A flight attendant shared with us the fun facts about what it’s like to work at heights

Many people watch the work of stewardesses on TV, who are always friendly and elegant, and end up wanting to enter the profession. However, some barely know where to start, or have no one to talk to to decide whether the work is really what they think.

After all, to decide on a profession, nothing better than having a frank conversation with someone who already works in the area and knowing all the possible details. Plus, who knows how to hear some stories about the day to day of those who work with that, right?

Therefore, the awesome.club spoke with Ana Paula Leme de Souza, who was a stewardess for many years, so we could bring some information and, mainly, curiosities about the profession.

Ana Paula told us that the first time she heard about the profession was in a pamphlet, while still in high school. Even though she had never traveled by plane, she “got it into her head” that she wanted to work with it and went to tell her mother. As well as the school, her mother also gave Ana the greatest support to complete the school year and, the following year, to move to São Paulo and take the course to become a flight attendant. That is what happened!

To work as a flight attendant, Ana explains that it is necessary to take one of these courses, offered by the Civil Aviation Instruction Centers (CIAC). In addition, ANAC, the National Civil Aviation Agency, also requires a complete high school education, being at least 18 years old and having passed theoretical and medical exams.

Ana still tells us more. When she worked as a stewardess, companies asked for other requirements. A professional attitude was considered extremely important, in addition to being fully available for travel. At certain times of the year, such as the vacation season and holidays, such availability was even more requested.

Ana explained to us that at the time when only women worked in this profession, it was normal to be called stewardesses, and nobody ever cared about that: “We were always called stewardesses, and that’s normal. But it was weird for men, right? What would men be called, stewardess?”.

It was precisely the increase of men in the profession that popularized the correct name of the occupation: flight attendant or flight attendant. Nowadays, many people still use the term stewardess, but most already know the official name.

Flight attendants are responsible for the safety and well-being of passengers. Therefore, in their routine, even before passengers enter, they need to carry out a series of checks on safety equipment, such as doors, oxygen cylinders, fire extinguishers and even the validity and quantity of food and drinks.

After everything has been verified, they confirm with the flight attendant or chief flight attendant, who communicates it to the flight commander. If there is a problem, it is the commander who makes the decision on what needs to be done. Otherwise, the flight attendants will be ready to receive passengers.

Ana told us that currently there is no longer a standard for being a stewardess, as in the past. “I’ve seen flight attendants aged 50 starting”, in addition to the increase in the hiring of men. As for knowing another language, it is indeed a differential, those who know more languages ​​have a greater chance of getting a job.

“When I got into aviation, wow, it was really good. My family had a 90% discount on tickets”, he recalls and adds that he could register up to six beneficiaries. Over time, as the demand for flights increased, airlines began to reduce these decreases. Nowadays, the most common thing is that only the parents or the spouse can enjoy this advantage.

When she worked as a stewardess, Ana Paula always noticed that passengers were very confused to find their seats. So, she gives a tip for anyone to get lost: when entering, read the signs. Seats are usually organized with letters, for example: on one side A, B, C, on the other D, E, F.

Another important tip given by Ana Paula is when disembarking. Always try to leave through the door where there is a flight attendant helping you. In addition to receiving a friendly farewell, this will reduce the risk of accidents. Many people want to leave through the empty door to avoid queuing, but this is not advisable.

Of course, we asked Ana to tell us a curious story. She told us that once she was on flight duty and heard an engine pop. “It would be comical if it weren’t tragic, because we had to keep the pose and the smile, even without knowing what had happened”.

Then, calmly, she went to ask the reason for the noise in the cockpit. They informed her that the blast came from one of the engines, and they were flying with only one. The pilot landed as quickly as possible, and nothing serious happened, apart from the scare.

On another occasion, it was night and the passengers were sleeping. Ana and the other flight attendants smelled burning and didn’t know where it was coming from. However, they could not turn on the lights to search without waking and alarming the passengers.

“Until a customer called her and said, ‘A stewardess, I smell burning.’ I, smiling, said ‘I’ll check’, and then I closed the curtain and waited until the passenger went back to dozing. We didn’t have a plausible answer, we didn’t know what was going on.” Only after they landed did she learn that a small wire had come loose in the cockpit and caused a short circuit. It was nothing serious after all.

Have you ever thought about working as a flight attendant? After Ana Paula’s stories, do you feel more motivated to pursue that dream, or do you prefer to keep your feet on the ground? Tell us in the comments!