Relaciones curriculares

In order to understand how a member of the cabin crew fits into the team, you must first get to know all the members of the entire team.

The flight crew includes the captain (or commander) and the co-pilot or first officer. The leader of the cabin crew is the purser or in-charge flight attendant. In some airlines this position is also known as senior cabin crew, lead or #1 flight attendant. In this course we refer to this person as the purser or senior cabin crew.

The number of cabin crew on a particular flight depends on the size and type of the aircraft. Regulations require a minimum crew (the minimum number of cabin crew required to operate the flight).

Airlines will sometimes add cabin crew based on the number of passengers on board and the service level required for the flight.

The captain is completely in charge of the entire team as well as the passengers. The captain is responsible for and has authority over everything that happens on an aircraft before, during and at the end of a flight. As a member of the cabin crew you will take your orders and assignments for each flight from the purser who then reports to the captain.

You need to understand the roles and specific responsibilities of each member of the flight and cabin crew. This will help you maintain a high level of efficiency and safety aboard an aircraft.

Chain of Command

The captain is in charge of all crew and passengers. The first officer or Co-pilot is the second in command. The purser or in-charge flight attendant is the leader of the cabin crew. Each of these individual has specific roles and responsibilities within the chain of command.

Captain / Commander

The captain or commander is a rank that designates a pilot as the leader of the crew, who is assigned to each flight and is responsible for the operation and safety during that specific flight. He or she is the team leader and therefore must establish an effective crew atmosphere that encourages teamwork. This requires excellent skills in communication and resource management.

In addition to flying the aircraft, while on duty, the captain has full control and authority over the operation of the aircraft as well as over all other crew without limitation. The captain is in full command of the aircraft and crew and all orders and directions must be followed even though they may be at variance from written procedure. This is a tremendous responsibility that requires the captain to be highly trained and very experienced. He or she must log thousands hours of flying time, pass many written and practical tests and have his or her performance evaluated regularly.

The captain has to be prepared for any situation that might arise while in control of the aircraft. In an emergency that requires

immediate decision and action the captain will follow procedures and take the action he or she deems necessary under the circumstances to ensure the safety and well-being of the passengers. It is the responsibility of the cabin crew to follow the instructions of the captain.

Key Learning Point In order to be an effective member of the cabin crew it is essential that you

understand your role and responsibilities as an

individual. You must also be able to work with a team to handle the routine as well as the unexpected.

Did you know?

The captain is not always the one flying the airplane.

Traditionally the captain will alternate flying with the first officer, with the captain flying the first flight of a trip and the first officer flying the next.

Co-Pilot or First Officer

Every flight has at least 2 active pilots that can fly the aircraft. The co-pilot or first officer is the person assisting the captain and sits in the right hand seat in the cockpit as you face the cockpit from inside the aircraft. Since the first officer is the second in command and is often the one flying the aircraft, he or she must also pass many practical and written exams. In many cases the first officer will fly one leg of a trip, however, some airports require that the captain perform the take-off or the landing.

The first officer has an independent set of controls and instruments and flies the aircraft about half the time, usually swapping duties with the captain on each leg of a flight. In addition to flying the aircraft, the first officer also assists the pilot with the pre-flight duties by reviewing paperwork and performing aircraft pre-flight checks.)

6.1.2 Cabin Crew

The cabin crew is a team that must work in harmony. This is

essential in order to ensure the safety and comfort of the passengers aboard the aircraft.

As cabin crew, you will need to coordinate with the rest of the team.

In order to do this effectively you must be very familiar with the roles of each member of the team. There are many tasks performed by the cabin crew before and during a flight as well as in preparation for landing. At one time or another you will be required to perform all of these duties so it is important that you are familiar with them. This lesson describes the duties of all members of the cabin crew and discusses communication among cabin and flight crews. Therefore, you must be clear on what your roles and responsibilities are as an individual. You must also know how to work with a team to handle the routine as well as the unexpected.

