Aircraft Familiarisation and Cabin Systems
Aircraft and cabin layout
Candidates must recognise narrow-body and wide-body cabin layouts, exit types (Type I–IV), door arming and disarming, and the meaning of the cabin interphone and PA priority. Know the location and function of emergency equipment: extinguishers (Halon, water, CO2), portable breathing equipment (PBE), first aid kits, AEDs, megaphones, and life vests.
Systems you operate
Understand cabin lighting, temperature control, water and waste systems, and the passenger service units. Know that arming a door connects the slide to the girt bar; disarming returns it. Recognise the difference between a door that is "armed" versus "cabin ready" and the meaning of the slide pressure gauge.
Traps in questions
- Confusing PBE (for fighting fire in smoke) with the oxygen mask (for decompression).
- Assuming all exits are the same type; Type I exits are floor-level and require a slide.
- Forgetting that a door must be disarmed before opening at the gate.
- Mixing up the location of the AED and the first aid kit.
Rule of thumb
Before opening any door, confirm the slide is disarmed and the outside is safe. If in doubt, stop and call the commander.
Worked example
A question asks which device protects a crew member from smoke inhalation while fighting a cabin fire. The answer is the PBE, not the oxygen mask, because the PBE supplies filtered air for a limited period.