Aviation Academy

I am sure any of you have finished some school, weather it is ground or high school or university. This last one gives you the idea of how much you need to study in the aviation academy. And I am talking about Cabin Crew who generally have a 5-7 weeks of training. For pilots it is a different and much longer process. I'll focus on what I know better, since I've gone through it twice.

Your training will be divided in chapters and generally what you do on board on daily basis is what you will learn last. But it doesn't mean the rest is less important, quite the opposite!

After the initial familiarization and necessary  medical checks, you will start with learning about SAFETY. In this chapter you will be taught about aircraft types you will be flying on, equipment used on board and safety procedures.  Generally the aircrafts are Airbus and Boeing branded, but there is more to it: they both have different types in size, technology and general construction. You will need to know about every stowage and electrical functions on board (except all that buttons in the cockpit, that's pilots homework). The difference between different but similar aircraft types is also important because that second you are losing during an emergency to remember the difference might cost somebody's life. It is a good habit therefor to get prepared properly before every single flight, not only on a passengers profile and expectations on that particular flight, but especially about the safety part.

Safety: ditching

You will also need to learn how to use and where to find all the safety equipment. I am talking about fire extinguishers, crash axes, fire gloves, oxygen bottles, radio transmitters, megaphones, life jackets, flashlights, survival kits etc. There are many hidden stowages on board that only cabin crew know about and in case of emergency you need to be quick in getting what you need. That is why you want to know where is what and how to use it. First of all for your own safety! Remember, when you are up there is the air you only have your knowledge and your team, that has been trained the same, to rely on. So better be prepared.
SOPs or standard operating procedures are in place so that every Crew will be on the same page in case of emergency, acting fast and clean. We all have a different personality, different reaction to an emergency (and some Crew never get to discover it for the whole flying career, bless them: it means they never had serious emergencies) and especially different interpretation to different situation. SOP help Crew act in line with the company and country legal rules and regulations. Having a procedure in place that you can exercise on during academy helps you being ready on field when the emergency really happens. That is why the sessions in the simulator are extremely important.

Safety: fire fighting

Safety is usually the hardest part of the training because not only you will get a lot of information in a short amount of time, but also a lot of new terminology, even for the language speakers, whatever the language you're doing the training is!

SECURITY chapter might sound similar to safety and it is indeed linked to it closely, but it is more focused on the threat that people can pose, rather than things, unexpected natural events and technical issues. It will teach you how to behave in case of hijack, bomb threat and how to do your security search before and after every single flight. Unfortunately our little planet  host some unstable individuals that pose threat to themselves and to others and if they happen to get on board the aircraft, Cabin Crew are the ones expected to deal with them while in the air. So once again, preparation is a key. Some airlines will teach you basics of self-defence and that might come very handy. Fair enough, you will not become Jet Li or Steven Seagal, but it will boost your confidence with unruly passengers.

 AVIATION HEALTH is a chapter that will familiarize you with first aid procedures on board. You will learn how to attend to casualties, which medicines you can use and how to save life by CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). Due to cabin pressure and altitude, what you knew was true on ground, might not work on board in the air (for example breathing in a bag in case of hyperventilation). You will also learn how to communicate with the global aviation health agency that helps airline Crew with medical consultations in flight. That will be your first point of reference, but you can also call for a doctor or nurse to help on board, if available. Same knowledge will be useful to yourself on board and on ground, pretty much for the rest of your life. 😊

First Aid

Service and delivery

And finally we're getting to SERVICE chapter! Every airline has their own procedures regarding this and if you are long enough in one airline, you might see many changes within the same company. That is because needs and expectations of the guests are constantly changing as the aviation industry itself. Also very often the people inventing the rules in the office might not really be frequent flyers, sooooo who knows what works the best on board? The answer is logical: the people working on board, the Crew! So here you will learn how to serve food, deny drinks, make cocktails, heat meals and arrange the galley (on board kitchen). It might look easy and straight forward, but actually you wont imagine what silly reasons people complain about on board and apparently some primary survival instincts come out when  food is involved!


For the duration of the whole training, you will be waking up very early and having tests almost every day and homework for the next day. It is an intense training that will require all your focusing and attention. But you will also have a lot of fun and create some long lasting friendships.

Back to the classrooms: study study study

Only at this point you will be given your UNIFORM and well deserved wings, hooray! Take care of them, now you're a flight attendant!!!

Your first flights are going to be supernumerary flights (therefor you will be called a "suppy"). It means you will only be observing what your colleagues do and help out here and there. But you will not have responsibilities. That should happen once per every aircraft type that you will be flying on, so that you can familiarize yourself properly and gain your confidence.

You will get your monthly schedule called roster and there you go: the world is waiting for you!
Breakfast in London, afternoon walk in Paris, siesta in Barcelona or aperitivo in Rome? How about a massage in Bangkok, shopping in Chicago and party in Kuala Lumpur? And more and more to come! ✈🌍✈🌎✈🌏✈

Ready for take off