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One of the most romantic and sensual professions is that of a flight attendant. Many young women are wondering: how to become a flight attendant? I want to visit different countries, see the world, meet interesting people, even meet my love on the plane. In addition, the work seems dust-free. But few people know what this profession really is, what hard work is hidden behind a beautiful picture, and what you have to pay for the opportunity to fly.

The history of the stewardess profession

The profession of a flight attendant originates in the 30s of the last century. Someone had to be on board to take care of the passengers, and for advertising purposes it was decided that they should be young and attractive women, although the first task was to unload the co-pilot for safety reasons. There was no place to study as a flight attendant then, the education of a nurse was enough.

Flight attendants met passengers, checked tickets, weighed luggage, and cleaned the cabin. During the flight, they served food and drinks, polished passengers' shoes, carried buckets of fuel during intermediate landings. The first flight attendants are young women no older than 25 years old with nursing diplomas, necessarily slim and short - no more than 160 cm and 52 kg. The term "flight attendant" appeared quite recently, in 1998.

What does it take to become a flight attendant?

The requirements of various airlines for applicants for the position of a flight attendant are not too different. As a rule, they are the following:

• Average height - from 165 cm, but not too high so that you do not have to bend your head.
• Excellent health. For flight attendants, it is mandatory to pass a medical examination. Good eyesight, absence of cardiovascular diseases, psychological health - all these are mandatory requirements for flight attendants.
• The absence of excess weight, tattoos, scars, piercings, noticeable flaws in appearance.
• Good knowledge of at least English, and preferably German or French.
• Higher education, competent speech, good diction.

Requirements for flight attendants

So how do you become a flight attendant? Flight attendant school is the next step after passing the interview and medical examination. The course is designed for a month or two. This is followed by a thirty-hour internship already on board the aircraft.

It is generally accepted that flight attendants are required to have a model appearance. The requirements for the figure of a flight attendant are not dictated by aesthetics at all, just being too short can prevent passengers from getting things from the upper shelves, and heavy weight is undesirable so as not to overload the aircraft.

Having a desire to acquire this profession and being interested in how to become a flight attendant, you will definitely have to improve your English. This job pays well and gives you the opportunity to travel the world. In addition, the flight attendant's paid vacation is more than 70 days. But it is hard work both physically and mentally.

What is taught in the courses

Future flight attendants are trained in first aid, rules of conduct in emergency situations, and passenger service. Flight attendants can even deliver a baby or calm a violent passenger. Girls are also taught how to apply discreet makeup and hair, as well as wear a uniform. Training takes place with the use of simulator aircraft. At the end of the course, an exam is taken, part of which is a simulation of an aircraft crash with the crew descending into a pool of cold water. How much to study to become a flight attendant depends on the airline, but is usually between four and seven weeks.

Work at Aeroflot

Aeroflot is one of the most desirable employers for flight attendants. Firstly, here the salary of flight attendants is higher than in other airlines. Secondly, it is prestigious to work at Aeroflot, as it is a very respected organization. Thirdly, it impresses with a huge number of international flights. What you need to become a flight attendant in this particular company:

• secondary education;
• for those who have no experience, the upper age limit is 26 years old, experienced flight attendants can try their luck at Aeroflot even at an older age;
• height from 160 to 175 cm;
• clothing size up to 48;
• good level of English;
• citizenship of the Russian Federation;
• registration in Moscow or the Moscow region;

You can learn more about how to become an Aeroflot flight attendant on the airline's website. If you meet all their requirements, then you can safely fill out the questionnaire posted here, which must be accompanied by a good photo with neat daytime makeup and hair.

Applicants will be interviewed by a special commission. If, after the interview and testing, a decision is made in favor of the candidate, the applicant is sent to undergo a medical-flight expert commission. Based on the results of this commission and the results of the interview, the applicant is enrolled in the position of a trainee flight attendant and is sent to the Aeroflot Aviation School for training and further training.

How much do flight attendants earn

In Aeroflot, a flight attendant can earn from 40 to 90 thousand. The salary is not fixed, but depends on many factors:

• the presence or absence of complaints and thanks;
• grades at the next exam in English;
• number of flight hours.

Flight attendants who perform well are transferred to long-haul flights. In this case, very decent travel allowances are also paid. Also, over time, you can become a senior flight attendant or instructor. To work on international charter flights, it is desirable to speak not only English, but also French and German. In addition, Aeroflot trains flight attendants in Japanese, Chinese and Korean.

