Aircraft Design: Dumb Question (probably) of the Day 180410

This has probably been discussed by engineers at every aircraft manufacturing company in the world. I'm not naive enough to believe that I'm the first one to ask this question, but why are passenger seats in aircraft not oriented back to front, i.e. back of the seat facing forward?

I'm anticipating a very short thread.

a reply to: ipsedixit

I don't feel very sharp today so I need to ask, why would that be better than the way it is now? I know its not much of a g force on departure but I am not sure I would like that coming from behind rather than from the front...

a reply to: ipsedixit

Passenger comfort. It tends to freak people out to be pushed out of their seat instead of into it. Most aircraft seats are actually designed to withstand a higher G load if they're installed backwards.

a reply to: ipsedixit

Another major reason for this is motion sickness. Many passengers express nausea when seated in back facing seats.

a reply to: szino9

In the event of a crash, backward facing seats are safer. You are pressed into your seat as opposed to being thrust forward onto your seatbelt.

I always learn something on this website but

Many Brits express nausea when seeing backward facing dates

10/04/18

cheers

a reply to: BomSquad

Thanks for the other responses. Obviously several considerations are in play, but I'm thinking like BomSquad. In the event of a crash it would be much better to be forced back into your seat.

a reply to: BomSquad

In an event of a crash I am not sure it really matters which way I am facing?

a reply to: szino9

It all depends on the severity of the crash. Most military transport planes have their seats facing backwards, except for the flight crew, of course. They need to see where they are going

If you slam into a mountain at 600mph, I agree, I don't think the seat is going to save you....but you never know! However there are often "crashes" at much lower velocities where your seat orientation could make a huge impact. The human body can take a lot more punishment on its back than it can on its front.

a reply to: szino9

Believe it or not, statistically, in the event of a crash on takeoff or landing, you're very likely to survive the impact itself. Most casualties in those types of crash are due to post impact events, such as fire.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Been a long time since my orientation as a flyer in the Air Force but want to say the FAA instructor said you have 60 seconds to exit an aircraft (if there is a fire) before the materials catching fire produce toxic gas.

a reply to: Irishhaf

I think it's 90 now, but yeah, it's been awhile.

if the seats were to face backwards you wouldn’t be able to see the air hostess do the safety demo at the front.

a reply to: ipsedixit

You could also ask why planes have windows. After all windows mean extra weight. It is a question of comfort.

Fun fact, the seats in bullet trains in Japan can be turned around whenever the train reaches end station and has to go back(wards).

a reply to: Zaphod58

Might have been 90... this was way back in 2001 and I am fairly distracted the last couple days.


I did enjoy the class though, sitting in a mock up with smoke generators so we could learn how fast a plane fills with smoke.

a reply to: Irishhaf

I always have to laugh, because it's always how safe this is, or how that is going to save your life, while using the same cabin materials that go up in flames if you look at them funny, and when they do go up, are so toxic it's not funny.

a reply to: Zaphod58

yea that used to bother me, once I got my first few flights in as an FE I realized I wasn't walking away from a crash anyways, well lot less stress in my life with travel since that realization.

a reply to: moebius

Windows also let light in the cabin should there be an emergency.

a reply to: Irishhaf

Used to joke with an FE that if they ever crashed he'd be the third one on scene. Heh. I hate flying now, because I don't know the idiots up front. I would rather not die because they were too stupid to talk to each other.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I actually rarely sleep before a commercial flight, lets me sleep all the way to the scene of the crash.


otherwise I imagine I would drink a lot more before the flight.