You're buckled in, ready for takeoff, when suddenly your aircraft is drenched by powerful arcs of water. While it might seem like an unusual pre-flight cleaning, this spectacle is actually a time-honoured tradition with a deeply symbolic meaning.
More Than Just Water: The Meaning Behind the Salute
Known as a plane water salute, this ceremony involves two fire engines spraying water over a plane to create a ceremonial 'tunnel' for it to pass through. Far from a practical measure, it serves as a powerful gesture of respect, celebration, or to wish good luck.
This custom is reserved for landmark events. According to aviation news source Simple Flying, it is most notably performed to honour a senior pilot's or airport worker's final flight before retirement. It also marks milestone occasions such as a record-breaking flight's take-off or touchdown, or to welcome home a triumphant Olympic team.
At times, the salute is used to pay tribute to military personnel, including commemorating fallen soldiers. It can also signify the first or last flight of an airline to a specific airport, making it a rare and special sight for passengers and crew alike.
From Ships to Skies: The History of the Water Salute
The tradition is said to have originated in the maritime industry. There, fireboats would create arches of water for ships embarking on their maiden voyages as a ceremonial welcome.
When aviation took flight, the tradition was adopted by the industry. Schiphol Airport confirms this historical link. While unverified, reports from Simple Flying suggest the first aviation water salute may have occurred in the 1990s at Salt Lake City International Airport for a retiring Delta Airlines pilot.
Not to Be Confused: Salute vs Deicing
It is crucial not to mistake the rare water salute for the common procedure of ground deicing. Many travellers have experienced deicing, especially in cold weather, where aircraft are sprayed with special liquids to clear and protect surfaces from dangerous ice accumulation before takeoff.
In a separate, and far less pleasant, aviation phenomenon, the article also highlights the issue of 'blue ice'. This occurs when waste from an aircraft lavatory, mixed with blue disinfectant, leaks and freezes at high altitudes where temperatures can plummet below –60°C. Upon descent, these frozen blocks can dislodge and fall to the ground, sometimes causing property damage, injury, and costly clean-ups.
Though modern aircraft systems are sealed and inspected, aviation experts at Brookfield Aviation note that small leaks from hairline cracks or faulty seals can occasionally happen, making this a very real, if uncommon, hazard of modern air travel.
