Practice Makes Perfect: Training Routine of Flight Attendants

It may seem surprising, but this profession has an almost century-old history. It is believed that it started in Germany in 1928, when airlines began to hire people whose duties were to provide services during flights.

At first, the role of flight attendant was filled by men - usually former waiters in expensive restaurants.

However, in 1930, companies in the United States decided to start hiring women for advertisement purposes as well as for technical reasons - women usually weigh less than men, which was of great importance for aircraft at the time.

Besides the need to meet certain requirements, like having good personal appearance and health, applicants continue to undergo rigorous and multifaceted training: fire extinguishing and providing help in extraordinary situations, such as in high turbulence zones, when evacuating aircraft, etc.

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A stewardess puts on her jacket as flight staffers practise emergency landing techniques at the Russian "Aeroflot" company Training Complex of the Aviation Personnel Training Centre for search-and-rescue training "LAND-WATER" at Sheremetevo Airport outside Moscow on 25 December 2019.

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This photograph, taken on 14 October, 2016, shows flight staff practising walking techniques during a class at Garuda Indonesia's training centre in Jakarta. Indonesian state-owned airlines Garuda Indonesia ranked 11th in Skytrax's top 100 airlines in 2016. In August, it obtained clearance to fly to the US after a ban on flying there as the Federal Aviation Administration downgraded their safety rating. The European Union also imposed restrictions in 2007 although these have since been lifted. The restrictions followed a series of accidents including fatal crashes by state-owned Garuda. As part of the safety standard, the airline now requires all of its 264 pilots and 3,317 flight attendants to follow the safety training it holds annually.

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In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, some stewardesses of Shenyang Taoxian International Airport receive Olympic etiquette training, Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Thursday, 3 April 2008.

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Flight attendant recruits for Japan Airlines practice artificial respiration on dolls during an induction course at the firm's training centre in Tokyo, 14 April. About 400 recruits will study how to administer first aid, serve customers and learn emergency services for two months prior to serving on domestic flights.

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40 Chinese girls prepare for their first class in China's first school for training hostesses on Sunday, 5 January 1997 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. The girls will be recommended to China's airline companies when they graduate.

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A flight attendant during a rescue exercise on board an airliner simulator, an exact copy of an aircraft’s cabin, at the new NW aviation training centre in Khimki, Russia.

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Flight staff practise emergency landing techniques at the Russian Aeroflot Training Complex of the Aviation Personnel Training Centre for search-and-rescue training "LAND-WATER" at Sheremetevo Airport outside Moscow on 25 December 2019.

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AirTran Airways flight attendant Clarissa Zimmermann, left, fends off an attacker played by fellow flight attendant Helen Ward, during a personal defence course given to AirTran flight attendants by instructors from Intelligence Strategies, Wednesday, 13 February 2002, at the airline's training facility in College Park, Ga.

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Chief Stewardess Hazel Brooks of American Airlines addresses a class of 23 candidates for positions with the air transportation company, as the airline’s school began a six-week course at North Beach Airport, New York, 6 November 1939. The girls would study subjects such as radio, airway traffic control, meteorology, food service, company organisation, maps, and timetables.

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In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, an etiquette instructor examines the gestures of students during a class at the Civil Aviation University of China in Tianjin municipality, north China, Tuesday, 18 March 2008. The university signed agreements with some airline companies to train some 500 apprentice flight attendants in a three-year course, Xinhua said.

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Korean Airline stewardesses tackle their colleagues acting as unruly passengers during martial arts training in Seoul, 21 March 2001. The South Korean airliner launched physical training for its staff members to boost safety measures prior to the 2002 World Cup.