Statutory Safety Training

[Hombre]

As safety is quite rightly hot topic this week, and as a frequent flyer on low cost airlines, between Spain and UK, I would like to know if there are any differences in Safety Training for cabin crew.

For example, do you all, regardless of airline company, get the same generic safety certificate on passing the course? Do some airlines provide more than bare minimum of safety training? And when comparing UK and say Irish airlines are there difeerent statutory minimum guidelines for CC / Trainers??

Thanks.

[apaddyinuk]

Airlines tend to be regulated to a minimum requirement by national air transport agencies such as the CAA in the uk, IAA in Ireland and the FAA in the US. In most EU countries however the airlines have adopted the JAR-OPS (Joint Aviation Requirements - Operations) regulations as their standard for safety training meaning all airlines within that jurisdiction will have the same minimum requirement of training and failure to provide such can result in loss of operators certificate and a hell of a lot of bad press!

However after that it is up to the airline on exactly how much more training the airline gives its crew. For example, at my airline all crew are trained on how to use the Defibrillators where as other airlines only train senior crew on them or dont have them at all! Also, every year my airline has different themes for our annual refresh training. This year the emphasis was on survival after a crash and security where we saw home made bombs and got to smell different types of plastic explosives, it was absolutely fascinating and really helped lift the monotony of spending three days in the classroom!

I would not be surprised if next year they emphasise on ditchings! I dont know why but my biggest fear is being left in the situation where I have to detach and seperate the slide/raft from the door, I know I have seen it done a million times and have physically done so too on the mock ups but it still throws me even now. And to be honest, before Thursday I always just assumed that if we went down into water well....I can kiss my @rse good bye! LOL!

[EYXW]

If you'd like some specific info check out http://www.easa.europa.eu EASA is essentially the EU regulatory body designed to succeed the JAA you'll find EU-OPS 1 there which took over from JAR-OPS 1 last year - it relates to commercial air transport and has legislation on Cabin Crew Qualification and training as well as a LOT of other things!