How are doors and slides controlled, and what safety rules apply during operations?

• A. Doors deploy slides automatically at armed exits or manually if needed; ensure exit paths are clear and doors are configured per procedure.
• B. Doors deploy slides automatically at armed exits or manually if needed; ensure exit paths are clear and doors are configured per procedure.
• C. Doors never deploy slides; use crew to assist.
• D. Doors are always opened only on the ground.

Answer: (C)

Doors with slides are part of an automatic safety system: when an exit is armed and the door is opened, the slide inflates automatically to provide a rapid evacuation path. If needed, the crew can deploy slides manually following the published procedures. The safety rules during operations focus on keeping all exit paths clear and ensuring each door is configured correctly for the current phase of flight (armed or disarmed) and the procedure being followed. Saying that doors never deploy slides isn’t accurate, because slides are designed to deploy automatically to ensure a safe, quick exit. And the idea that doors are opened only on the ground doesn’t reflect that, in emergencies, doors may be operated as required to evacuate, with slides deployed as appropriate.