The social package in Aeroflot is also quite good: insurance, pension contributions, preferential air tickets, sanatoriums, kindergartens, vacation 74 days.

Where Aeroflot flight attendants are trained

Where to study to be a flight attendant depends on which airline you interviewed with. Before becoming a flight attendant at Aeroflot, you need to graduate from the flight attendant training school of this company - the Aeroflot Aviation School. The cost of training in it is 45,000 rubles. For those who passed the interview and were hired, Aeroflot partially pays for the training, the rest can be deducted from the salary. You will have to study for 1.5 months. The course includes both theoretical training and practical training on an aircraft. In training, the simulator "land-water", a model of the passenger compartment is used. During their studies, students master the skills of providing first aid, undergo emergency rescue training, and a course in organizing air transport. Flight attendants are taught how to properly serve food and even open champagne, serve passengers, guess their desires and smooth out conflict situations.

The price of the issue is motherhood

Changes in pressure, exposure to ozone and radiation, loud noise, vibration, change of time zones - all this cannot but affect health. For example, it is difficult for flight attendants to endure pregnancy, it is often interrupted at the earliest stages. In the third or fourth week of pregnancy, a rough laying of organs, the nervous system, and the brain occurs. Under the influence of harmful factors, the natural development of the embryo may be disturbed, and a miscarriage occurs or the fetus freezes. This happens at a time when a woman may not even be aware of her situation. Occupational gynecological diseases are also observed in stewardesses, as well as dysbacteriosis. In order to conceive and bear a healthy child, the flight attendant needs to abandon flights even at the stage of pregnancy planning.

Other disadvantages of the profession

Due to the long stay on their feet, flight attendants often suffer from varicose veins, and they often have problems with the spine. Life in constant stress leads to another occupational disease - insomnia.

Flight attendants work with people. Situations are very different, conflicting, complex. A flight attendant must always remain calm, friendly and have a smile on her face. The situation is aggravated by the fact that many passengers in the air deteriorate character. Fear and panic, multiplied by alcohol, lead to quarrels, whims, nagging, and sometimes fights. Thus, stress is the eternal companion of a flight attendant. Therefore, flight attendants retire at thirty.

Often, flight attendants do not have a personal life. It so happened that they fall in love with a beautiful stewardess, fascinated by the romance of the profession, but when the wife is not at home for weeks, this is a completely different matter. The stewardess simply physically cannot take care of the house, life, perform all the duties of a good wife and mother. If she's even lucky enough to be a mother.

Nevertheless, this work is very interesting, complex, responsible and well paid. If you are attracted by the sky and distant countries, then go ahead! It is possible to get the job of your dreams.

The flight attendant anonymously told The Village how to beat violent passengers, where to smoke on the plane, what are the dangers of false nails and why there are no sewing kits on board.

• Anna Mozgovaya April 18, 2012
• 356678
• 100

RECRUITMENT

Becoming a flight attendant is pretty easy. To get into training, it is enough to pass an interview and a medical examination. Monthly theoretical course, 30 hours of flying as a trainee - and that's it. Few people do not complete an internship: it is unprofitable for a company to fire such employees because of the cost of training and uniforms. They can only insist on an additional internship. For flight attendants, knowledge of English and certain external parameters are important. But the notion that a flight attendant should be a model is a myth. Only height and weight are taken into account. Height - so that you can get luggage for undersized passengers (girls or grandmothers). And the weight is so as not to overload the plane. Most come into the profession for the money and the opportunity to travel abroad. There are almost no romantics now. Often arranged by acquaintance, but this does not give any privileges. The work is, in fact, difficult. You have to smile all the time. Personal troubles have to be left on the ground - in the sky, a flight attendant should always be cheerful. It's difficult.

SPECIAL SKILLS

During training, we are taught a lot - from the design of the aircraft to the delivery. There is a special room where they simulate situations and train. You must be able to swim. But we don't jump with parachutes. They are not even on board. Learn how to deal with inadequate passengers. For example, if a person is violent, we should first ask him to calm down. Then - give a written warning. And if that doesn’t work either, we can tie it with a seal, it’s such a rail on a cart, outwardly unlike a means of protection. How to beat is also taught: with the edge of the palm on the chin. But at the same time, it is necessary to approach from behind so that the enemy cannot bite. True, this is extremely rarely used. In the end, you can always punch a passenger in the face on the ground - so we are told.

