Cabin crew awareness of 121.5

[purmus]

As a contract pilot I have worked with a number of different airlines around the world and, out of interest, I have asked the cabin crew of each of the airlines what their knowledge was regarding the use of radios in the aircraft.

It astonishes me that there appears to be no or very little training on the simple task of sending a distress message on 121.5 in the event of a pilot incapacitation. Most of the crew I asked had no idea how to set a frequency on the radio or broadcast on the current frequency set and not one knew about 121.5. IMHO the time to demonstrate this during the annual SEP training would be more than worth it if it could potentially save the lives of everyone on board.

I just wondered what other people's opinions are on the matter and whether this lack of knowledge is industry/worldwide?

[nitpicker330]

You are kidding??

Half of the cabin crew 1/ can't find or fit find the Oxy mask or 2/ open the cockpit door from the inside correctly to get out!!

And you want them to use the radio?

[nitpicker330]

Oh and some cabin crew enter the 744 at door L1, turn left and wonder where the cockpit went? Some even look in the coat closet!! I kid you not

[3bars]

Have to agree I'm afraid... The technical mind of a pilot does not apply to most cabin crew. Apart from the Helios accident, how often do you hear of both pilots bring simultaneously incapacitated?

[Denti]

There are quite a few cabin crew with CPL/ATPL flying here, as they cannot get a job up front and are not willing to dish out for a typerating or lack the funds. We actually do that with our cadets this year, they pause their flight training for around half a year to fly as cabin crew.

Granted, they do not have a typerating yet, but they should be able to operate the radios and basic autopilot settings.

As to "normal" cabin crew, i have to agree with the posts above i'm afraid. If there is some time during turn around i do try and explain some of the stuff up front, but they do get bored very fast by it. Not to mention that all our cabin crews are rated on three types and there are some differences between a boeing, airbus and a Q400.

[Gulfstreamaviator]

Differences, shurly not

Sorry could not resist, thought they were different type rating courses, not differences.

[Piltdown Man]

The few simple steps it takes to transmit on 121.5 should be clearly documented in the Cabin Crew Safety manual. IMO.

Nice idea but I'd suggest that this would be virtually impossible because the procedure would be so long and error prone as to be useless. The steps vary depending on the current page and scratch pad contents. My aircraft has one of these new fangled FMS/Radio/Nav/Progress boxes with a separate audio selector box. I have to think about the poxy system every time I use it. Cabin crew would stand little chance. And then, if they could get to speak, what would they do? Let ATC know the pilots are incapacitated so they could be shot down if they didn't do as they were told? The autopilot is as picky as the radios.

[ahramin]

Why is it amazing that the cabin crew are not taught something that they have no use for? How many times in the history of aviation would this have come in handy?

Completely useless and not something they would care to learn anyway.