SHHH! Insist on total silence during count.

COCKPIT SILENCE
Silence, Please, During Counts

We call out "cockpit silence" during counts, based on the airline habit of banning casual conversation during takeoffs and landings. Anyone is encouraged to say that to anyone talking during this time. "Cockpit silence" sounds so much more polite and is a reminder of why we want to stop the chatter — for safety.

Marguerite Barnett, MD, FACS
St. Andrew's Surgery Center
Venice, Fla.
[email protected]