1.7. Preflight briefing

Exercise 1.7.1 Read and translate the text.

With the briefing complete, the pilots collect the paperwork. John goes to a nearby meeting room where the cabin crew members for the Hong Kong flight have gathered for their own preflight briefing.

Cabin staff performs two roles. First and foremost, they are responsible for safety of the passengers, a job too often overlooked. Each year they undergo two days of refresher training in dealing with emergencies and evacuations. Their other role is customer service. For of all the tens of thousands of people employed by British Airways, it is the flight attendants who are the public face of the company. Their work can make the difference between a pleasant flight and a bad one.

Alan touches on both roles during his 10-minute talk. One of their first tasks upon boarding the jet will be to check the cabin for any suspicious packages. Since this flight comes just days after a terrorist bomb attack on a BBC studio in London, Woodward notes the need for extra caution and vigilance. Moving to the topic of service, he reminds the crew that this is a popular flight with business travellers. Their patronage makes a sizeable contribution to the airline’s bottom line and it is up to the flight attendants to deliver the good service that ensures they remain frequent fliers. To wrap up, the cabin positions are assigned based on seniority.

Once their respective briefings are complete, the pilots and cabin crew proceed to the ground floor. Here they go through security and head to the coach bays outside to catch a shuttle bus for the ride directly to the aircraft at the gate. It’s a convenient arrangement that helps them avoid tie-ups in the terminal.

Exercise 1.7.2 Answer the questions.

1. What and how many roles do cabin staff perform?

2. What do they undergo?

3. What is customer service?

4. What are flight attendants responsible for?

5. What is one of the first flight attendant’s tasks?

6. Where do they proceed if their respective briefings are complete?

7. What do they go through?

Exercise 1.7.3 Are the following statements true (√) or false (×)? Correct the false ones.

1. With the briefing complete, the pilots collect the paperwork.

2. Cabin staff perform a lot of roles.

3. They are responsible for the safety of passengers.

4. Each year they undergo a month of refresher training in dealing with emergencies and evacuations.

5. For all tens of thousands people employed by British airways, it is the pilots and co-pilots who are the public face of the company.

6. One of the first tasks upon boarding the jet will be to check the cabin for any suspicions packages.

7. This is a popular flight with holiday travellers.

8. It is up to the flight attendants to deliver the good service.

9. After briefings are complete the pilots and cabin crew proceed directly to the aircraft.

Exercise 1.7.4 Give English equivalents for the following words and word combinations.

Бортпроводник; предполетный инструктаж; безопасность пассажиров; курсы переподготовки; обслуживание посетителей; лицо компании; приятный полет; проверить салон; подозрительные пакеты; дополнительная осторожность; существенный вклад; частый пассажир; поехать прямо.

Exercise 1.7.5 Find in the text synonyms for the following words and expressions.

Gather; part; the most important; consumer service; nice; work quota; carefulness; stay; supply.

Exercise 1.7.6 Mach the word combinations and expressions in column A with those in column B.

A	B
1. preflight briefing	a. дополнительная осторожность и бдительность
2. first and foremost	b. пройти проверку службой безопасности
3. refresher training	c. подозрительные пакеты
4. flight attendants	d. основанный на старшинстве
5. public face of the company	e. избежать задержек
6. suspicious packages	f. предполетный инструктаж
7. extra caution and vigilance	g. автобус, подвозящий пассажиров к самолету
8. to deliver the good service	h. общественное лицо компании
9. based on seniority	i. первый и самый главный
10. to go through security	j. обеспечить хорошее обслуживание
11. a shuttle bus	k. бортпроводники
12. to avoid tie-ups	l. курсы переподготовки

Exercise 1.7.7 Fill in the gaps with the words from the text choosing from the ones given in brackets.

1. John goes to a nearby meeting room where the cabin crew members for the Hong Kong flight have _________ for their own preflight briefing (collected, gathered, met).

2. Cabin staff are _______ for safety of the passengers (responsible, dealing, servicing).

3. Each year they undergo two days of refresher training in dealing with ________ (servicing, meeting, emergencies).

4. Their other role is ______ service (passenger, customer, cabin crew).

5. One of their first tasks upon boarding the jet will be to check the cabin for any _________ packages (suspicions, illegal, declared).

6. Moving to the topic of service, he reminds the _________ that it is a popular flight with business travellers (flight attendants, pilots, crew).

7. The cabin positions are assigned, based on _______ (seniourity, operations, service).

8. They go through _________ and head to the coach bays outside to catch a shuttle bus (customs, security, immigration).

Exercise 1.7.8 Fill in the gaps with the necessary form the words given in brackets.

1. John goes to a nearby ________ room where the cabin crew members have gathered for their own preflight briefing. (MEET).

2. They are responsible for the ________ of the passengers. (SAFE)

3. Their other role is _________ service. (CUSTOM)

4. For of all the tens of thousands of people _________ by BA, it is flight attendants who are the public face of the company. (EMPLOY)

5. Their work can make the _________ between a pleasant flight and a bad one. (DIFFER)

6. He reminds the crew that this is a popular flight with business _________ . (TRAVEL)

7. Their patronage makes a _________ contribution to the airline’s bottom line. (SIZE)

8. The cabin positions are _________, based on seniority. (ASSIGN)

9. It’s a convenient __________ that helps them avoid tie-ups in the terminal. (ARRANGE)

Exercise 1.7.9 In the list below the box find a definition for the given words.

Safe Flight Crew Boarding Emergency Flight Jet Airline Briefing Terminal

1. Relating information to all concerned to ensure a good understanding of the procedures required for the normal and abnormal operation of the aircraft.

2. The condition of being safe from causing or suffering harm, injury or loss.

3. A crisis relating to the operation of the aircraft which may place it or its passengers and crew in distress

4. Pilots, Navigators, Flight Engineers

5. Operation trip or tourway of an aircraft between two airports

6. To go on board an aircraft to enter an aircraft

7. An aircraft, certified and used to carry passengers which is powered by jet or turbojet engine

8. Any transport company which operates a national or international service.

9. The building at an airport where arriving and departing passengers are processed.

Exercise 1.7.10 Translate the following sentences into English.

1. После завершения предполетной подготовки пилоты забирают бумаги.

2. Бортпроводники выполняют 2 роли.

3. Первое и самое главное – они отвечают за безопасность пассажиров.

4. Каждый год они проходят двухдневные курсы переподготовки, связанные с аварийными ситуациями и эвакуацией.

5. Их другая роль – обслуживание пассажиров.

6. Именно бортпроводники являются официальным лицом авиакомпании.

7. Их работа может сделать разницу между приятным полетом и плохим.

8. Одно из первых заданий после посадки на самолет – проверка салона на наличие подозрительных пакетов.

9. Командир напомнил экипажу, что этот рейс популярен у бизнес-путешественников.

10. Здесь они проходят проверку службой безопасности и направляются в отсек второго класса, чтобы прямо поехать на ВС.

Exercise 1.7.11 Make up your own sentences using the following words and word combinations.

Collect the paperwork; own preflight briefing; cabin staff; responsible for safety; undergo; evacuations; customer service; flight attendants; public face of the company; pleasant flight; popular flight; sizeable contribution; deliver the good service; wrap up; respective briefings; the pilots and cabin crew; catch a shuttle bus; avoid tie-ups in the terminal.

Exercise 1.7.12 Retell the text.