GENDER

There have always been more flight attendants than stewards. But girls are sometimes not taken on a flight. For example, if the deportees are being transported. Or the whole plane is occupied by a football team. That is, if there are only men on board, they do not want to take girls into the team. I know that in Europe flight attendants are mostly gay. It's like an added bonus on a resume. This trend is only just beginning to take off. Now there are also gays among the staff, but they are few.

APPEARANCE

In the summer we were forced to wear white shoes with 10 cm heels. It's inconvenient, but those are the requirements. Hair, nails - everything should be in order. There was a case: a flight attendant came on a flight with false nails. We looked at the briefing, they look normal - they missed it. And when we were collecting food to give out to passengers, one nail peeled off and flew right into the casket (Container for hot dishes. - Approx. ed.). She didn't even understand what happened. It's good that we noticed in time, otherwise there would have been a scandal. Before the flight, at the briefing, we are always examined: the suit must be clean, make-up must be appropriate. Sometimes removed from the flight. So, one flight attendant took off her coat at a briefing - and only then noticed that she forgot to put on a skirt.

BONUSES

There is such a thing - a service ticket, it gives us the right to pay 10% of the cost for all flights as passengers. And once a year - a free flight to anywhere in the world. You can also earn money on the flight. Officially, this is to sell goods from Duty Free: the prices are the same as at airports, but the flight attendant receives a percentage. Another way to earn in the sky is to take money for additional services. For example, transferring a passenger from economy class to business. Or sell him alcohol. Or let me smoke in the kitchen. Prices here, of course, are not fixed, who will offer how much. Sometimes tips are given, just for the flight. Once a woman asked not to enter the business class, just close the curtain and not disturb. Then I distributed 100 dollars to all the staff.

ABOUT FEARS

Flying is not scary. The risk is small, we are shown the statistics. Up to a thousand people all over the world break up in a year. For a day in car accidents - much more. Of course, it is scary to get into some unforeseen situations in flight. For example, if the passenger is unwell. We don't have a medic on board, and we have to take care of everything. For example, if a person has an attack, we must pump him out until landing, even if he is no longer breathing.

ABOUT SEX

Sometimes they close in the toilet, but not often. Somehow two girls came in and stayed for a long time. But it's all about sympathy. If I like a couple, I will not interfere: let them do what they want. But if you don't like it, we can kick you out. We have the key to open the toilet. But in general, there is nothing extreme in this.

tacit rules

Flight attendants have a saying: “When leaving the airport, grab something for the house.” For example, you can put Jack Daniel's in your purse. Then it will still be written off as a drink for business class. But if you get tested with it, they can be fired. So it's risky. As for superstitions, everyone believes in their own. Some wear something with them, others pray before each flight.The most common is that you can’t sew before and during the flight.So if a passenger breaks something in the sky, we don’t even have a needle to sew it up.From what is not "There's always a code word known only to the crew. They come up with it to notify the captain in the event of a terrorist attack or an accident. But it's new every time. We learn it right before the flight."

ABOUT CLEANING

When aviation in our country was just developing, only girls were flight attendants. And they did a lot of dirty work: carrying buckets of kerosene, cleaning passengers' shoes. Now there is no such thing. There are companies that force their flight attendants to clean the cabin after the flight, but not all. I personally don't have to clean, the cleaners do. Once, a passenger poured his salad onto the seat next to him and said, “Put it away.” Apparently, he really wanted to see how I would do it. But, alas, he spent the entire flight in the company of his salad.

NATIONAL FEATURES

Europeans are very different from Russians. They are always polite, always grateful. And on domestic flights, a maximum of two out of fifty will say “thank you”. And it's embarrassing. We think that a flight attendant is a servant. But it's not. Our main task is to provide security, we are taught this. And people are used to traveling by trains and associate us with conductors. For example, on a flight to Sharm el-Sheikh, one passenger sat down and, as soon as we took off, got a dozen boiled eggs. It is not clear where she kept them there. Or everyone starts to get up before landing. We fly more, and they get up and stand in the aisle with things. But the door won't open any faster!

FAQ

Passengers do not always understand that all requirements are created for their own safety. For example, I ask the passenger to move the seat, and he asks: “Why?” I can’t tell him that if he doesn’t do this, the girl from behind will break her nose in a sharp landing. We can't push. Although, if you speak directly, probably, they will stop asking. In general, the questions are sometimes very stupid. For example, they ask where the smoking room is. Or where is the women's restroom. But the most common question is: “Are we going to crash?” Of course, I begin to reassure, but no one ever knows for sure.