Senior Cabin Crew or Purser

The senior cabin crew is usually the designated leader of the cabin crew and takes orders directly from the captain. This position is also referred to in the industry as the purser, in-charge flight attendant, lead flight attendant or #1 flight attendant. This position often comes with additional training in the areas of leadership, company policy and procedure and other skills to qualify someone for the additional responsibility. The senior cabin crew is responsible to lead the cabin crew and ensure safety and excellent customer service. He or she also makes sure that company policy is followed during the flight.

The senior cabin crew coordinates, completes and prepares

important paperwork for customs and duty-free and prepares reports

Key Learning Point The senior cabin crew or purser is the person in charge of the cabin crew and is responsible for coordinating flight safety and cabin service. He or she is the main point of contact for the captain in

coordination with the cabin crew and the operation of the flight. As leader of the cabin crew, the senior cabin crew is responsible for managing the team.

that summarise any irregularities or special situations that may have occurred during the flight.

Some airlines also have a cabin crew member in charge of each class of service such as first, business and economy or premium economy. While they are responsible for each of these areas specifically, these positions still report to the senior cabin crew or purser.

Role of Cabin Crew

The roles of the remaining cabin crew are determined by the

positions they are assigned in the aircraft for each flight. Each airline may have a slightly different variation on how the remaining positions are assigned or selected. The number of cabin crew on any one flight depends on the size of the aircraft, the length of the flight and the number of passengers. The size of the cabin crew team can range from 2 to 16 or more.

It is important to be prepared to take on any of the duties required of a member of the cabin crew, since actual and assigned

responsibilities on different flights may vary. No matter your role as cabin crew you are responsible for bringing any condition,

occurrence, malfunction or situation that may affect the safety of everyone on board passenger and crew and the safety of the flight to the attention of other crew members, particularly the captain.

Examples of these conditions or situations can include:

y A strong odor of smoke or of something burning y An electrical component in the galley malfunctioning y Passengers fighting or causing a disturbance y An ill passenger

If you are interested in additional information about flight and cabin crews, visit the web site:

http://travel.howstuffworks.com/pilot.htm/printable

Progress Check

1. List the different flight crew and their ranks.

2. Briefly describe the responsibilities of each of the flight crew.

3. The senior cabin crew member is the _____ of the cabin crew and takes orders directly from the ______.

4. A purser is responsible to _______, ________ and the following of ________ during the flight.

Answer Key

1. Pilot-captain/commander, co-pilot /first officer

2. The captain is the pilot and is solely responsible for the operation and safety during that specific flight. He or she is the team leader and has full authority over everything and everyone on his or her flight.

The first officer is the co-pilot and is the second in command. He or she is often the one flying the aircraft. In addition to flying the aircraft, the first officer also assists the pilot with the preflight duties by reviewing paperwork and performing aircraft pre-flight checks.

3. Leader; captain

4. Ensure safety; customer service; company policy

Lesson Summary

Each flight has a flight crew and a cabin crew. The flight crew includes the pilot and co-pilot. The pilot is also the captain or commander and he or she has complete authority for his/her assigned flight. Pilots are responsible for all crew, passengers and equipment. The co-pilot, also known as the first officer, has specific

Lesson Learning Objectives

At the end of this lesson you will be able to:

• Describe the role and responsibilities of the flight crew and purser in pre-flight cabin crew briefings.

• Describe the duties of the cabin crew in pre-flight preparations, boarding, during flights and in preparation for landing.

duties during the pre-flight preparations and usually flies the aircraft during one leg of the trip. The captain conducts a crew briefing prior to all flights in order to share information among the flight and cabin crews. The cabin crew, led by the senior cabin crew, also known as the purser or in charge flight attendant, has many duties to perform before and during a flight. It is very important that each member of both crews fulfill their required responsibilities in order to prepare the aircraft and to ensure a safe and efficient flight.

6.2 Flight Preparations