Cabin crews and pilots tell all

´´They are the mysterious air travel questions many of us ponder.
Now we have the answers, with engineers, cabin crew and pilots from Cathay Pacific breaking down some of the top mile-high facts on the airline's website.
Here are some of the most interesting responses´´

Flight attendants

Is it true a flight attendant must be a minimum 160 centimetres in height and proportionate weight? And have a nice-looking face?

Kenji: "You don't necessarily need to be 160cm tall, as long as you can reach to 208cm. As for looks, we look at your personality. If you have a beautiful, sincere, genuine smile, a warm and kind heart, and you're willing to help others, you're what we are looking for."

How many kinds of special meals are there? It seems those are distributed before other passengers' meals. Why?

Candy: "We have many different types of special meals. Sometimes we distribute the special meal first because, for example, when a mother travels with a little child and orders the 'child meal', she may need to take care of them.
"If the mother gets her meal and the 'child meal' at the same time, then after she feeds her child, her own meal may be cold. If we have passengers who have ordered the 'diabetic meal', they may also ask for preferred times for medical reasons."

Do you fly with different colleagues each time? 


Candy: "We fly with different crew colleagues each flight, on different aircraft types and configurations. We have a 'crew position system' which will monitor our previous flying record and assign our positions on each flight."

Do you need to clean the washrooms in-flight?

Victor: "Yes we check the washrooms regularly to make sure they are clean and have enough toiletries for all users - including ourselves! (Yes, the cabin crew use the same toilets as the passengers). If the toilet floor is slippery, we need to clean it, and we also need to be alert for fire as a result of people trying to smoke."

Do you have any skin care problems with flying to so many different places in different weather?


Teresa: "Since the humidity level inside the aircraft is low, my skin tends to get a bit dry, so I really pay attention to moisturizing. Normally l will do a mask before and after each flight. And after washing my face, l will apply a few drops of facial massage oil and then gently massage my whole face."

Pilots

How do you spend your leisure time in other cities?

Simon: "Well it depends on which city I am flying to, but, for example, I always try to request a Vancouver flight each month in the winter because I love to go snowboarding on Cypress Mountain.
"After I arrive, I go to the hotel and get a good night's sleep. Then I get up the next morning early, at 6am, have a good breakfast and catch a bus that takes you straight to Cypress Mountain. I spend the whole day snowboarding and get back to the hotel for a good night's sleep before I fly back to Hong Kong."

How do you manage time zone changes and jet lag issues?

Emanuel: "If I'm flying on a route that may result in jet lag or body clock issues, I try to do some exercise to help me relax my body and mind. Then I try to get some sleep a few hours before my duty starts.
"Once I'm flying, coffee or black tea helps me stay alert through my body clock's 'night' stage. After we finish duty, the first thing I always do is sleep for about four or five hours before going out with the crew.
"During the layover period, I try to stay 'in tune' with my home time in Hong Kong to minimise sleep disruption when I get back."

Engineers

Why are the windows so small?

Suresh: " Using a Boeing Aircraft as an example, the design of aircraft windows takes into account a number of factors beyond the basic necessity of visibility. The size of windows on aluminium aeroplanes are generally decided to maintain load requirements set by Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration (US regulatory body).
"With larger windows, you have to increase the strength capability of the fuselage skin and window frame support structure. Hence, as it gets bigger, then the skin thickness and all the support structure must be enhanced which will increase the weight of the aeroplane. In effect, you are providing an acceptable window size while trying to minimise aeroplane weight to improve overall 
 performance."

How is an aircraft protected from lightning?

Stanley: "Primarily the pilot will try to avoid lightning strikes by using the weather radar and flying around storms where the lightning is likely to occur. The circular shape and the conductive nature of the fuselage means that the plane's body becomes a 'Faraday cage', which allows energy from the lightning to flow around the plane, thus protecting the people inside."

How much does the paint weigh on a 747-400?

Patrick: "The paint on a fully painted 747 weighs about 250kg (!!)"

What are aeroplanes made of?

Robert: "The wings and bodies of the majority of passenger aircraft flying today are constructed from aluminium as it is light and strong. Steel and titanium are used in high load absorbing areas such as the landing gear. For the latest generation of aircraft such as the Airbus A350, over 50 per cent of the aircraft is now constructed from carbon fibre - which is even lighter and stronger than aluminium and resistant to corrosion."

Source:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/travel/travel-advice/flight-attendants-and-pilots-tell-all/story-fni0bfok-1226746634457

New Life In The Sky - Emirates Cabin Crew Blog

 Another awesome/useful Emirates cc blog i found,,,,
Check it out and get inspired 💚💚


http://newlifeinthesky.blogspot.com

Holly in the clouds - Emirates Cabin Crew Blog

Once in a while i come across great cabin crew blogs that is motivational and informative...and i have to share it with you guys.....i found this very interesting  ek cc blog....about a girl and her journey to her dream ek cc job and we get to follow her.....through her application process, her scoring the job...and where she is today, in dubai!! 

Check her blog out:::::.

http://hollyintheclouds.wordpress.com/

Here are some pics from her blog...

