Swimming????

[kenoco]

Is it a legal requirement that cabin crew need to be able to swim??Cheers people.

[Atropos]

To get into most airlines you will have to pass a very basic swimming test involving swimming in light clothing to a liferaft or up and down a pool, possibly including putting a lifejacket on in the water. Don't know if it is a legal requirement but suspect it is as the companies wouldn't go to all the effort of taking people to pools and testing them if it wasn't!

[BlueEagle]

Kenoco - I don't think you will find that there is any hard and fast answer that covers everyone. Each aviation regulatory authority in each country will have its own rules.

What Atropos says makes good sense though.

When I was flying on the UK register we had to complete dinghy drill but wearing a life jacket at all times, (Tech Crew), when we started long overwater flights - that was a while ago and the rules may have changed.

I have since flown for a Middle East operator and only Cabin Crew were required to do any swimming, (in the pool at the local Hilton!), and I have flown with a S.E Asian carrier who require all crew to complete dinghy drills and life saving but again, with a life jacket at all times.

[starship]

Unsure about the legality side of it - but I would suspect it is. As it is a requirement to have a drill for an unpremeditated ditching in the SEP manual, which would be a catastrophic event then I would consider it to be also a requirement that every crew member can swim. In this situation you would not already be wearing a lifejacket as in a premeditated emergency. Your subsequent actions, when the aircraft came to a complete stop would be an immediate evacuation which you would aim to have started instantly that it was safe to do so. You would probably command the passengers to grab their lifejacket and get out. On completing the evacuation, you would be required outside the aircraft to do, or adapt what you have been trained, according to the manual, as quickly as possible. If you could not swim, then you would not be able to put on your orange life jacket in the water, hence would not be able to carry out your safety related duties adequately. This probably means that your airline is employing people who could hinder the chances of survival in the event of a ditching, hence they are not taking every step to ensure their passengers travel as safely as possible. (I know this is by the book, and in reality the situation might be completely different - however the manual is a legality, so the ability of the crew should follow suit).

cheers,

starship :cool:

[BlueEagle]

So, let's hear it please, how many UK registered companies do we know of that require the ability to swim? How many carry out 'wet' drills with the aid of a lifejacket throughout? How many require the lifejacket to be donned whilst in the water and out of one's depth, i.e. swimming?

Any other points you all feel should be raised?

BlueEagle - Moderator.

[BlueEagle]

Kenoco - Not a very good response in this forum I'm afraid, 189 'views' and only three offerings!

I shall move it to Cabin Crew forum where, with Xenia's blessing, I think it will get a much wider audience and, hopefully, some more detailed and informative reponses.

BlueEagle - Moderator.

[UFGBOY]

All UK registered airlines have to get cabin crew to do a 'one-time' wet drill on entry to that company; however if you transfer e.g. B.A. to VS, you will need to do it again, even though you only need to do it once in a lifetime; indeed if you transfer to another JAR carrier, you don't need to do it - I have worked for various UK operators and European carriers - the European carriers have accepted the proof of my having done wet drill and it saves them time (and expense!) of putting me through it again

[Jape Stobbe]

Did anyone consider the option to LEARN how to swim ( if only a few 100 yd's ) before you become a CA???:rolleyes:

[Xenia]

Of course you've my blessing BlueEagle ;)
If you perform a search looking for "swimming" in this forum, you will find out that there was a big post about it on the 10/03/02.
Hopefully you'll find some of your answer.
Ciao :D