Cabin Crew Training – What’s it really like?
So I have just finished my first week of training as Cabin Crew. If you didn’t know, as part of your training you will need an attestation before you can fly. It’s a week with long days with SO much information. You learn the basics of being cabin crew and how to do things, then you go to the airline you will work for where they teach you their specific service requirements plus details of the aircraft our will fly on.
The first day is nerve wracking. It’s all very new and you’re going to meet the people you’re going to be spending 4/5 weeks with! You find the people who are starting the same day as you and you just get chatting about how you’re feeling, how excited you are- actually it is a great way to make life long friends.
Back to the classroom
The whole week is basically sat in a classroom. You have a pre-course workbook you have to complete before you get here. You usually get it about a month before and you learn loads from that it, and then you can bring to the classroom which just makes it easier!
The trainers are so nice and helpful. The ones I had made it really fun as it can be boring sitting in a classroom all day. If you have a question about anything just ask, they are there to help you.
It’s amazing how many “what if” scenario questions get asked, the answers really make you realise all the different aspects of the role. The time goes by quickly, it did for me anyway because it’s a subject I obviously love and am fascinated by.
Drills, thrills and exams
You’ll get a timetable and you’ll see when your exams are, so you can prepare yourself. The exams are absolutely fine and they’re multi choice, if you revise the night before you’ll fly through it! Also, a lot of it is common sense!
Depending what timetable you get, you’ll do your wet drills on the second last day. These are such fun! You travel on a coach wearing your own clothes to the pool. We put on life jackets, inflated them and then jumped straight in! We had to swim two lengths on our backs, and then another length while towing someone, and then they tow you back. We had a race at the end where we were split into two groups and we had to drag each other in a line and get into the raft. Personally I found it quite hard getting into the raft! However everyone around you is allowed to help, it’s all about team work. When you have (ungracefully) flopped into the raft, you sit around the edges while the trainer explains how things have gone. It’s such a fun, informative day, but also really tiring so get a good night’s sleep the night before!
The ‘graduation’
On the last day we got our attestation. We had a little ceremony and we all received our attestations. At this point you realise how close your group has become group already, it’s amazing how much you can bond in 1 week, think how close and surrounded by amazing friends you will be 3/4 weeks down the line!!
It’s really such an enjoyable experience, but I suggest that you revise at home, pay attention in class and ask for help when you need it and then you’ll be absolutely fine. So I’m about to start my new adventure at British Airways training centre.
I’ll keep you all updated and I look forward to speaking to you all soon!
