Making-Money-Month Is Now!

Corporate flight attendants have a new choice when selecting a company for their cabin safety and service training. Alteon Training, LLC, a Boeing Company, launched a program in November 2003 for corporate flight attendants at their facility in Long Beach, California. I was invited to participate in the class to get a better idea about the training, their facility, and about Alteon itself and to share my findings with the aviation community via this website.

In an industry peppered with training companies of varying sizes and capabilities, my first thoughts about Alteon was that is was just a run-of-the-mill training agency. Alteon not only allayed my original misgivings, but they proved to me that all training companies should be doing the same thing: operating with the FAA’s blessings under FAR Part 142. Indeed, Alteon’s program may soon become the benchmark by which all training companies will be judged. This is good news for flight attendants who are confused or even mislead by some of the programs operating around the U.S.

I arrived in Long Beach from JFK on a Sunday evening, picked up my rental car and went to my room to prepare for my 7 a.m. Monday meeting with Alteon executives Jim Garner and Hal Collison. That morning, we toured the facility where I was able to see their fully equipped training rooms sporting individual computer work stations complemented by the overhead media slideshow housing [indeed, while being trained students could look at the pull down screen or at their computer monitor to view the PowerPoint presentations]. On the ground floor of Alteon’s facility, I was brought to a room housing individual flight simulators, each of which was for one Boeing product or another.

By 8 a.m. the remaining five students arrived and I settled down with them in a training room to begin the class. After brief introductions, Kathy Cummins was introduced as our service instructor for the first day’s class. The Corporate School of Etiquette was chosen by Alteon to provide the service side of the training the first day. The middle three days was all Alteon-run training. San Diego CPR was selected to provide the in-flight medical, CPR, and AED training on Friday. When I inquired as to why Alteon outsourced portions of their five-day program, Hal Collison, Director, Flight Training, for Alteon declared, “We focus on what we are experts at and do best. The other portions of the course are outsourced to the very best experts in their field with years of experience and access to the latest course content and training materials.”

Kathy’s session began with a discussion on dispatching a trip. Covered material included the steps behind the scheduling and releasing of an aircraft for flight; crewmember assignments; show times and reporting times; aircraft, flight and passenger data; and arranging for catering and supplies. Students previewed a dispatcher’s checklist and discussed preparing for a six leg international trip using an actual trip sheet to decide what food service was needed and where.

After two hours of classroom teaching, it was all hands on training for most of the rest of the day. Students boarded a company van and headed south to John Wayne Airport in Orange County for the executive service training portion of the program. The class toured Signature’s FBO where we located the catering order placed earlier with Air Gourmet. After a discussion about refrigeration, we took the order outside to the waiting Global Express which was graciously provided to us for the day by Monarch Charters. When we boarded the aircraft I was pleasantly surprised to see that we had full access to the galley and cabin whereby we were able to actually heat the food as well as keep the aircraft cool for the “passengers.”

Kathy gave the students a trip scenario to work with and we went through all the pre-departure procedures including, passenger arrival; take-off; meal and wine service; in-flight procedures; before and after landing; and aircraft cleaning procedures. By mid-afternoon with our in-flight service portion of the training behind us we returned to Long Beach for additional classroom training covering contracts and flight attendant business preparation material. Somehow we managed to squeeze in what seemed like two days of training into one day. By 6 p.m. the class was over and the service training portion of the program was behind us.

Pattie Adams took over the class on Tuesday and for the next three days was tasked with guiding the class through the applicable FARs; crewmember duties and procedures; security; hazmat and more. As a backgrounder, Pattie was one of the chief creators of Alteon’s new program, drawing on her experience as a contract corporate flight attendant as well as a commercial flight attendant, purser and instructor with United Airlines. Pattie’s experience in the corporate and commercial arenas was helpful as she skillfully translated the language and procedural differences between the two arenas, something that was not lost on those in the class who were new to corporate aviation, but possessed commercial experience only.

Because training was done at Alteon’s Long Beach facility, guest speakers from within the company were brought in to discuss some of the highly technical aspects of flying. Palermo Gabriel discussed the mechanics of flight and Dick Bloomberg covered the aircraft systems, particularly what happens in the cockpit. Dick also gave the students a thrilling SIM ride, a standard value added feature for those attending this training program.

The third day of training covered turbulence and decompression and was followed by hands on practice of oxygen units and, later, aircraft doors, emergency exits and equipment. Slides and pictures of the various configurations found on the Gulfstreams, Bombardiers/Global Express/ Challengers, and Falcons were covered as well as for the BBJ and Boeing’s newest corporate entry, the 717 Business Express. Particularly useful to the class was the separate binder that we were given for Emergency Checklists; this Jeppesen size manual could easily be taken on trips, which is what Pattie encouraged students to do.

