In My Free Time...

Hello again blog world, it's me, TT. Yes, I've been a bit lazy with the posting of late, but really there hasn't been that much to tell. I'm sure there is, if you like small, everyday details, bnut I don't have the energy to make one of those posts right now. I've been awake for quite awhile, and as is often the case with jetlag, just when I want to sleep I can't seem to. I've had a pretty full-on week or so of flights, with red-eyes, early starts, late finishes and minimum home time between trips, so as you can imagine I was feeling pretty wiped by this morning. Now that I've worked my max days in a row, I get a day off to rest and hopefully do some more of this:



You may have noticed that I, like Airboy, have succumbed to the Twitter craze, and am actually finding it a good in-between for the days I don't feel like posting on my blog. I do have Facebook, but for obvious reasons, keep that pretty much to real life friends & family. Twitter is great for interacting with everyone else who may not read my blog, but still want to have a conversation about airlines or travel, or to swap pictures, ask questions and so forth. So, if my posts are a bit lacking, make sure to pop by Twitter and have a look. You can read my Tweets (hehe) by clicking here =).

Aside from catching up on sleep & housework, I'm also planning on catching up with some friends, and also in a bit of exciting news, I'm working on a to-be-revealed project which is keeping me both busy & excited about the possibilities. Also stay tuned for some posts about really really cool, and really really sucky things that happen when you fly the skies for a living.

The always-awesome SkyHighBoy and I have been trying to catch up, but it seems that our respective scheduling departments have it in for us, and we are literally ending up on the opposite sides of the country at any given time, which makes it extremely difficult! One of these days, SHB!!!!!

Spotlight On: Etihad Airways

Well it's been awhile since I've done an 'airline profile', and which better to start on than the one I've been readinng about lately, hoping to join once they start hiring again.

Etihad Airways is the Middle East's newest premium carrier, gaining a lot of attention with new routes and expansion plans in the middle of the economic crisis.

Etihad, (or EY according to IATA) is the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (not Emirates as is commonly thought) and is based in the city of Abu Dhabi. EY is a young airline, started in 2003 by royal decree, to become the best premium carrier in the world.

I first heard of Etihad when a friend of mine (also a blogger and met at a recruitment day for another airline) applied for them, and got accepted on the same day of the interview to work for them. She moved over to Abu Dhabi for a couple of years, and sent me regular updates of where she was going and all the cool things she was seeing.

I'm interested in Etihad because they seem like a place I want to be. The airline is still in the biggest growth phase, meaning lots of opportunities for someone who wants to be a career airline person, with many jobs able to move 'sideways' into once flying is done with. They look after their crew, providing accommodation and other benefits when at work. Plus, I think I'm ready for an adventure, to live in another country and leanr more about my world and all the people in it. I'd be totally out of my comfort zone of course, but I think that is what I need.

Ok, enough from me, I will let pics and videos speak for themselves!

Slideshow of various Etihad photos. I think the uniform is cute, though could be a LITTLE snazzier.

This is the first time I've gotten a clear look at the Purser/SFS/Cabin Manager uniforrm.I knew they wore a different scarf, but I didn't know they don't have the veil on the hat, they have a shawl-collared jacket, and the uniform is the paler grey. I actually really like it, and think it would make an awesome uniform for all of the crew. I especially love the printed scarf:


EY also provide crew with a Fit2Fly crew centre, to work out, relax and get beauty treatments. Cool! It's hard work to keep oneself fit and healthy when living the flying lifestyle!

And this long, but cool, promo video by EY:


Etihadd plan to have 20 A380 by 2015, expanding to many cities across the globe. For this, they will need many crew, and hopefully, I might be one of them, seeing new things, meeting new people and experiencing life in a different land! =)

There's More Than One Way to Spread Your Wings...

(Props to "Donna Jensen" for the title quote)

It was a comment from 'M' of Aviation Crazy that got me thinking back to when I first thought about a career in the skies. M mentioned having a life-long dream to be a flight attendant, and having many obstacles which so far have stood in the way. I too know how this feels... for you see, FA was not always my preferred job choice.

My mother tells me that from a very young age, I was intrigued and obsessed by anything to do with aircraft. I'd sit in the backyard for hours, watching planes fly over. My first wood shop project was a model airplane with a swivelling wing to store it away neatly. My favourite cartoon was about a jumbo jet and his airport vehicle friends. (At age 3)


Both during and after school, I eagerly devoured any book on aviation I could find, loving the day I found a box of aircraft magazine at the local charity shop for $4. That box kept me entertained all winter! I drew planes, I watched planes, I learned their shapes and engine sounds and liveries and airline uniforms and all that sort of thing. Most of all, I loved going to the airport with my dad and watching the planes taking off and landing. It was always a thrill when a friendly crew would wave from the cockpit.

But at this stage, my focus wasn't on the glamorous flight attendants with their perfect hair, cute uniforms and model makeup. I wanted to be wearing pants and a peaked cap, and sitting up the front left seat, the best one in the house! Yes, before she was cabin crew, TT wanted to be a pilot!

