The only legitimate way to get flight attendant training is from the airline that hires you. Independent schools are seen as scams and airlines view hiring from external programs as a liability. FAA-approved flight attendant training covers aviation terminology, time conversion, CFR, weather, HAZMAT, physiology, evacuation, aircraft familiarity, fire safety, first aid, flight attendant duties, security, and crew resource management.
The only legitimate way to get flight attendant training is directly from the airline that hires you. There are several independent schools that offer training programs and certificates, but they are seen as scams by professionals in the aviation industry. The only educational requirement to become a flight attendant is a high school diploma or equivalent and many airlines view hiring flight attendants from external programs as a liability because they have to retrain them for their business.
Independent programs can help an aspiring flight attendant prepare for an interview and understand general crew procedures, but they cannot provide company-specific training, nor are they FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) certified. Once you hire an airline, you must attend three to six weeks of FAA-approved flight attendant training that is usually, but not always, paid for by the airline that employs you. As of 2009, most major airlines send their flight attendants to train at one of three flight safety locations in the United States or in Paris.
Flight Safety is an FAA-approved worldwide aviation training company that trains not only flight attendants, but also pilots. They customize their program for each airline they work with; however, the following subjects will usually be covered in some form:
Aviation Terminology – Everyday terms and industry jargon needed to learn how to work in the industry.
Time Conversion – Flight attendants need to learn time conversion because they often cross time zones and often job specifics are based on Greenwich Mean Time.
Applicable Areas of the CFR – The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) are rules set forth by the FAA that flight attendants must familiarize themselves with.
Weather conditions and turbulence – Flight attendants must understand weather phenomena and how they affect the motion of an airplane so they can convey it to the passengers in question.
Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) – Flight attendants must learn to recognize the HAZMAT in the event that a passenger, by mistake or purpose, tries to board a plane with it.
Physiology – Decompression and high altitude have very specific effects on the human body that a flight attendant must be familiar with in the event of a loss of pressurization in an aircraft.
Evacuation Basics – Flight attendant training is not complete without learning how to regularly evacuate an aircraft and how to evacuate in an emergency. In addition to the basics, flight attendants will learn how to evacuate or “abandon” an aircraft in a water landing.
Aircraft Familiarity – Flight attendants should orient themselves to the specific aircraft they will be working on. They must also learn about aircraft equipment, furniture, systems and outputs.
Fire Safety and First Aid – All flight attendants must participate in flight attendant training and exercises dealing with aircraft fires, firefighting, first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Flight Attendant Duties – Learn standard flight attendant duties and responsibilities, such as cabin preparation for takeoff and landing, announcements, and beverage service.
Security – security concerns, such as hijackings and bomb threats, require flight attendants to acquire specific knowledge to deal with these situations.
Crew Resource Management – Crew Resource Management training provides flight attendants with the tools to communicate and make effective decisions with other crew members they are traveling with.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
