Flight Attendant Training

Batch 47 - 11

This post is about my personal experience for our flight attendant training.

I was hired on november 2010, I was offered to proceed with training right away but I have requested to be scheduled on the next batch for me to send in my resignation. ( I was working as a call center agent then, and December is coming up, hello Christmas bonus!).

My training finally commenced on February 2011.



We were provided with free tickets from cebu to manila. Our accomodation and daily transportation is our own expense. We were give training allowance of Php140  per day and this will be given on a monthly basis. Our training was 45 days. We covered topics about emergency procedures, aircraft knowledge, first aid, security, dangerous goods, CAR (civil aviation regulations), grooming and personal development.

Most may think being a flight attendant is all about how to serve coffee the right way, how to walk and talk or how to put on your make-up but man, they are DEAD wrong. 90% of the topics are about the aircraft, safety and emergency procedures and only 10% was dedicated to the grooming and personal development. The passing rate for the exams were 95% and once you failed in a test 6 times, you are then out of the training. In short, you will be FIRED. That is how tough it is in the training of flight attendants here in the Philippines. I heard on international airlines it is so much easier! (unfair!, lol).

We started the class with 22 students and we have graduated only 16. Some failed with the exams, one on the swimming (apparantly he has a phobia with water), and others changes their minds and did not show up anymore.

The first few weeks are the most difficult, we had the difficult topics and the pressure of the 95% passing rate is very tough. Mostly we crammed and did not sleep during these weeks. but after the worst is over, it gets worse! since you have to do a drill exam. That is where you would go to the aircraft and you will be tested on how to apply the procedures that you learned on training while you act out scenarios on the aircraft.

Once you survived these first 2-3 weeks you can now breath easy your topics will be less pressured and will be handled by the security department, first aid and grooming instructors.

The upside of the training is that you are meet new people, people who will be then called your 'batchmates'. Our adviser told us over and over again that your batchmates are like your siblings in this industry, they are the only one you can trust once you are already out there flying. After a little more than two years into this career,  I have proved these words to be true! You may have your ups and downs like real brothers and sisters do but if somebody else tries to hurt your batchmate, you are the number one that is there to defend your sister and vice versa.

the slide drill

girls having some fun

more girl fun

this big book you have got to memorize! kidding! (well its half meant!)

cool mechanic overalls

goofing around on the plane

Airport tour

swimming drills

Fire Drills