Why do airplanes have the option to turn off the 'No Smoking SIGN' ?

Smoking is completely illegal on airliners, so why even have the switch?
 

It could be legal in a third world country.

The switch is older than the prohibition.

It could be legal in a third world country.

Seriously? I guess... I just figured it was illegal on all airplanes because its hazardous in many ways inside a cabin.

 

It's not illegal everywhere, btw many people purchase airliners for personal use, right up to the A380

Certainly when I started flying on airliners in Europe 35 years ago smoking was legal.  Smokers had to sit at the rear of the plane in a fog.

 

Although smoking has been banned for many years, I don't ever recall an incident relating to a fire caused by smoking on an aircraft.  The real reason for the ban is the same as the ban on smoking everywhere, i.e. self-righteous non-smokers trying to impose their will on smokers.

 

In FSX, I've changed the no smoking 'dong' sound to a recording of a flight attendant preparing for takeoff and the seatbelts sound to a recording of a flight attendant preparing for landing.

 

IAN

Back of the plane was like a nightclub 15 years ago, pretty much a case of who could pull a hostie before landing. Since smoking was banned I've never had a drink on a plane since. After the ban you had to use the jump seat for a smoke.

Certainly when I started flying on airliners in Europe 35 years ago smoking was legal. Smokers had to sit at the rear of the plane in a fog.

 

Although smoking has been banned for many years, I don't ever recall an incident relating to a fire caused by smoking on an aircraft. The real reason for the ban is the same as the ban on smoking everywhere, i.e. self-righteous non-smokers trying to impose their will on smokers.

 

In FSX, I've changed the no smoking 'dong' sound to a recording of a flight attendant preparing for takeoff and the seatbelts sound to a recording of a flight attendant preparing for landing.

 

IAN

Not quite. It was discovered that the smoke from smokers was discolouring the insulation and adding a layer of soot ti the bulkheads. It was feared that this would add to corrosion.

 

I have seen a DC9 gutted for conversion to freighter and we could definitely tell people smoked in it, it was disgusting.

 

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Always gives me great pleasure to turn off the no smoking sign after takeoff :lol:

 

(...) self-righteous non-smokers trying to impose their will on smokers. (...)

 

IAN

 

 

 

IIRC, it was the other way round: Self-righteous smokers imposed their will on non-smokers to make them passive smokers ...

In regular airline ops, the no-smoking chime is commonly used to indicate 10,000 during climb/descent to the cabin crew for their announcements, etc.

The switch is still used. Just not for what it says.

 

A double chime of it is what releases the cabin crew on climb out when it's safe.

Although i am a smoker and would love to be able to do it on long flight.  Even our helicopters have ashtrays still build into the doors but we aren't allowed to smoke within 50 feet of the aircraft.  A great story regarding smoking is the 747 that crashed from China Airlines (flight 611) had a belly scrape that was repaired with a patch. you could see the nicotine trails seeping out of the patch according to one of the pilots prior to the flight.

Although i am a smoker and would love to be able to do it on long flight. Even our helicopters have ashtrays still build into the doors but we aren't allowed to smoke within 50 feet of the aircraft. A great story regarding smoking is the 747 that crashed from China Airlines (flight 611) had a belly scrape that was repaired with a patch. you could see the nicotine trails seeping out of the patch according to one of the pilots prior to the flight.

Indeed, heard a similar comment from an FAA official, nicotine stains were great for finding fatigue cracks.

 

 

Eff smoking. I'm an asthmatic and that stuff is horrible. Second hand is almost worse than the actual smoker.

 

I'm 100% happy with the ban in our state at restaurants.