By Thursday, we were all eager to leave the classroom for hands on activity; we were not disappointed. After a classroom discussion on how fires start, we filed outside, donned personal breathing equipment (PBE) and practiced fire fighting procedures. Immediately after lunch the class boarded the cabin trainer and spent several hours role playing. The day was capped off with a trip to the local hotel’s outdoor pool for ditching procedures and exercises.

The fifth and final day was the hardest to face. Not that the course material was going to be a major challenge, but rather we were faced with the realization that as a class we would no longer be together. Each of us knew that we were becoming part of Alteon history by participating in their inaugural class.

Pam Hammond, of San Diego CPR, was brought in on Friday to go over the in-flight medical aspect of training, particularly CPR and defibrillator procedures. Having previously completed Red Cross training I was curious to learn what the differences were between Red Cross procedures and the American Heart Association training that Pam was instructing us in. We learned that the Red Cross program, while very good, is geared toward lay people while the American Heart Association program was what the medical community utilized. So, we did as the doctors and paramedics do and started checking airways, looked for signs of breathing, and pounding the chests of the mannequins.

In the afternoon it was all AED training as we practiced hooking up the Heartstream® monitor and performing defibrillation. The class ended with a quiz and the distribution of completion cards on behalf of the American Heart Association.

At the end of the day, Alteon executives led by John Alexander, VP of the Americas and Chris Johnson-Pasqua, General Manager, Long Beach Training Center, came to the classroom to thank and congratulate the students. More than once I heard a hearty “thank you” from a student to John as each one was grateful for the high level of training they had just completed. Each student left equipped with the confidence needed to carry out their duties as corporate flight attendants.

Matthew Keegan is the owner of a successful web design and marketing company based in North Carolina, USA. He manages several sites including the Corporate Flight Attendant Community at http://www.corporateflyer.net and the Aviation Employment Board at http://www.aviationemploymentboard.net

Fly fishing is becoming more and more popular each day. The possibility of anyone can participate at an equal level, be they young or old, male or female, gives it popularity and accessibility that is not found in all sports. Two aspects of fly fishing are vital. The technique and equipment must both be proper before people can successfully fly fish. Some of the most important pieces of equipment are the flies used as bait. Such flies can be found in any specialized shop in thousands of models. Knowing which one to buy will relate to the fish that people are trying to catch and the type of water the person will be fishing in, be it saltwater or freshwater.

Fly fishing flies are unique and are probably the most important part of equipment necessary. The “caring” process starts after buying them. People have to be careful not to crush or entangle them as they are delicate and fragile. People should be sure they are kept in appropriate fly boxes and they should be thoroughly dried after they are used. A good method of drying them is attaching them somewhere so that they will air-dry. Failure to take this action may lead to misshapen flies or rusty hooks. If the fly box gets wet, it is a good idea to remove and dry all of the flies from the box.

People must be very careful with their flies. As they have practically no weight at all they can easily be crushed. If they are crushed, people should try holding them over steam from hot water to help them regain their shape. If they are crushed beyond repair, they must be replaced.

Fly fishing is a beautiful sport that can lead to much satisfaction, but it’s also hard to learn and people can only grasp its secrets in time. Be sure to experiment with different flies and movements of the fly in order to be successful.

Fly Fishing Trips provides detailed information about fly fishing trips, fly fishing gear, fly fishing knots and more. Fly Fishing Trips is affiliated with Bed And Breakfast Maine.

More about advertising from BIG Mike McDaniel

It makes no difference what media you use to
advertise, the rules are the same. Benefits,
benefits, benefits.

Advertise benefits and your advertising will be a
success. Take a poll, they don’t care about car
dealers, banks or tire stores. All they care about
is “What’s in it for me?”.

The fact that your dealership has been number one
in the mid-region for 3 straight years is not
advertising - it is bragging!

Explain what you have done for others. Tell what
you can do for them. Remember the rule - it is
always about them - not about you! Look at the
advertising around you. Egads! Most of it is
about the advertiser. Especially that 20 foot
mug shot of the car dealer on the billboard.

Think benefits and you have a leg up on
advertising that works, rather than advertising
that gets the neighbors to say “Hey, I saw you on
the billboard”, or “..saw your picture in the
paper again.” Trust me, strangers won’t mention
your picture. And that giant billboard pic won’t
bring a sole through the door or get them to buy
your product.

The reason you see so much bad advertising is that
“ego” sells and the newspapers and billboard
people know it. You even hear people who can’t
read stumbling through their own radio
commercials. Three friends mention it and they
think the advertising was a success and sign up
for more.

You don’t need a picture of your building, you
need a description of what is inside and what it
can do for me. Don’t tell me you have the largest
selection, or latest styles and colors. Tell me if
you don’t have it in stock you can get it
overnight. Don’t tell me you have 20 years’
experience. Tell me you’ll show up on time, smell
good and fix my toilet, or I don’t pay.

