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When it’s time to take off, reach 10,000 feet, or be ready to land, these sounds are used to communicate with flight attendants.
When passengers hear these noises, they shouldn’t be alarmed. (Representative Image)
Have you ever wondered if those enigmatic ‘dings’ and ‘beeps’ during a flight are warning signs? Nonetheless, a pilot claims these sounds are not emergency-related and should not be taken seriously. Captain Steve Scheibner, a pilot for American Airlines, recently shared on TikTok that these noises are simply a part of flying an aeroplane. He told passengers that the dings and beeps always serve a purpose and that they don’t need to be scared or braced for collision.
Furthermore, Captain Scheibner reassured passengers that these noises are just a normal part of the crew’s routine, even though they may be associated with turbulence or emergencies.
“There are many things that you hear and you don’t even acknowledge. There are three times on purpose when I communicate with the flight attendants with that ding,” said the American Airlines captain to Newsweek.
The ‘ding’ he is referring to is the short, seemingly random sound that passengers may hear at certain points during the journey —the same sound you hear when it’s time to fasten your seatbelt. “The first is when we’re cleared for takeoff and we’re taking the runway. I’ll ding them to let them know ‘this is it,’” Scheibner told.
As the plane ascends above 10,000 feet, there is another ‘ding’. Flight attendants are now authorised to start providing in-flight services. “Basically, below 10,000 feet is generally bumpy. The air tends to smooth out a little bit (after that). I’m telling them it’s smooth enough to get up and start their service. If I don’t ding them at 10,000 feet, they’ll stay seated,” the captain adds.
As the aircraft descends below 10,000 feet, the final ding is heard, signalling the crew to finish up and prepare the cabin for landing. “Sometimes, I’ll get a call if I forget. At 18,000 feet or so, they’ll call and ask if they can get up. The third time on purpose is coming back down through 10,000 feet,” Scheibner says.
The pilot’s explanation offers much-needed clarity and a reason to unwind passengers still uncomfortable with those in-flight noises, on their next trip.
