Flight attendant is one of the jobs that requires specialized training.
Flight attendants need to know all about the safety procedures on the plane. Flight attendants have a lot to learn from fire safety and other procedures.
It is possible to master the inflight service procedures on some of the world's top airlines.
A stone's throw away from the airline's mega- hub at the Abu Dhabi International Airport, I was able to visit the headquarters recently.
There's a lot of model planes, aircraft parts and aviation-themed paraphernalia on display at the office.
I went to the on-site aviation training center and met with airline management.
The Points Guy is Zak Firth.
The classroom is where flight attendants begin their career. Before you go to the aviation training center, you need to learn a lot of the basics.
There are a lot of lecture rooms on the campus, and they look like they are from a university. A lot of the basics of aircraft safety, first aid and service procedures are covered in sessions here.
It is time to get hands-on experience in the various training simulations after you have completed the core curriculum.
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It would be expensive to conduct this type of training at the airport. Not only would the plane have to be on the ground, but it would also need a lot of money to practice with its exit slides.
Once you deploy a raft on a real airplane, folding it up and putting it back on the plane isn't as easy as packing a sleeping bag or air mattress.
Most major airlines have simulations of their required safety and service procedures. Smaller airlines might not have as much of an aviation training center as the Abu Dhabi-based carrier, so it rents time to other airlines.
Training simulations are conducted on modules meant to replicate smaller subsections of an airplane because it would cost millions to mock up an entire airplane.
It's a good idea to take exit door training There are a few different types of doors at the aviation training center, each resembling an aircraft and door type that the company operates in. Three rows of seats with an over-wing exit door are included in the A320 door trainer.
Instructors can use this place to teach new hires how to operate the door in an emergency.
A fire safety demonstration is behind this module. Flight attendants receive hands-on experience with fire extinguishers and learn how to properly wear a life vest while on the job.
In some emergencies, an aircraft needs to be evacuated in 90 seconds. The slides and exit doors have to be used efficiently in a gymnastics center.
There are two exits that land on mats. The flight attendants are learning how to leave the plane.
There is a special version of this trainer designed for the A380. Although the A380s are still in long-term storage, the airline still has training modules for this whale of a jet.
Emergency evacuates can happen on land or on the water. Flight attendants practice water landings at the swimming pool after learning in class.
There is a large pool with slide rafts that have already been deployed at the training facility of the airline.
The flight attendants at the airline have a lot to learn about service delivery and safety. The Abu Dhabi-based carrier is considered to be one of the world's best due to a well-above average onboard service delivered by flight attendants.
Flight attendants are learning how to deliver service in cabin mock ups. First-, business- and economy-class cabins are available from the airline.
These cabin mock ups are a good way to practice how to operate galley carts, ask for drink orders and deliver meals.
The galleys and kitchen are very similar to the ones on the plane. Much of the carrier's fleet is comprised of training cabins for the A320 and the Boeing 787-9.
After learning all the safety and service delivery procedures, flight attendants are required to take multiple ground-based exams to make sure they are competent.
If they pass, they will get their wings and start flying as a flight attendant.
They join the ranks of Etihad flight attendants within a few weeks and return to the aviation training center to learn about updated procedures and guidelines.
When you hear that flight attendants are primarily here for your safety, you have an inside look at what that means and how they learn to make it happen.
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