
Have you ever wondered what exactly happens when you board an aircraft, and you hear the announcement, "Cabin crew, arm slides"? Let me explain the meaning of this important phrase through the intercom.
Four doors
For instance, when you're flying to Spain or Italy, there's a high chance you're doing so on a Boeing 737 or an Airbus A320. These aircraft, in addition to the emergency exits over the wings, have four main doors.
Two on the left side and two on the right side. While the left doors are used for passenger boarding and deplaning, the right doors serve various purposes, including loading catering supplies and assisting passengers in wheelchairs via an elevator.
Slides
In all four of these main doors, there is an automatically inflatable slide attached to the door. The critical moment when "Cabin crew, arm slides", is announced, occurs before departure when all doors are closed.
This command means that the crew must activate the four automatically inflatable slides at each door. But why is this so important?


Imagine making an emergency landing in the desert. There won't be staircases rolling up to take you off the plane. In such situations, there can be no time wasted.
When the crew opens the doors, the slides, which are folded inside the doors, will inflate automatically, eliminating the need to jump out of the plane several meters to the ground.
Expensive mistake
If one of these slides inflates unnecessarily, it could lead to life-threatening situations. The slide deploys with great force and speed.
People near the outer side of the door at that moment could suffer serious injuries. Additionally, the unwanted inflation of a slide leads to extra costs because it needs to be repaired before the aircraft can take off again.
Commands
To ensure that such situations never occur, these commands are closely followed. In fact there are double checks built into the procedure. When you hear "Cabin crew arm slides," each cabin crew member will attach a metal bar, which is connected with the slide, to the floor.
They perform this action at their respective door and then check the door of their colleague next to them. Once these steps are completed, the status of the slides, whether 'armed' (activated) or 'disarmed' (deactivated), is relayed to the purser. He or she confirms this to the cockpit with "All doors armed and cross-checked."

Strap indicator
Furthermore, there is an additional safety indicator: the 'strap indicator.' This is an orange strap that indicates whether the slides are activated or not. An orange band in the window of the door means that the slide is activated.
If there is no orange band, the doors can be opened safely, which is a crucial indicator for ground personnel and cleaners who open the door from the outside. They will not open the door if they see the orange band, as it indicates that the slide is still activated.

Conclusion
Upon arrival at the destination, it's time to deactivate these slides, and you'll hear, "Cabin crew, disarm slides."
So, the next time you hear this phrase during your flight, you'll know exactly what's happening behind the scenes.
Have a safe flight and see you soon!
By: Rico Valkenborgh | October 26, 2023
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