Entering Business Aviation, Part III: Training Options

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Entering Business Aviation, Part III: Training Options

Entering Business Aviation, Part III: Training Options

Time for some training! So, you are not sure what type of training you will need or how it compares to the commercial side of aviation. For starters, there are some very big differences.

Please be aware that the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) do not require that a flight attendant be assigned to an aircraft with fewer than 20 seats onboard. With that being said, it is a good idea -- regardless of federal regulations -- for the person who is in charge of the cabin area to have adequate training.

There are quite a number of programs out there that train or claim to train business flight attendants. Some programs are excellent while others are awful. Caveat emptor -- let the buyer beware -- is the siren call for all of you seeking training. Do not be lulled by a low price as anyone can say they offer training, but will it get you work? Will it be recognized by the companies doing the hiring? Is the program accepted by the FAA? These are some of the things you need to uncover as you do your research.

While commercial carriers generally offer training that can last as long as six weeks, your training will be no longer than 5 or 6 days. That's it! However, those days will be jammed pack and should include the following: food handling and service; emergency training including inflight emergency, medical and defibrillator/AED training; extensive classroom time to include: decompression, hazardous materials, firefighting, passenger briefings, ditching, and more. Some programs include make-up consultations, food and wine pairing, résumé writing, and other topics. While each can be helpful consider how much of the program's schedule is geared toward core topics vs. peripheral issues.

Who do I recommend? Well, that is a touchy subject. As mentioned previously, training is not a legal requirement therefore program curriculum can vary widely. When talking with training operators, be prepared to ask a lot of questions, read their website, obtain their literature, and shop wisely. The two longest running and most well know programs are operated by FlightSafety International and FACTS/AirCare; most charter and private operators prefer their training. Alteon Training, LLC is a Boeing training company that started cabin attendant training in 2003 while Beyond and Above Corporate Flight Attendant Training got started in 2002.

Matt runs the widely popular Corporate Flight Attendant Community website at http://www.corporateflyer.net and http://www.cabinmanagers.com In addition, his busiest site is the Aviation Employment Board at http://www.aviationemploymentboard.com

In The News:

Yahoo! News: Top Stories

Geithner likely treasury pick; Clinton 'on track' (AP)

AP - President-elect Barack Obama is likely to name Timothy Geithner, president of the New York Federal Reserve, as Treasury Secretary in a time of intense economic turmoil as he rounds out the upper echelon of his Cabinet, a senior Democratic official familiar with the deliberations said Friday.

Dow ends up nearly 500 on Geithner treasury report (AP)

AP - Wall Street staged a surprising comeback Friday, with the major indexes jumping more than 5 percent and the Dow Jones industrials surging nearly 500 points in a late afternoon rally, ending another volatile week that saw stocks reach six-year lows.

Neb. lawmakers OK age limit for safe-haven law (AP)

AP - Gov. Dave Heineman signed into law Friday a bill adding a 30-day age limit to a safe-haven law that allowed 35 children Â— including teenagers as old as 17 Â— to be abandoned at state hospitals. The law, approved hours earlier by the Legislature in a 45-3 vote, goes into effect Saturday, and makes Nebraska the 14th state with a 30-day age cap. It had been the only state with a safe-haven law without an age limit.

Iraqi Shiites burn Bush effigy in anti-US protest (AP)

AP - Chanting "no to America," supporters of a radical Shiite cleric burned an effigy of President George W. Bush Friday in a protest demanding parliament scuttle a U.S.-Iraqi security pact and American troops begin withdrawing from Iraq immediately.

Air patrols, cameras to watch big inaugural crowd (AP)

AP - Law enforcement officials bracing for the largest crowds in inaugural history are preparing far-reaching security Â— thousands of video cameras, sharpshooters, air patrols Â— to safeguard President-elect Barack Obama's swearing-in.

Florida teen commits suicide in front of webcam (AP)

AP - A South Florida college student killed himself by overdosing on drugs in front of a live online audience as some computer users egged him on, some debated his method, and others tried to talk him out of it.

