Before working professionally as a pilot, I worked in finance and local government roles. Having moved from the cubicle to the cockpit, I have an acute appreciation for how unconventional the working life is for pilots and cabin crew.
We work all hours of the day or night, weekdays and weekends, fair weather or poor, holidays and regular days, day trips or trips lasting 5 days or more. And to add to this variety, we typically work with an entirely different crew each trip. Pilots can go an entire career, never flying with the same pilot twice. It is no different for cabin crew, though flying together again is more likely at a smaller airline than at a legacy airline.
The personality and disposition of pilots tend to differ from that of flight attendants, and our background, experience, and path to the airline are each unique. Pilots and flight attendants, or cabin crew, are represented by different unions, too. These small, subtle differences singularly are not significant, but if added together, they can create an environment not always ready for teamwork.
And yet, pilots and cabin crew are expected, rightly so, to work seamlessly together to ensure a safe, routine, and on-time flight for the traveling public. A good working relationship is paramount.
Respect for roles
Pilots and cabin crew have markedly different roles, yet, both roles are essential to the operation. I may have gone through several years of training and building flight time to get to the flight deck of an airliner, but my job is not more important than the cabin crew’s job: we’re both essential. I have great respect for the cabin crew member who greets each passenger with a smile, singularly wearing the hat of a friend, counselor, emergency medical technician, and host, sometimes at the same time.
Importance of standardization
Airlines have perfected the art of standardization. From flows to checklists, flight crews can board an aircraft, having met for the first time just moments ago, and get to work in a surprisingly synchronized fashion. Each member of the crew knows his or her role and performs it. This is essential in a workplace with an ever-changing cast of co-workers.
Communication
Trust is usually formed over continued exposure to someone, a luxury not often afforded to flight crew members. Good communication can bridge this gap. Pilots that keep flight attendants informed of pertinent information about the flight and do so respectfully can build trust through communication. The same is true of cabin crew to the pilots. A good crew thoroughly briefs each other on the ground and keeps communication open during the flight.
Same team
Ultimately, the flight and cabin crew wear the uniform of the same company – the outward sign of a team. The crew must pursue the inward signs of a team – respect, knowing and performing your role, and communicating – on each trip and flight. This is never truer than in times of urgency or emergency. In those times, the team’s training, standardization, and communication come out, and the world sees poised professionals eager to serve the traveling public safely.
Source: simpleflying.com