For more about advertising, get my article
“What The Newspaper Ad Person Won’t Tell You”
Send blank email to my article-robot.
Mike@BIGIdeasGroup.com

Let the other guys flush their ad money with giant
pictures of the staff, or TV commercials with the
grand kids shouting a slogan. You concentrate on
WIIFM, What’s In It For Me, and your advertising
will work harder for you.

©2005 BIG Mike McDaniel All Rights Reserved
Mike@BIGIdeasGroup.com
BIG Mike is a Professional Speaker and Small
Business Consultant with over 30 years experience,
http://BIGIdeasGroup.com

Subscribe to “BIG Mike’s BIG Ideas” Newsletter
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If you are charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI), it can be terrifying and humiliating. Thus, an accused person may wish to fight such charges.

DUI charges have far-reaching effects. Those convicted of drunk driving may not only lose their job, but also end up with a prison sentence. And a DUI charge sits on a person’s criminal record forever and will always have an effect on his or her life, maybe even inhibiting future job aspirations.

If you are accused of a DUI, a caliber DUI lawyer can help you undergo the seemingly overwhelming legal ordeals at hand. An expert DUI lawyer will invest a great deal of time and effort into your case and lead you through the maze of court proceedings, hopefully winning you a verdict of “not guilty” or at least, negotiating a lesser charge.

Some DUI lawyers offer free consultation and legal advice and it is here that the facts, from the day of arrest to the day you were put into police custody, are reviewed. Every bit of information can help a lawyer to design your case.

A lawyer will also go over all the potential issues that may be brought up in a courtroom setting and inform you of the various procedures you will have to go through. As well, a lawyer will map out an outline of different options for winning the case, to make the process as simple as possible.

You will feel much more confident about your situation once you sit down with a lawyer specializing in the crime you’ve been accused of but the success of your case will almost always depend on the validity of the charges.

Stu Pearson has an interest in Business & Technology related topics. To access more information on drunk driving lawyer or on DUI lawyer, please click on the links.

The hoodia information that is currently available comes mostly from a British pharmaceutical company called Phytopharm, but they do not like for their findings to be applied to natural hoodia gordonii products that are currently on the market. They say that the hoodia studies that they have completed at this time show that hoodia gordonii is safe and is effective as an appetite suppressant, but they say that the hoodia gordonii products that are currently on the market may not be genuine hoodia gordonii. They also say that the active molecules may not be present in sufficient amounts to cause the desired effect. Perhaps they would have been happier if they could have kept all hoodia information “under wraps” until they were ready to release their product.

The independent hoodia study performed by Brown University Medical School in Rhode Island concluded that hoodia gordonii affects nerve cells in the hypothalamus which monitor blood glucose levels. Undoubtedly future hoodia studies will be based on their research. When we have not eaten for a while, blood glucose levels drop. The brain sends out a “hungry” signal. We eat and blood glucose level stabilizes. The brain sends out a “not hungry” signal. According to the hoodia information that is currently available, which relies heavily on this study performed at Brown, hoodia gordonii causes the brain to send out a “not hungry” signal, even though we have not eaten. However, hoodia studies do not indicate that hoodia gordonii has any real effect on blood sugar levels.

It does appear, according to the research done at Brown, that an increase in ATP in the bloodstream follows injection of hoodia gordonii extract. At least this is the effect that it had on the rats’ bloodstreams that were used in this study. It is this hoodia information that leads professionals to believe that hoodia gordonii could increase metabolism, as well as suppress appetite. ATP supplies large amounts of energy to the cells of the body for various processes, including metabolism. So, some current hoodia information states that hoodia gordonii can increase energy.

Informal hoodia studies have been performed by practitioners interested in their patients’ progress while taking supplements containing hoodia gordonii. Hoodia information obtained from these sources indicates that those people who continue to take the supplements (some people drop out because of price) experience a decrease in their appetite. Weight loss varies depending on individual lifestyle. Psychological cravings are not always alleviated and you still may not be able to get over the urge to clean your plate, because that is what you were taught to do as a child. But, if you are busy then you may not even think about food, in fact you may need to remind yourself to eat. As a reminder, this is hoodia information obtained from informal hoodia studies. Complete clinical hoodia studies are still underway at Phytopharm and have not been released at this time.

There is a lot of hoodia information out there. Some of it is based on scientific evidence and some is conjecture. There are products which mix other herbs (usually stimulants) with hoodia gordonii and there are products which claim to be 100% hoodia gordonii powder obtained from the hoodia plants grown by African farmers. Many people have had to use a little trial and error to find a product that works well for them. If you are considering a hoodia gordonii supplement, check with your doctor first and if you have any unusual side effects (formal and informal hoodia studies have shown no side effects associated with the use of 100% hoodia gordonii products) report those to your doctor, along with the ingredients in the product you are taking. Current news about hoodia studies will be posted in a timely manner at the Hoodia Info Blog.

For more information about the results of hoodia studies, visit the Hoodia Info Blog at http://hoodiainfo.blogspot.com.

Patsy Hamilton is an editor of the Hoodia Info Blog.