A DAY IN THE LIFE
Driving Seat: Captain Alex Carson-Holloway & First Officer Mitch Brady
Welcome Aboard
T
O MOST AIR TRAVELLERS, the flight crew are just friendly faces and a voice on the intercom telling you to ensure your tray table is folded away and your seat is in the upright position. But from getting you on board and settled, up in the air on time, and safely and comfortably to your destination, there’s a lot more to what they do than you might imagine. A day in the life of an Air Chathams flight crew is a moving feast of scheduling challenges, technical responsibilities and people skills – and any of the crew will tell you that no two days are the same.
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To begin with, when you’re feeling pretty chuffed that you’ve made it to your early morning flight with just enough time to grab a coffee, rest assured your flight crew have been up and at ‘em well before you left the house. “Early starts are pretty much part of the territory,” says Air Chathams’ flight attendant Nicki Hayes, “but there is a lot to do before we get airborne, and when it is safety related it can’t be rushed. Getting everyone settled and comfortable for the fight is really important, but safety is the main focus for all of us. The irony is that sometimes it can take more time getting across Auckland than getting across the country!” Nicki originally trained for a tourism career, but the lure of flight caught her attention and she has now been with Air Chathams three years. “I did a level three general tourism course, which covers hotels, travel agencies but also flight attending. I really like working with people – making them happy and helping them – so I’m just a people person I guess.
