What to Expect During Flight Attendant Training

Turning into a flight attendant is among the many most fun issues folks can do within the aviation world, and doing so fulfills many individuals’s lifelong desires of touring the world for a residing. Beginning a profession as a flight attendant can really feel intimidating, and many individuals marvel what to anticipate once they arrive on the coaching heart.

Flight attendants play a vital place in sustaining the safety of flight, they usually additionally play essential customer support roles to ensure passengers are comfy and pleased all through the flight. Coaching covers a wide range of matters to fulfill all these necessities, and finishing coaching efficiently might be difficult. Airways are conscious of this, nevertheless, and make an effort to help and help flight attendant hopefuls all through class.

Fundamental Flight Attendant Necessities

Airways typically require flight attendant hopefuls to fulfill fundamental necessities. All should be no less than 18 years outdated with a highschool diploma, GED, or equal. Many airways give particular consideration to candidates with post-secondary schooling or work expertise in aviation or customer support.

Candidates should cross a background examine and should be in good bodily situation to allow them to transfer round, function gear, and be maneuverable in turbulence, and whereas the plane is taxiing.

How Lengthy Does Coaching Final?

Packages range barely based mostly on the corporate and fleet, however coaching can take wherever from 4 to 10 weeks. New trainees can anticipate a mix of classroom and simulator coaching in life-sized cabins, typically positioned on the identical coaching heart the place pilots do their very own simulator coaching.

Some airways ship flight attendant candidates supplies to organize earlier than they arrive on the coaching facility, reminiscent of bulletins to be taught and procedures to memorize. These procedures will likely be carried out into the in-person coaching achieved by the airline.

Class normally runs for about eight hours per day. Class sizes might vary from a handful to some dozen, once more relying on the corporate and fleet sort in query. Greater firms have a tendency to want extra flight attendants, and greater airplanes require extra no matter airline dimension.

Flight attendants pose with a mannequin of a brand new 787-9 and the true plane behind them on the 2019 Paris Air Present. (Picture: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

What Data Is Lined?

Crucial gadgets an airline should cowl in flight attendant coaching are the security necessities and the procedures for the operated plane. These are essentially the most vital gadgets that flight attendants should get proper to make sure a profitable flight and assure passenger security.

Important gadgets embody emergency procedures, evacuations and ditching, fundamental first assist, and safety threats, in addition to easy methods to apply these matters to the precise plane sort the flight attendants will function.

Additionally included are cabin service and look requirements; fundamental aviation phrases reminiscent of airport codes, time conversions, and airline terminology; firm insurance policies, laws, and bidding; and PA bulletins.

How A lot Do Trainees Get Paid?

Totally different airways pay various wages to flight attendant trainees. Some airways have unpaid coaching, others present completion bonuses, and a few pay throughout all the coaching interval. SkyWest Airlines pays out 65 flight hours per month during training, whereas Endeavor Air provides trainees a month-to-month stipend. Mainline carriers have a tendency to supply full pay throughout coaching, whereas low-cost carriers and smaller commuter airways are inclined to pay much less throughout coaching.

Nonetheless, all airways supply fundamental facilities, reminiscent of placing up all flight attendants in lodges close to the coaching heart. Trainees are additionally given transportation to the coaching heart to start work. Different advantages can also be conferred; many airways supply trainee flight attendants flight advantages to allow them to journey to see family and friends throughout time without work.

After coaching, flight attendants could make as little as $40,000 or upwards of $90,000 per yr. Along with firm and fleet, firm seniority additionally performs a task in flight attendant pay, as longer tenures are inclined to carry extra pay.

Methods to Succeed Throughout Coaching

Airways need flight attendants who can deal with the excessive workload of coaching. Being adaptable and targeted will go a great distance in the direction of success. Equally, honesty and punctuality are vital traits that flight attendants should have.

Candidates who present up with pre-training packets studied, ask questions, and are able to be taught are usually essentially the most profitable throughout coaching. In the end, although there’s a variety of data to soak up throughout coaching, changing into a flight attendant is an attainable purpose for anybody who units their thoughts to it and affords an sufficient quantity of focus.

Flight attendant coaching might be lengthy and difficult, however the payoff is rewarding. Many benefit from the thrill and pleasure of touring across the nation and the world for work, and with the ability to assist passengers so instantly is an additional benefit.

John McDermott is a industrial pilot pursuing a profession in skilled flight. His ardour for aviation started in an Ann Arbor bookstore with a story of enemy pilots throughout World Conflict 2, and he hasn’t appeared again. Apart from flying and writing for AirlineGeeks, John volunteers with Skilled Pilots of Tomorrow and travels at any time when he will get the prospect.

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