There will be times in Flight Attendant School that one may feel like they are making vegetable soup.

Acronyms in the flying business - is like the spring without the fall. There is only one thing worse in your universe, and that’s not to know the hundreds of acronyms at all.

“Hey Mike we’ve got a LEO in 21 D”. Leo is short for Law Enforcement Officer. Sometimes our Leo’s travel alone, sometimes they bring guests that are wearing jewelry (hand cuffs).

Sometimes we may have two or three Leo’s on board. They all need to know where each other are. The last thing we want is the OK Corral on the 757.

In our Flight Attendant Careers we attend not only the initial Flight Attendant School, but each year we go through Recurrent Training. We get re-certified, rejuvenated, and get to learn the latest new acronyms.

Question on the test may read:  “Where are the POB’s located on the 757?” POB is the acronym for Portable Oxygen Bottle.

It is important to know where your FL (Flashlight) is. Probably want to know if the lavs (lavatories) are in op (Inoperable) or not.

Did the guy go crazy on A/C R or A/C L (aircraft right or left)?

Did you preflight the FAK, First Aid Kit? Did the MEG (Megaphone), have an audible click when it was checked?

On and on it goes.

In Flight Attendant School we also learned our city codes. Memorize them because one never knows when they may have to check a bag to SFO (San Francisco), or HNL (Honolulu). Those are the easy ones. Try remembering DSM, (Des Moines), FCA, (Kalispell, Montana), or ZLO (Manzanillo Colima Mexico).

Don’t worry, even though there are a random 100 city codes on the test, 25 acronyms, and a placement map for all of the emergency equipment, you get to miss not more than 15 percent, or you fail.

Once one makes it through the madness of the acronym, one can start making up their own; when needed and justified.

“Hey Mike we’ve got a real PITA in 6D (Pain in the ………).”

Popularity: 70% [?]

Share This