The truth about being a cabin crew

Written by Ben Groundwater

´´I spend a lot of time in planes, and therefore a lot of time thinking about planes. And not just the planes, not even just the pilots, but the crew who are always smiling and handing me drinks.

What's their job like? Is it fun working in the skies? Or is it hard work?

So I decided to find out. I recently had a chat to Jenna McNaught, a 24-year-old who's worked as a cabin crew member for Emirates for the last three years or so. Turns out it's not all fun and games.

What's the right thing to call you guys? Is it flight attendant? Hostie? Trolley dolly?

We usually use the term "cabin crew". That's fine.

How did you get into the job?

I applied online, at the Emirates Group careers website. Then I went to an open day in Brisbane, did a few rounds of group activities, some little tests, and then I got the position. There's about five different rounds I had to go through. We did group activities, a reach test to ensure you're a certain height, and they see how you interact with other people. Then they sent me over to Dubai and set me up with a house.

What's your favourite stopover destination?

I love the beach destinations. I love Nice, and Mauritius, the Seychelles. We stay right on the beach in the Seychelles and Mauritius, it's amazing. They're really nice hotels.

What does the cabin crew get up to on a stopover?

I try to get out and do things. In Mauritius last time our whole cabin crew, about 16 of us, hired a catamaran for the day and went snorkelling, walked in a rainforest... It was a really good day. We generally try to do things together.

What's the weirdest request you've had from a passenger?

I had one guy ask for a "whiskey on the rocks with no ice". I had to try not to laugh. I'm like, "Do you want ice or without?" You just have to be polite and not laugh in those situations.

How do you deal with jet-lag?

It's good to have a regular gym or sporting regimen, because then you can tire yourself out a bit. That helps, and eating healthy is a big thing as well. When we first joined with Emirates we did a little nutrition thing, and talked about coping with jet-lag. Exercise was always a big thing. It's also good to have some milk before you go to sleep because it's got melatonin in it.

What's the biggest misconception about your job?

We're very hardworking for most of the flight – people sometimes think that we're just sitting down in the back most of the time. But we're literally going the whole time. On a long-haul flight we might get a little bit of a break to sleep in the bunks, but the rest of the time we're working. On a Sydney to Dubai flight, we would probably get around a two-and-a-half-hour break, and would be working for the rest of the flight.

What's the best and worst airport you've been to?

If you want to go duty free shopping, Dubai is pretty spectacular. We've got our own terminal for Emirates, and it's huge. Massive. We don't really go to any dodgy airports, but I guess some of the smaller ones in Africa just don't have much there. Places like Accra and Nairobi. They just don't have as much to offer as other airports.

You live in Dubai – what's good to do there?

I love shopping, and Dubai has great shopping. My favourite spot is Dubai Mall, which has got 1200 shops. There's also some nice restaurants in Dubai, so we usually go out for dinner.

Cabin crew on planes always seem to look calm, even in heavy turbulence. Do you ever worry about safety?

I think it's because our training is so in-depth. We have live simulators in Dubai, which is exactly like a plane. So they give you [emergency] scenarios in there and you have to react to them. You'll have to do firefighting ... we even have a firefighting room where we have to put out live fires. I guess it makes you more relaxed when you have to deal with it in real life. We practice evacuations, going down the slides, rejected take-offs and landings ... it makes you more relaxed.

Are you guys trained to deal with drunk passengers?

We do learn how to deal with those types of passengers. It happens on the odd occasion, people like to have a couple of drinks. But we have procedures and they do work.

Finally, do you ever watch Air Crash Investigations?

Yeah I do! It doesn't bother me. I've never really had a bad flight, our flights are always really smooth. So it doesn't really scare me, I find it really interesting.

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/blogs/the-backpacker/the-truth-about-being-a-flight-attendant-20130711-2psji.html

Sky-high glamour: EK crew share their tips for looking good on a plane

´´Emirates' glamorous cabin crew share their secrets to high-octane glamour at 30,000 feet´´´´

THEY talk us through safety issues, slap away wandering hands and are on constant alert for security threats. And they do all this with smiles plastered on their faces and their matte red lipstick firmly in place.
Cabin crew are selected for a combination of grit and glamour, trained to put out fires (literally and metaphorically), tackle disruptive passengers and ask politely: "Chicken or beef?"
There's something captivating about their grace under pressure, and one part of that is the make-up they wear.

They are the forefront of the airline and the uniform identity is the direct link to our prestigious brand

Training manager Helen Roxburgh

The Emirates cabin crew members are never without flawless skin and signature red lipstick, and it's no accident. This image is carefully planned and taught in beauty and image schools to ensure crew look immaculate at all times.
Here training manager Helen Roxburgh, responsible for Image and Uniform, answers some of the most frequent questions about how the high-flying Emirates cabin crew stay stylish at 30,000 feet...


Is there one top tip or "secret" that you convey to every member of cabin crew in training?

There is no top secret as such, but it is recommended that cabin crew follow a skincare routine that helps them deal with the different hours that they work. Exfoliation and masks are highly recommended as they help to enhance the appearance of the skin.



