What was my training process like and how intense was it to learn everything in under 6 weeks? I will share my training experience and everything I learnt as well as the things I didn't :/
My first day of training started on 25th October 2023, I was part of Virgin training group 939. Virgin Atlantic training centre is inside the CAE academy, and so I turned up in my smart casual dress code with my hair in a bun and makeup done. From what I recall the hair being tied up was mandatory due to safety, however makeup was never mandatory. Uniform was only worn on the last 3 days of training for the service and wings ceremony, so I absolutely couldn't wait for this day!
Day 1 was all about getting to know each other and how the training course will be run, as well as some group exercises. We also were provided with an ipad and a few goodies as a welcome to Virgin. I remember day 1 was very exciting and getting to know the other people in my training course; I've never met a group of people where we all *for the most part* got on and where all similar in the best way. It was so refreshing to be in a room with likeminded people, and everyone was open to getting to know each other. It was a lovely place to be
Day 2 was when the proper work started. We had about 1 week of learning Airbus which encompassed the A330-300, A330-900Neo and A350. Each day we covered a different area about these aircrafts. It was super confusing at first though because they are all really different, even down to how the safety cards look on each plane. I was revising every night just to make sure I had covered everything and understood the differences between them. Even though they are all Airbus, the doors are different, the safety cards are different, the layout of each plane is different...
We also went to the rig where there are all the different doors and where we simulate emergency scenarios such as a ditching, which is a landing on water. The rigs were stressful because we had to know the commands and how to open the doors correctly as well as how to sit for an emergency. I don't think anyone enjoys the rigs because its were we get tested and they can give us any scenario on the spot. I think the one I hated the most was a cabin decompression because depending on where I was sitting would mean I had something different to do and it just wasn't a good time haha. As well as this we had a multiple choice test to complete on our ipads for the whole of the Airbus chapter. This wasn't easy because I got confused with each plane and for example what symbol is on what safety card. Luckily we were able to retake the test twice should we need to.
We also had a few days of AVMED training which is aviation medicine training. It is effectively life saving training and involved things like CPR, basic intubation, heart attack treatment and burns, to name a few. Avmed covered lots of different situations we could find ourselves in whilst on an aircraft, and over the ocean where the closest place to land could be a few hours away, learning how to manage conditions was a big part of it considering the factors. We also had to learn how a medical emergency is handled and the correct steps to take, such as who to inform and who manages what. It is the same for dealing with a fire onboard, learning who controls what is super important in ensuring the fire or medical is managed effectively and with minimal disturbance to the passengers. We had to do an exam in Avmed towards the end of training which was to test everything we had learnt. We did a practical exam as well as a multiple choice test on our ipads.
Week 2 was covering Boeing which thank God was just the 787-9. No complications just one plane. Although saying that the whole plane is different, the doors are operated differently, the life jackets are different to put on, the window 'blinds' are non-existant and the onboard systems are all called different names. The exam for Boeing wasn't too hard purely because it was based on one aircraft however going forward when I was rostered on a Boeing for a while and then an Airbus I definitely had to refresh myself on the procedures.
As well as this we also went on an day trip to the Gatwick K2 swimming centre. This day was lowkey fun but I also hated getting up so early and knowing my hair was gonna be wet. We had to do a swimming assessment to make sure we could swim unaided across the pool fully clothed. In addition to this we put on life jackets and had to form a circle in the water which is what we would do in the event of a ditching. We each had to then climb into a life raft with the life jacket on. This was probably the hardest bit because the strength needed to pull yourself up a little rope ladder dangling in the water was really difficult. We all managed to do it though so it was a good day. I would say a lot of people stress about the swimming test but it really wasn't too bad. Its honestly a lot of fun and everyone encourages each other so if anything it was a great team building exercise. *To see photos of the swimming test click here to visit my Instagram*
Probably the best day was when we actually went on a day trip to Heathrow Airport to see the aircrafts and go onboard. I loved this day because everything we were learning about we were able to see in person, and it helped but certain things into vision. Such as the crew rest compartments, these are so confusing to try and explain, so being able to see it was wayyyyy easier to understand. For images of crew rest go over to my Instagram where I did a whole post about this topic. This was also a fun day because I had never been onboard a Virgin Atlantic aircraft before and so to see it close up and to be able to walk around and get a bit familiar was amazing.
We also had a segment of fire training which was completed in the fire rig. Its basically a metal container with a glass wall, and uses gas which gets turned on to put the fire into different places, such as an overhead locker, an oven or the seat. We had to simulate putting it out using water inside a fire extinguisher. We also had to wear a smoke hood which was a god awful thing to put on and take off. We of course had a multiple choice test on fire as well as dangerous goods to make sure we had the knowledge around these subjects.
The last part of our training was 3 days of service training. I would say more of a crash course in service training, because 3 days wasn't enough to understand what the actual job was. Its funny because the day to day of cabin crew is all focused on service and what to do and yet we only got 3 days on this. Of course it makes sense the majority of training was focused on safety, however a couple more days of service would have been much appreciated. I found this portion of the course to be not the useful honestly. From knowing what I know now, each flight is done a bit differently because each manager has a different way of doing things or they have found ways of doing things that works better. The service training was teaching us about the 'correct' way to do things, not necessarily the easiest, or quickest way. The bit I enjoyed the most was wearing our uniforms because this was the first time we had worn them and we were seeing each other in them, so I was excited purely for that. I remember having so much imposter syndrome walking into the training school with my uniform on, it was bizarre but I felt amazing. During these last couple of days we also were given our first rosters, for the month of December 2023. This day was super exciting, finding out where our flights would be and it became so real at this point. I still remember my first roster; JFK, LAX, TPA, JFK. I had never been to JFK before so I was overwhelmed with excitement. It was such a cool day and suddenly felt very real that I really was cabin crew for Virgin Atlantic!
Our very last day in the training school was our 'wings day' where we got given our wings to wear on the uniform which symbolises qualified cabin crew. We got to take photos in our uniform and celebrate with some prosecco. As a group we all went out for one last dinner because this would be the last time we were all together as a few weeks later we would all be off on trips. A crazy concept, but wow was I excited. To find out more about my first trip to New York click here!
Fire training Rig
Certificate of completion