Prosecutor who had Cheney indicted yells at judge (AP)

AP - A county prosecutor who brought indictments this week against Vice President Dick Cheney and others pounded his fist and shouted at the judge Friday during a routine hearing. Willacy County District Attorney Juan Angel Guerra asked Presiding Judge Manuel Banales to recuse himself from the case, which alleges abuse at federally run prisons.

Lavish 1,800 year-old bronze chariot unearthed in Bulgaria (AP)

AP - Archaeologists have unearthed an elaborately decorated 1,800-year-old chariot sheathed in bronze at an ancient Thracian tomb in southeastern Bulgaria, the head of the excavation said Friday. "The lavishly ornamented four-wheel chariot dates back to the end of the second century A.D.," Veselin Ignatov told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from the site, near the southeastern village of Karanovo.

Neb. police arrest 'Butt Bandit' vandalism suspect (AP)

AP - Authorities said they've arrested a suspect in the rash of so-called "Butt Bandit" vandalism cases. County Attorney Eric Scott said a 35-year-old man was arrested early Wednesday morning. Formal charges have not yet been filed. Some vandal had been skipping from one building to another at night, pressing his naked buttocks, groin or both on windows.

Warriors swap Harrington for Knicks' Crawford (AP)

AP - The Golden State Warriors traded disgruntled forward Al Harrington to the Knicks for guard Jamal Crawford on Friday in a swap that addresses both the Warriors' injury problems and New York's salary cap concerns. "I drafted Al back in 1998, and I think his talents are a great fit for our style of play," Knicks president Donnie Walsh said in announcing the deal in a statement. "This trade also gives us more long-term flexibility while enabling us to remain competitive this season."

Geithner reportedly picked for Treasury; Clinton still in talks (Reuters)

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama has selected Timothy Geithner as Treasury secretary, charging the respected head of the New York Federal Reserve with pulling the United States out of an economic nosedive, NBC news reported on Friday.

Bailout debate simmers as GM pares output (Reuters)

Reuters - Detroit automakers began work on the turnaround plans demanded by Congress in return for a possible $25 billion rescue as General Motors Corp said it will cut production more deeply and drop two of its controversial corporate jets.

Citigroup shares drop; CEO plans to keep Smith Barney (Reuters)

Reuters - Citigroup Inc Chief Executive Vikram Pandit tried to downplay speculation the banking giant might sell major businesses to restore its health and investor confidence, but shares still tumbled for a fifth straight day.

U.S. seeks Afghan troop increase before elections (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Friday he expected to move five combat brigades into Afghanistan next year and wanted at least some of them in place before the country's election next fall, stressing this was a top priority.

Bush takes financial reform agenda to APEC forum (Reuters)

Reuters - George W. Bush headed on Friday to an Asia-Pacific summit aiming to seek support for global financial reform and hold talks on ending North Korea's nuclear program as his presidency winds down.

Iran rejects U.S. reports it has basis for atom bomb (Reuters)

Reuters - Iran rejected Friday U.S. reports it had enriched enough uranium to make an atom bomb, saying this would require steps it had ruled out like ejecting U.N. inspectors and leaving the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline on fire after attack: TV (Reuters)

Reuters - Unknown assailants launched an attack on the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline between Iraq and Turkey on Friday, triggering a large fire, broadcaster CNN Turk reported.

Bush signs law extending unemployment insurance (Reuters)

Reuters - President George W. Bush on Friday signed into law an extension of unemployment benefits, the White House said.

Bush bows out, China assertive at APEC summit (AFP)

AFP - US President George W. Bush began Friday his last scheduled foreign trip, meeting the leader of increasingly important China ahead of a summit aimed at containing a spiraling financial crisis.

Congo demands stronger mandate for UN troops (AFP)

AFP - Congo demanded a stronger mandate for UN troops in the conflict-torn east Friday, while residents of a squalid refugee camp said government soldiers killed a woman during a looting spree.

Entering Business Aviation, Part III: Training Options

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