How to Escape Down an Airplane Slide

“We need only travel enough to give our intellects an airing.” - Henry David Thoreau

Emergency airplane evacuations happen more often than most people think; about once every 11 days in the U.S. Since most evacuation injuries occur on the inflatable slide,
here is some more advice Time magazine on How to Escape Down an Airplane Slide.

1. Always count the rows to the nearest exit when you sit down on the plane. The cabin may be filled with thick smoke when you need to exit.
2. Look for a 2nd exit off the plane when you get on. It is not unusual for doors to jam shut or for the slide to fail to deploy.
3. Get out fast – DO NOT grab your luggage.
4. JUMP onto the slide. Don’t hesitate at the doorway or try to sit down. Slides are designed to handle 70 passengers a minute so that means you have less than one second to go out the door. JUMP.
5. Keep your heels up and your arms crossed over your chest as you go down the slide on your back. This will help prevent skin burns as you slide.
6. Get out of the way! When you reach the bottom of the slide – MOVE. Another person is just one second behind you and will crash into you if you don’t move quickly off the slide.

Bottom Line
Speed is everything during plane evacuations. Lose the luggage and save your life. Don’t slow or stop the flow of people getting off.