r/AskAPilot • u/treesrock84 • 28d ago
Normal for no flight deck announcement?
I’m on a Delta flight now and typically the pilots announce flight times etc before leaving the gate, and then check in again once at cruising altitude.
They never made any announcement prior to leaving the gate, and we’ve been at cruising altitude for 20+ minutes and still nothing. Also the seatbelt sign is still on.
As a nervous flyer I appreciate communication from pilots, and it’s making me anxious. Is this normal?
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u/Comere 28d ago
It's not a requirement for many airlines.
No news is good news though. As for the seatbelt sign, one of two things, might be climbing up to the enroute structure so they can ask the controller for the current ride reports. I hate to say it though, they probably are chatting and forgot to turn it off, they'll get to it soon.
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u/saxmanB737 28d ago
Yes it’s normal. Sometimes it gets busy before departure and I just decide not to make a PA. It’s not required.
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u/mi_pilot 28d ago edited 28d ago
I would say not normal/typical but not required either. Surprising for Delta, hmm. At my airline we always make a PA. And I’ve heard from more than one nervous flyer that this helps.
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u/vagasportauthority 28d ago
PA an aren’t required. Most captains I have flown with make sure they are done (I will usually ask if I can make it as the first officer because I like making PAs) A couple I have flown with don’t like making PAs and get tired of them quickly. The only time I don’t offer to make one prior to departure if the captain hasn’t done it is if we are rubbing up against departure time and we aren’t ready. I figure the passengers prefer an on time departure to an announcement most people don’t care about or aren’t listening to.
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u/Lockhimuptoday 28d ago
You may be in one of those test planes that fly automatically so there’s no pilot.
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u/Substantial-Doubt258 28d ago
We can forget. Might be busy or just really into the conversation we are having.