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What about an airline cabin crew

By: Michel Daniel (France)

Anyone has seen a plane but even the travelers don't know much about what's going on inside.

There are two principal parts in any of these big machines:

• The technical crew in the cockpit with Captain and pilot (I will not explain what's the part of their job, it will be too long to explain, this time.
• The commercial crew. That's what we are going to discover, To-day: (especially on long range aircraft)

It is composed of hostesses, stewards, and purser and, on big plane: chief purser (who is responsible for what's happening in the cabins: security and commercial parts.
The number of them depends on which plane is used.
First of all, each one has a security charge.
The plane is divided into as many areas as we have doors.
Each one has to be checked by one person and this one is responsible for it. (it may be any of these items : door, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, oxygen bottled rescue, life jacket for themselves but, for passengers too, or rescue raft.)

They are trained to evacuate in 3 minutes, all the passengers (they can be, more than 500.) with half of the plane unusable.
Every year they passed examinations to validate their license otherwise they are not allowed to work in a plane till they succeed.
They have, as well, a safety rescue exam.

But, as a matter of fact, they have the part to do and it's the most interesting part for an Airline Company.

The purpose of a company is to sell flight tickets.

So, they must do more than the other airlines, to want the customers to come back, tell more and more how their flight was nice and so, charm other undecided new passengers. Everything should be impeccable: the welcome at registration and the trip.Nowadays, many flights last many hours (sometimes 12...) and during all that time the crew must makes the flight as pleasant as possible.

What to do:

• Warm welcoming
• Helped everyone to find his place and get rid of his luggage.
• Distribute the missing items: Toys for kids, earphone for the music...
• Prepare the cabin for take off.
• Later on, prepare meal, specials meal (for babies, vegetarians, Muslim, casher, without salt and so on.
• Make sure everyone has his own blanket and pillow
• Serve the drinks then the all meals
• Get rid of every thing disturbing the passengers
• Make them comfortable for the rest of the flight, helping about anything: how to use earphone, seat backs, where find the toilet, what to do whether thirsty.
  In brief, cater for the rest of the flight.

Michel Daniel with his wife at Courtallam Falls, Tamil Nadu.

Only few persons know that many people are afraid of boarding a plane.
They feel it or not and that's why the airline staff is here for. They must reassure them.

The way these passengers behave is various:
They may be aggressive, prostrated, shy, expansive, crazy, drunk.
That's why the crew must be careful that they don't contaminate their neighbors.
There must, always, be someone ready to help.

Sometimes, we may assist to:
-heart attacks,
-problems when some people mixing pills and alcohol,
-suffering claustrophobia
-problem of altitude (the cabin pressure is equivalent 1800m.),
-insomnia (they disturb the other passengers.)
-respiratory problems
-suffering of time shift
-rarely but it happened, woman giving birth...

They are involved in every thing and must be able to care, especially when there is no doctor as passengers. A plane is up to 11000m altitude and first aid may be needed.

Michel Daniel in Amar Seva Sangam, an Orphanage.

SO, the cabin crew is very important in a plane, he must efficacious and helpful.
He must leave his own problems home because the passengers don't have to suffer about their feelings.
This job is very exciting to meet people from any status, any occupation, any richness, any custom, any language, any country.
They are taken from one place to another one and that is the affluence of this job.
They, often, change of climate, of time, of landscape.
The must important thing to practice that job is to be disposable and.in good health.