESSID=9f6ce20d34e240dd2ee79f44b0fbfc91 - greatest archiv for safety cards with over 12000 examples]
* [http://sor-media.de Safety Card collectors discussion board]
* "Design For Impact" (2003) ISBN 1-56898-387-5, history and examples of safety cards
* [http://www.safetycardsgeneva.com/ Geneva safety cards]
* [http://safety-cards.de.tl/Home.htm Die Safety Card Page]
* [http://www.geocities.com/safety.cards Safety Cards Collectionners]
* [http://safetycards.blogspot.com/ MM Safety Cards PT]
* [http://www.safetycards.us/ german safety card site]