Things that look scary but have an explanation

What are all those dings?

Ding! What did that mean? Should I do something?

Chimes are the aircraft's quiet messaging system. The most common is the seat belt sign: a ding when it switches on or off. If it is on, stay seated with your belt fastened. It may also come on for turbulence.

Other dings are signals between crew: a passenger call button, a call from the cockpit or a "we are passing 10,000 feet" signal that tells crew the busy part of the flight is over. Meanings vary from airline to airline.

Rule of thumb: a single ding is almost always routine. If it matters to you, a crew member will make an announcement.

A little deeper

Many airlines follow a "sterile flight deck" rule during taxi, takeoff and below 10,000 feet: no non-essential conversation, so the pilots can concentrate. A chime at 10,000 feet often marks the end of it.

Different chime patterns and tones are used for different signals (call from cockpit, call from another crew station, emergency). They differ between aircraft types and airlines.

See it in Gate 41, in the cabin

Related questions

• Why keep my seat belt on?
• What is turbulence, really?
• Why do the cabin lights dim?

People involved

• Nadia RahmanCabin crew (purser)
• First Officer Mateo AlvarezFirst officer (co-pilot)