- Is there a Height Restriction? This varies according to the specific airline and which aircraft type you will be operating. Usually you may not be shorter than 1.58m. Varies according to airlines & charter companies.
- Is there an age cut off? No. You can fly as a Flight Attendant until retirement age providing you pass your annual recurrent training and meet the medical requirements, as well as the airline requirements. To do the course, we train any age, this is your decision to do the course and if a airline will employ you at your age, every airline is different in their requirements of age, so if you are a mature age and want to be a Flight Attendant, please check with the airline you want to apply for a position with if they will accept you. You must however be 18 years of age or older to write your SACAA exam.
- How do I stay current? (Cabin Crew Member License needs to be active, as it does expire, recurrent exams need to be done) You will be required to do your recurrent training once you are a Qualified Cabin Crew Member/Flight Attendant and your medicals as regularly as it is legally required according to the SACAA (South African Civil Aviation Authority) regulations.
- Why do some Training Schools require a medical certificate before accepting you for Training? The medical certificate is required for the Flight Attendant licensing process. It is very wise to complete your medical examination prior to attending training as this will prevent possible financial loss to you should you be found medically unfit.
- What happens once I have completed the initial training course with your company? Once the training course has been completed at The Academy of Aviation, and you were successful in all the components, you will then write a final SACAA examination. After completion of that and you were successful, the SACAA will issue you a license. It is then up to you to find employment with the commercial airlines or private charters, as with completing any qualification at an institution.
- Does The Academy of Aviation find me a job? No. The Academy of Aviation is a training organisation only and is not involved in recruitment of Flight Attendants. However, our reputation as an ATO is held in high regard in the aviation industry and is highly respected with our qualified Learners. As per any other University or College, this is the next part of your journey, to apply for positions, attend interviews and sell yourself. The question always asked “is there enough positions for Flight Attendants?”, the answer is YES, it takes many crew members to operate different flights and our qualification is internationally recognised, so you can apply with any airline. It is up to the individual to make it happen!
- How difficult is the course? There are 16 Modules to be completed over the 7-week programme and the pass mark for most of these written exams on all modules is 90%. There are also practical assessments involved and the pass mark required is 100%(Remember you are in charge of safety and “Safety is Not Negotiable”)
- What are the training hours? 08h30 to 17h00 Monday to Friday (there might be a requirement to train on a Saturday, Sunday or Public Holiday)
- Do you offer online training? No, we are not able too due to the requirements from SACAA, which requires practical assessments, i.e. Fire Fighting must be done practically, you cannot put a fire out online
- Is there a dress code while attending training? Yes, we encourage our Learners to prepare for the working world of a Flight Attendant, which always requires you to be neat. well groomed and ready to start operating a flight.
- We are you based/located/situated? We are based 216 Johan Road, Wilgespruit 190-IQ Honeydew, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. Unfortunately, we do not have branches nationally, all training is done at our Academy in Johannesburg. This enables us to do your practical’s at O R Tambo International Airport.
- What are the qualifications required for a South African Licensed Flight Attendant? – The student must be 18 years or older, – Grade 12/Matric or equivalent (chat with us, we do make exceptions) – Proficient in English (International standard language requirement) – Medically fit
- How do I register for the IFAC or SFAC Course? You can go to our registration page on our website, complete the registration form, then click the register button, once you have completed your Registration Form, you must email us your POP (Proof of Payment) for your Registration Fee of R1 600.00 on registrations@theacademyofaviation.co.za. To secure your name on the list on the relevant course, you must make a deposit of R1 600.00, and email us proof thereof, or pay directly online on our website. Once we have received proof of payment for registration fee and your registration form, we will contact you directly with the next steps for you to start out awesome course.
- How does payment for the course work? As we are not a licensed Financial Institution but rather a licensed training Institution by law we are not allowed to offer study loans. We do however work closely with a licenced loan platform – Student Hero – which applies at all Financial Institutions and FUNDI to see if you qualify for a study loan, this is for SA Citizens only. We do not offer the course for free. Contact us for our fee structures and different packages.
We do not offer Bursaries, nor do we offer Learnership’s. We are a training business and have daily overheads to cover, hence we operate as per any normal business.
Applications for this needs to be sourced by yourself from an alternative source outside of the academy. The cost are paid as per below:
- Step 1: There is a Non-Refundable Registration Fee of R1 600.00 that must be paid upon registration to secure a seat for you on the training course. (This is not the full cost for the training course)
- Step 2: A 50% deposit of the total cost of the course must be made before the first day of training.
- Step 3: The balance of the tuition costs must be made within the 7 weeks (IFAC), 11 Weeks, 12 Weeks or 16 Weeks (SFAC) of the training, and before the official SACAA exam is written. No student will be allowed to write the final SACAA exam without full fees being paid.
Terms and Conditions are available on our website or contact us to send them to you. Once registration has been completed, you accept these T & C’s, which are legally binding please ensure you read them in full before registering.
15. Are there accommodation facilities? Yes, we have accommodation at the academy premises, which is dormitory style, just like university, with a catering kitchen (Catered meals are charged for) Chefs on duty. We can also arrange private room accommodation; however, this does increase accommodation costs. It is safe, clean and a lovely vibey environment with all students living, breathing and studying aviation together. Ladies and Gents do not share accommodation, they have separate dormitories. We ask all students which are adult based learners to respect this.
We have security on the premises 24/7.
No Drugs or Alcohol are allowed on the premises. Strict rules and regulations are in place. Remember you are here to study and start your new career, so you want to give it your best attention to achieve your goal.
There is a study lounge for students, Dart Board, Billiards Table, Table Tennis, Foosball Table, and Soccer for after hours enjoyment and team building.
Accommodation is cost effective at low rates for students – Contact us for rates
16. How long is the course? The IFAC (Initial Flight Attendant Course) Blue is run full time over a 7-week period.
The IFAC (Initial Flight Attendant Course) Bronze & Silver is run full time over a 11-week period
The IFAC (Initial Flight Attendant Course) Gold is run full time over a 12-week period
The SFAC (Super Flight Attendant Course) is run full time over a 16 Week period.
17. Do I have free time on the courses? Yes, Weekends are your time to chill and relax, unless you have an exam to write on a Monday, then it is up to you, whether you want to use the time to study and ensure you pass. Once class is over for the day, you have chill time too. Students can Uber to the closest mall, Cradle Stone Mall by one of The Academy of Aviation members to do some shopping. Students can use Uber or a taxi service which is available at their own cost.
18. Can I study further courses with the Academy of Aviation? Yes, we have various skills courses that are add-ons after doing your 7 Week course.
You also have a choice to sign up for the Super Flight Attendant course which is 16 Weeks and will add value when you are seeking a position in the aviation industry – Ask us for the brochure with full course details and cost
19. Are you a Legit and Certified Training Organization? Yes, without any doubt, we are registered with SACAA (South African Civil Aviation Authority) and listed on their website as a training provided, we conduct all our final exams at the SACAA offices in Midrand.
We are also audited many times a year by the SACAA Inspectors and we are a registered ATO Aviation Training Organisation ATO No: SACAA 1056
The Academy of Aviation has been established since 2008, training aviators.
We are also members of CAASA (Commercial Aviation Association of Southern Africa), AATOSA (Association Of Aviation Training Organisations of Southern Africa) and DCSA (The Drone Council of SA.)
We have testimony from past students that have trained with us and are happily flying their way around locally and the world with various airlines.
Our passion is to ensure we developed the future flyers in our skies with the utmost of integrity.