Bathroom breaks

[hangar7guy]

Yes, I'm serious.

Is it just flights into and out of Reagan National (DCA) that have the restriction on anyone getting up to use the lavatory? Or is it all airline flights under an hour?

And what is the rule now (post 9/11) regarding crewmembers getting up to, uh, take care of their "physiological needs" as the FAA might put it? Is it true that the seatbelt sign has to go on and all pax remain seated while the crewmember steps out of the secure cockpit to take a leak?

Thanks for answering my dumb but serious questions.

 

[Anaconda]

is this policy about reagan published somewhere? never heard that one before.

procedures are in place at my company to use the lav. no restrictions to speak of that i'm aware...

 

[chperplt]

It's not all flights under an hour. As far as I know, DCA is the only one with this type of restriction.

 

[skeezer]

DCA

For flights into and out of DCA passengers are not allowed to get up for any reason within 30 minutes of the airport. Outside of that time it is business as usual. If someone does get up in that peiod (for any reason) bad things happen.

There are no other restrictions for passengers into and out of any other airport that I know of.

Never heard of the seatbelt sign on and all pax remain seated when we get up to go pee, but it could be a compay procedure somewhere. I think each place handles that situation differently.

Take Care

Skeezer

 

[328dude]

If you do go into Regan and fly for any airline, the procedures are very straight forward and defined. However, I think every company's procedures are very similar. Just don't screw them up or things get ugly quick.

Your company usually publishes the documents and procedures.

DC is the only US airport with this 30 minute restriction.
I too never heard of the seatbelt sign and the potty going hand in hand with each other.

 

[172driver]

The same policy was used in SLC during the Olympics and at least one person was arrested for using the lav while on the initial descent.

 

[avbug]

The only reason they were arrested was because the curling events were in progress at the time. Felonious urination during a Scottish event, and it carries a minimum of two years or a six hundred dollar fine, or both, to be decided on a coin toss.

Had they done something so foolish during the ice skating or the luge, there is a strong probability that they would simply have been shot.

 

[Anaconda]

thanks...interesting info about DCA...of course, if i ever flew outside the state of florida i might know things like that!!!

 

[TurboS7]

If we have to do a single-engine miss out of DCA on runway 36 the data for our airline is only approved for straight-ahead. I was in the sim the other day and just did the standard miss for DCA. When the sim instructor asked me what I was doing, I told him I was dodging Patriot missles. The turn is kinda cool on one engine anyway.

 

[328dude]

DCA dosent have 36. 4,1 amd 33 that direction. Take your pick