Do I Have To Be Proper Swimmer??
 

Hi guys,

i really want to apply to EK, BA, etc as a cabin crew soon.

Is it true, u have 2be proper swimmer & be able to swin @ least 25-50m??

reply-really appreciated.

warm regards, silvia

Sally,

It is true. You must be physically fit with the ability to swim 50m, non-stop.

Good Luck!

I cannot swim properly but I got through the VAA training no problem.

You have to be able to able to swim backwards whilst wearing a life jacket - difficult for anyone I would have thought. Make friends with a strong swimmer on your training course and buddy up for the practical.

Being able to swim could save your life, but in reality (and in 40ft waves in the Atlantic) there are probably more important aspects of your ability and skills that will keep you alive during a ditching!

Good luck. xxx

PS Not all airlines require that you are able to swim, although they all assess a ditching practical. Enough said.

silvia pw


Nah.....just pretend to swim and you should be fine! :ouch:

think about it logically
if you had a ditching,you have to be able to help the people who cannot swim,you are responsible for those people as a crew member,so if you cant swim,how will you help the passengers?

Please forgive the intrusion from the Military Aircrew forum. To be honest, your forum, guys and girls is often the most informative and entertaining on the site. What are your expectations, and or what information are you given during training about the Search And Rescue (SAR) operations that will be started after you ditch? I’m on the RAF Nimrods from Kinloss in Scotland (Ice Station Kilo). If you ditch on the Eastern side of the Atlantic we will be the First asset sent out, see below.


Nimrod Details

If I remember correctly from my companys training the answers are 'we don't have any' and 'none' respectively. I would hope you'd be able to drop some life rafts and provisions if we have any survivors because it gets very crowded on an escape slide. Other than that we wait for the boats to arrive.

Silvia... The art of swimming on your back is to use the 'side stroke' . If your right handed lay to the right, use only your right arm for for strokes and use your legs in a semi 'breast stoke style' this leaves your left arm free.

Tiggerific....To be honest, who's swam away from a sea ditching in a big jet? You can 'bend my ear' on this one.

Now, in my training with BA, there was no such test.

It's absolutely beneficial to be a good swimmer, but if you're able to doggy-paddle your way around, that's fine. Don't let it put you off. Let the trainers decide whether you're a good enough swimmer.

There were a number of people on my course who struggled. Particularly with the life-vest on. You are allowed to have someone help you, too.

Most tricky part is getting in to the life raft but again, help will be offered if you absolutely, totally can not manage it.

DO NOT LET YOUR SWIMMING ABILITY, or lack thereof, PUT YOU OFF APPLYING!

Has there aver been a case of an "Emergency Water Landing" when pax pulled their life jackets out from under their seats, or under their arm rests in First and Business class, inflated their vests by pulling on the red tag or by blowing into the tube then calmly found their nearest exit and boarded a life raft????

Most likely the a/c has completely broken up, the fuel is all on fire, and there are 300 people in a panic.

Forget about trying to save the pax, if you can't swim, you won't even be able to save yourself.

LEARN TO SWIM!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's fun, and good exercise. I used to be a swimming teacher, and unless you have an abnormal phobia of water, swimming is really easy to learn. If you practice 3 times a week, you'll be a pro by the time you get that final call from the airlines. If you are from Australia, you will be an Olympic Swimmer by the time you get a call from one of our airlines... :)

I'm a below average swimmer, and got in with 2 airlines and passed the wet drills. I have a big fear of deep water and i feel sick at the though of gettin in the pool but i did it. However i did fail 1 airline becuase of this. I have been offered a job with BA but have told them that i cant relocate to london due to personal issues and they have told me i can get back to them within 3 months and my job offer will still be valid. This will give me enough time to learn to swim confidently.

THANK YOU
 

Hi, thank you to you all, who responded to my original question. Very interesting to read lots of different opinion. Wish me gooooood luck, I'm applying soon....
Best wishes
Silvia:ok: