Aviation geeks ( which I have been since I saw my first airliner over 70 years ago) collect, buy & sell, and trade them. Aviation museums conserve them. Bored kids on planes play with them.
But although they are required to be in every seatback pocket on every airplane, few passengers take the time to read the passenger safety briefing card. And, like ignoring the airline safety video, not taking a few moments to read the seatback safety card can be a big mistake.
That’s because those cards contain important information on everything from the exact location of the exits to instructions on how to open the emergency exit doors for the specific aircraft you are traveling in.
And, as the US Federal Aviation Administration and many other entities have confirmed, “an alert, knowledgeable person has a much better chance of surviving any life- or injury-threatening situation that could occur during passenger-carrying operations in civil aviation.”
Information-rich seatback safety cards have been around for decades, but only became mandated in the US aviation industry in 1977. And while it may seem like all the cards are the same, they vary from carrier to carrier, aircraft to aircraft, and have evolved in graphics and design.
I have sold over 13, 000 items durning my 19 years selling airline collectibles of EBAY .I retired in 2010 after 40 years with the USAF , Seaboard World Airways , Golden Pacific , PSA , USAir and USAirways .
Thanks for looking .
Al the LAXRAMPER ( now retired)