My name is Ijeoma Joy Okere a Line Trainer/Assist Cabin Service Manager and a Senior Cabin crew Member. I obtained Ordinary Diploma in Accounting from the Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu
I started working in the Aviation industry in 2004 as a receptionist, then a secretary. I kicked started my flying career immediately after my initial training at Land – Over Aviation Business Training School located in Ikeja, Lagos state Nigeria . I was type rated on ATR-42 and later did a conversion on Boeing 767-500/600.
My initial training lasted approximately 3 weeks .It included theory and practical exercises. Cost of training was N150,000 ( One Hundred and Fifty thousand Naira ie about $300) .
My flying career has been amazingly beautiful as I worked with different Airlines such as Medview Airline where I acquired most of my flying experiences, then Air Atlantic ( Icelandic), Euro Atlantic Airways. (Portugal)and Green Africa.
Cabin crew Career progression will include:
*Line Trainer-Instructor – Cabin Service Manager..
My weirdest experience during the course of flying was seeing a passenger defecate on his seat .
Another was engaging a passenger during flight, trying to open aircraft door to urinate .
Third weird experience was witnessing passengers fighting during flight.
My near crash experience was enroute Ilorin -Jeddah . Our aircraft had a Clear Air Turbulence; it was severe to a point that a passenger lost consciousness as the aircraft descended to a lower attitude.
Another was when our aircraft lost its engine during takeoff and the second engine was affected by a bird strike. It was quite a scary experience but we managed to land safely.
Flight Attendants can marry and are also mothers. Getting pregnant as a cabin crew is not forbidden however, each airline has its policies regarding pregnancy.
As a flight attendant, we are permitted to have fun, while outside our base. A flight attendant is allowed to enter a city and have fun as long as the fun does not affect his or her primary responsibilities . Proceedures are therefore put in place to guide the crew.
ORIGINAL TO CABIN AND COCKPIT
