QzakGirl asks:

The “A View From the Top” picture gave me an idea for a question.
What’s the training like? I’ve heard it’s pretty intense, and they “cut” people like crazy. Kinda like a reality show! 😉
So…what’s it like?

FP: Training or “Barbie Boot Camp” as its been coined, is intense! I had no idea what I had gotten myself into. The training to become a Flight Attendant is usually six weeks long and it’s not about learning how to serve meals….and now with hardly any airline serving meals, why would it be? So, what is it all about?

• Familiarity with the aircrafts
• Familiarity with the emergency equipment
• First aid
• Fighting fires
• Ditchings (see post pics)
• And the big one, Evacuations, better known as “Evacs“

“Evacs” is when we learn how to evacuate an airplane. This part of our training is the most intense and is probably why you heard about people being “cut like crazy.” The airlines definitely operate like a reality show. I am actually surprised we haven’t seen a reality show based on FA training or Crash Pad living. The worst part about training was when people were let go. We had a written test everyday and you could only fail one (and you’d have to pass the re-take) during the entire six weeks. You had two tries with “evacs” if you didn’t “pass” the first day, you had a re-take the next day and that was it if you didn’t pass then. The fact that people got sent home didn’t bother me as much as the way it was done. It was seriously bizarre the first time it happened, we took our test in the morning, took a break, came back to our classroom where the lights were turned out so we could watch a video and I’m not kidding when the lights went back on, “Susie Trainee” was gone! As in, gone, no goodbyes, nice to know you, gone!! They found her on the break and then sent someone in to gather her belongings and sent her on a flight home!! This continued the whole six weeks and like I mentioned we lost the most people during “evacs.” My class started with 65 Flight Attendant Candidates and we graduated with 43! There is a lot more I could tell you about training but I am saving it for my next article in Hip Compass Escape Magazine, which hits the virtual news stands June 15!

Update: I realized this morning that it is in fact Thursday: ) Another thing about being a Flight Attendant? We hardly ever know what day of the week it is!