How do crew members look so well-groomed, even after a 15-hour flight?

They have to touch up their make-up throughout the flight. Eye gel helps to refresh the eyes during a long flight and can be used over make-up.  Also, it helps to remove all make-up and apply a vitamin C mask during their bunk rest periods as it boosts the skin cells and gives the skin a healthy glow.

Dehydration can be a big problem when flying, yet your female crew manage to look radiant after every flight. Is there a particular regime in terms of skin moisturisation that they need to follow?

Hydration sprays can be used to maintain the moisture balance in the skin. You can either purchase from a skin care or make-up house.

How do female crew members manage to keep their make-up on, in place and looking so fresh when they are working so hard and for so many hours?

They are trained by subject matter experts on a recommended sequence to follow. This starts from using the correct skin care products to a specific make-up routine.
They use a powder over their foundation that helps to "set" the make-up and therefore will last longer; they also re-apply their foundation/powder as well as blusher throughout the flight. Blusher plays a big part in helping the skin look fresh as it gives the impression/illusion of a healthy glow even during long flights.
When foundation and powder is applied on to the lip, under the lipstick it will last longer as well. The use of lip gloss or lipstick that contains gloss is not recommended as this could cause the lipstick to wear off easily.

How do your cabin crew members decide which shade of red to choose to suit their complexion and, more importantly, how does the lipstick stay on throughout the flight?

Our female crew must match the red lipstick to the scrunchie (red hair band worn by crew in the beige colour of uniform) and the red hat. Each skin tone is different and each individual would need to find their perfect match.

Is concealer a much-used product to disguise potential dark circles and tired eyes?

Concealer is highly recommended for dark circles, however when applied you need to have the correct colour in order for the circles not to appear darker. A product with light reflectors in is extremely good for this and works better than a normal concealer.
Concealer can also be used to cover pigmentation as well as pimples. This is also the only item of make-up acceptable to be used by gentlemen.

Are there any no-nos when it comes to grooming and make-up?

The “rules” of make-up that we normally teach the cabin crew are:
Your foundation needs to be as close to your natural skin colour as possible in order for your skin to appear even.
Do not use lip gloss over lipstick as the colour wears off quicker and the gloss can change the pigment in the lipstick giving it a different colour.
Be careful of using bronzer as it can make the skin appear “tired” especially in the aircraft lighting.
Be mindful when choosing mascara, as waterproof mascara tend to dry out lashes when used over long periods and for long hours at a time.
Do not draw your lip pencil outside of your lip line.
Using eyeliner on the top lid will give the appearance of more open, larger eyes, for those ultra long trips.

Are there any particular grooming requisites for men – other than spotless hands and nails?

Yes absolutely. Men have their own skin care and shaving routine. It is important that they also look after their skin especially because they have to shave before each flight.
Shaving can irritate the skin and cause dryness therefore we give them certain tips regarding shaving i.e. a shaving oil can be used prior to shaving to help soften the hairs and moisturise the area, preventing skin irritation and dryness.
They can use a shaving brush to apply the shaving gel/foam as it acts as a natural exfoliator and helps with ingrown hairs.

What are the three most important things that every member of crew should remember or consider when it comes to grooming and representing Emirates, whether in the air or on the ground?

They are the forefront of the airline and the uniform identity is the direct link to our prestigious brand.
They are the public face of Emirates and are recognized by our customers and also the customers of other airlines.
They only have one opportunity to make a good first impression.

Post-flight, are there any tips for cabin crew?

Rest is definitely recommended as it helps with cell renewal/rejuvenation which helps our skin to repair itself and look immaculate.
They are recommended to stick to a skin care routine and always remove their make-up after a flight.
It depends on the needs of the skin at the time. A face mask and eye mask can be applied. When in highly-polluted areas we also recommend them to exfoliate and apply a vitamin C mask to the skin. Anti-oxidants are also recommended – these products contain vitamin A, C and E.

Can you pass on any tips for your customers in terms of how to look great when stepping off your flight on arrival at your destination?

Avoid make-up during the flight. If make-up is a must use a light concealer/tinted moisturiser, a bit of mascara, blusher and lip gloss/lipstick, try and avoid heavy make-up.
In the case that make-up is worn to the flight, remove it during the flight.
Use lip balm throughout the flight.
Body lotion to be applied at intervals throughout the flight.
Before landing use a cleanser/daily exfoliator, moisturiser and an eye gel (mini skincare routine) – this will help with your skin appearing vibrant and feeling fresh.
After the mini skincare routine is carried out – make-up can be applied. Under-eye concealers with light reflectors are recommended it helps the eyes to appear refreshed.
For a fresh look use a natural foundation and soft blusher (light pink/peach), mascara and a natural lip gloss.

What does the famous Emirates hat symbolise?

The hat and scarf is a symbolic piece of the uniform. It is a well-known part of our brand and how the Emirates crew are recognised.


Source:

http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/fashion-beauty/425007/Sky-high-glamour-Cabin-crew-share-their-top-tips-for-looking-good-on-a-plane