AF Interviews (?)

[flyblue]

It is not difficult to obtain, provided you study hard. Having the eItalian Certificazione will sure help a lot, but the Frenc CSS goes much deeper into rules, laws, theory and practice. While the Italian system trains for a specific airline (ex: you are only taught about emergency equipment of your airline, while in France you get all the equipment that can be found in French airlines). Also the First Aid training goes much deeper. I 'd say that the practical part of the First Aid is the most difficult of the whole process.
The course lasts 3/4 weeks, after which you usually have the theory/written exam, which is the easier of the two. If you've passed it, after 2 months you can pass the practical exam, which has a higher failure rate than the theory.
The School will cost about 1500€.
You'll find more info on the site of the French DGAC (=Italian ENAC) http://www.aviation-civile.gouv.fr/h...m#presentation

A few addresses of schools preparing for the CSS:
http://www.croix-rouge.fr/goto/emplo...ation/cssa.asp (School of the Red Cross: some say it's the best)
http://www.ilia.fr/stageformation/st...formation_id=3
http://www.iap-groupe.com/
http://www.formair.fr/formParticuliers2_3.htm

In France there to validate your CSS, you must have the "Aptitude" certificate (= fit to fly certificate), that is more or less equivalent to the Italian Idoneità. But be careful, some rules are different, so having the Italian one does not grant you'll have the French! Tell your friend to pass it before she goes through all the CSS training! In Paris you can contact:
Hopital des armées de Percy: Tél. [phone]. Addresses of hospitals in other cities can be found on the DGAC link above.

All the process, from the moment you start the course to the moment you hold the CSS, can take from 4 to 6 months if al goes well.

Let me know if you need more information.