The flight attendants are also known as air hosts or hostesses, or as stewards or stewardesses; the latter term is used in the marine area, and it carries the same or similar meaning. The flight attendants are usually women and their role is to make things easier while traveling by airplane, by helping the passengers to find their seats, giving instructions meant for everyone's safety during the flight, offering refreshments or almost any kind of help. As early as the 1970's, there have been registered male attendants as well.
To become a flight attendant, you need to get some special training, usually done at an airline company. Then you need to pass an examination (test) in order to get a diploma. The training lasts anywhere from six weeks to six months. Most of the training consists of security and safety procedures; additionally, the flight attendants will have knowledge of the protocol to be followed in case of forced landing, fire, hijacking, people dying on board or women giving birth on board, nose bleeds and others.
There are many responsibilities and protocols to be completed by these air hosts, since the safety of many is in their hands and in the way they are able to handle extreme situations. Their own survival is in their own hands, let alone the survival of the passengers. For this purpose, before each departure, there is a rehearsal of everything that needs to be done in the extreme situations, everybody will be informed about the weather, a general inspection of the aircraft will be performed to insure that all items needed for the survival are present and in enough numbers.
Everybody knows that the air hosts must wear a uniform, and each air company has their own; some have requested some higher end shops to provide it or even famous designers like the Singapore Airline requested French couture designer, Pierre Balmain to update their "Sarong Kebaya" uniform. Some even have a summer version and a winter version. The flight attendants are required to wear proper makeup and to be particular about their personal hygiene. There are also some standards concerning their height and weight: they need to be tall enough to reach the overhead safety equipment, but some companies have these standards simply out of aesthetic reasons. Their weight should be appropriate for their height, also because there isn't much space in the airplane. As a rule, they aren't allowed to have tattoos uncovered by the uniform.
Up to the 1970's, there was an age limit for these girls i.e. 35 or even 32 years for some. They were required to be single and they were getting fired if they got married. This rule was taken out in the 1980's. One last rule was that of weight limit and they also got fired for gaining extra weight; this rule was taken out in the 1990's.
Some flight attendants have been awarded medals for their bravery during extreme situations, although some of these awards have been given posthumously.
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