Your Flight: Behind the Scenes – Trained for 35000 Ft!

Part 22 of the series Your Flight: Behind the Scenes

As they started their hike down the beautiful mountain range, Bob and James were behind Cathy and Steve. A few minutes later, as they were approaching a blind curve they could hear a loud cry. Someone seemed to be in serious pain. Cathy was the first one to reach the spot and saw a fellow hiking couple. One of them had twisted her legs and was writhing in pain. By the time Bob also reached the spot and was wondering what to do, Cathy was reaching into her backpack and pulled out a few things including a first aid kit. In a matter of minutes, she helped the poor girl to be back on her legs and she was quite at ease with the pain subsiding.

A few more hikers were around them by then and they all cheered for Cathy helping the girl.

‘It was really cool Cathy. You made it look so easy.’ Bob was full of admiration for her.

Cathy smiled and said, ‘I must really thank my cabin crew training for this. Guess what Bob, this is just a fraction of what they teach us back in the Crew Training Centre. Am sure you already heard from Steve and James about how challenging life of a crew is.’

Steve was quick to pitch in, ‘Hey did you guys know that Cathy and I was part of a flight when a lady delivered a beautiful baby girl while on board? Of course we diverted to the nearest airport, but even before we landed, Cathy and her fantastic team made every arrangement possible within the confines of the aircraft to make the delivery as smooth as possible. The parents were so overwhelmed with the help and support provided that we later got to know that they decided to name the little angel after Cathy!’

‘Ohhh… That was sweet’ said everyone around them who were listening to Steve.

Cathy was beaming and said, ‘Thank you everyone. That was one rewarding experience. It does not just stop there. We as cabin crew probably have one of the most rigorous training schedules in the professional world. Most airlines plan for 8 weeks of training for the crew which is heavily packed with information that we are expected to consume and assimilate. The faster the better, since as soon as you are done with the training, you will be on your first flight and then there is no turning back.

Everything from administering first aid, providing CPR, using a defibrillator during a heart attack and what not are taught to save lives onboard. We also go through meticulous training to handle rare situations of landing on water as well as fire on board. Am sure you all remember the incident of miracle on Hudson with aviation hero Captain Sully landing an A320 aircraft on the Hudson river after a bird strike which disabled both the engines. Along with the captain, it was also the brilliant presence-of-mind of the crew that saved all 155 lives on board that day by helping them on to the wings of the aircraft while they awaited rescue boats to reach them.’

James obviously couldn’t hold back on his thoughts and added saying, ‘The best part of your training I love Cathy is the fact that you are equipped to evacuate a fully boarded wide body aircraft carrying up to 300 passengers in less than 90 seconds! That is sheer magic! I can only stand here and salute you folks for such incredible feat!’

Steve supported him by saying, ‘The lesser-known fact James is that little do people know that many times these trainings leave the crew with some bumps and bruises which they happily take to ensure that all souls on board are safe and sound. By the way, training is not all about safety. These folks go through tonnes of pages of manuals to learn the onboard service procedures to ensure a world class experience while the passengers fly the airline. I still wonder how in this world do they remember what is placed where in such a large aircraft!

It is also interesting to see them double up as check-in agents by doing an upgrade onboard where feasible and even don the role of sales personnel when they upsell the seats or sell an exquisite piece of jewellery as part of onboard duty-free promotion.

They do all these while maintaining their image as the epitome of excellence in the skies which is what every passenger expects. Let us also not forget the fact that there were quite a few times when the crew had effectively defused a hijack situation while up in the air at 35000 ft! These are the stories that we may rarely hear.

So let us all thank the trainers who empower Cathy and the wonderful team of crew across the world to do what they are meant to do and never think that these men and women who provide their service onboard are glorified waiters or waitresses in the sky.’

While the claps were on, Cathy didn’t want to undermine the importance of the group of professionals Steve represent, the pilot community. She promptly added, ‘Let us equally be thankful to our Math and Physics experts who get trained to handle these big metal birds safe and sound. I have personally known the rigor through which pilots go through to qualify and keep that qualification alive to safely perform flight operations. They even get specialized training to land and take off at certain challenging airports especially the ones with table tops or surrounded by mountains.’

James was quick to complement the pilots for their amazing decision-making skills citing the recent turbulence incidents that affected flights across the world. These are experts in ensuring that planes remain balanced come what may and we all as passengers safely reach our destinations to be reunited with our loved ones.

While the praises to the crew community went on, Cathy was back to business helping the girl who earlier twisted her leg. She was able to hike down the trail with ease now. The satisfaction on Cathy’s face was nothing short of what she experienced when helping a passenger while on board.

Bob ended the conversation saying, ‘These training centres are indeed a great example of a true behind the scenes setup in aviation that we will never see; yet play a pivotal role in keeping flying safe absolutely an enriching experience. Thank you for everything Cathy & Steve. Please convey our regards on all our behalf to your colleagues next time you meet them.’

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