David's World

May 17, 2009

Airbus A320: what does this sign mean?

I found this signage in a US airways A320 EOW, at the emergency exit door.

I imagine some French and German designers must have pondered for days about how to come up with a drawing for what they wanted to convey, but somehow the message got lost on the way. Suggestions appreciated.

There are straps that connect to the inside of the windows and are then connected to a point on the wing. The straps serve as guides for people exiting the plane to help them step down onto the wing and to move out along the wing.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overwing_exits .

I think it means, that on top of the doors you find some ropes, that you can pull out and anchor on the wing, which will make it easier for the elderly to get out...

Seems to be showing the location of some tools to open the emergency exit doors from the outside? Beats me how it helps to have this sign inside the craft though.

So maybe they show the location of the tools to inflate the slides on the wings?

Sounds like those guides may be useful... I thought of something like ropes to be pulled out when I saw the sign - it didn't make sense to me though that someone would have time to attach those ropes on the wing when people are frantically trying to get out.