I went to flight school, learnt theory, flight law, meteorology and all those things that pilots need to know. I sweated over navigation exams, fuel calculations, weight and balances and loadsheets. I even got my student license and had a full medical. It was then that my plan hit turbulence. I didn't quite meet the requirements to hold an airline license. I remember being very upset. At the time, I felt what was the point, if I wasn't going to sit up the front of an airliner, and wear the jaunty cap, jetting all over the country and maybe even the world?

So I went on with life, hoping that over the next few years either the requirements wouuld change, or a solution would be found in the medical world. Then along came LASIK eye surgery. I wasn't so keen on this, plus I was running out of money to train. Then Emirates happened to come to my city. I saw the ad in the newspaper. I'd never even thought of becoming a flight attendant before. Looking at the ad, with the crew wearing her glossy red lipstick and the hat at a jaunty angle on her head, I thought- What if there is another way to get where I want? wouldn't be flying, but I'd still be in the sky.

So there began my journey to become a flight attendant, as I shared some of it on my JS blog, in the very beginning of that one, in late 2004/early 2005. (I'll try to re-post some of those entries if anyone reading is interested) It wasn't easy, and it took quite awhile, but eventually I got there. I took a detour, through the ground side of the airport, through baggage halls and help desks, answering angry phone calls and checking bags, then moving on the dispatching and ramp operations, until one day, interview after failed interview, rejecton letter after rejection letter, I got that 'golden phonecall'- I finally had a job as cabin crew.

Do I wish I were up in the pointy end of the plane? Sometimes. But I do know this- that quite possibly, I am better suited to being a flight attendant than I ever was to be a pilot. It just goes to show, you might be aiming for a specific target, but just being among the stars around it can be just as enjoyable.

Hmmm... I wonder about this...?

Following my last post I'd got a couple of emails from people telling me that Etihad Airways are coming to recruit in Australia soon- during March, in fact.

Now I've known a couple of people who have worked for them, and the overall concensus was, a pretty good company to work for- not quite up there with Emirates but not as bad as others *coughcoughQatarcoughGulfAircough*

Seeing as recently the Etihad crew received payrises to bring them up on par with Emirates, it seems that working for them has become attractive again. Add to that fact that the other major airlines over there (Emirates & Gulf) have stopped recruiting altogether) well... you see why quite a few 'wannabes' and even experienced crew are jumping at the chance to get an interview with them.

I've never actually interviewed with them, though I did lodge my CV a few years back. But seeing as what a disaster past assessments & interview with other Middle Eastern carriers were *coughcoughGulfcough*- I'm kind of thinking why not??



Reasons FOR Applying to Etihad
* They are one of few airlines who haven't cancelled expansion & are still recruiting
* Relatively young company with good chances for promotion & a career
* Etihad seem not to mind so much if you have flown before
* Good range of destinations and they fly to Australia
* Cute uniform (ok shallow I know but it is cute)
* I'm not getting any younger, and 26 is probably getting towards the age limit*
* Seems to be less competition as every girl & her dog applies to Emirates these days

Reasons AGAINST Applying to Etihad
* Based in Abu Dhabi- having never been there, not sure if I will like it
* Have to get used to new culture (and live in it- different to just visiting)
* Current company is a known quantity- "better the devil you know"
* Am now participating in company programs it was really hard to get into
* Being homesick- have never lived o/s before

I'm thinking maybe I should see if I can get invited to the recruitment & take it from there. If I don't get an invite, it's not meant to be and I will try again next year.

(* Etihad don't specify an age limit but I'd think for a standard crew position I wouldn't want to be much older. For onboard managers, it's a minimum of 26 but I don't have the kind of experience they want for that, despite having flown as a senior for over a year)

Welcome to 2009

Well we're 1 day in to the New Year and I'm excited!!!

I'm looking forward to putting a few things behind me (namely, moving on from past relationships and focusing on new ones), pursuing new opportunities at work and the economy permitting, I also hope to travel! I've put off booking my trip a little longer to see what happens at my airline, the next few months will tell if I'l lstill have a job and then I can go from there.

Seeing as it's the 'done thing' (and I wanted to do it anyway) here are my 'points to work on' for this year. I'm trying to be realistic here, so instead of 'Dont do x', I'll say 'Do more of Y' =)

* Try to make healthier choices in food, but still indulge evry so often :p

* Do something social at least once every week (not stay in so much)

* Work on getting to know myself more, what I want out of life & to do in the future

* Start putting money into my super/pension at least once a month

* Go on a 'big' holiday, preferably to Europe but at least to one of my 'must-see' places

* Start to learn a language (maybe French as flatmate wants to as well, which would help)

* Try to start dating (properly) again- just to meet new people and see what happens

* Research into starting a small online business- what, how and if it would work


Well, I just realised what a big list that is! Whew, at least it will keep me busy and out of mischief!

My first pic for 2009 is this cool light installation on a building, isn't it fabulous?


Soon, I will be taking off again, my first full trip for this new year. As we head into a fresh dawning year, I hope 2009 brings all that you hope for!