Denis achieved D*D*, equivalent to two A* grades at A Level, on our BTEC Diploma in Aviation at Kingston College. A passionate aviation enthusiast, Denis credits the course's hands-on, coursework-based approach and real-world learning opportunities with helping him develop the knowledge and skills he needs to pursue a career as cabin crew.
Why did you choose your course and Kingston College?
I chose the BTEC in Aviation as aviation and aircraft are a passion of mine and I was interested when I saw on the website that the course covers content in nearly every sector in aviation operations which I thought was a great opportunity. I chose Kingston College as I had studied there previously and had a good experience, so I knew that the staff were good and the tutors were helpful.
What attracted you to studying this course rather than A Levels?
Compared to A Levels, where you would traditionally have to study harder for exams which are stressful, this course like many other BTECs is mainly based on coursework, Throughout the course, we were put into realistic situations and scenarios that helped me better understand what I had to do for each assignment. Through practical group and independent work, realistic roleplays and research, I had the opportunity to do hands-on work and learn more about each component of the course, rather than just learning theory.
What are your plans after you finish your course?
My plan after the course is to go into employment as cabin crew.
Real‑World Learning
I had the amazing opportunity to go to the British Airways SEP day for work experience where we had hands-on experience of how cabin crew train for inflight emergencies. We learnt how they respond should things go wrong in the air such as a fire on board and what equipment is needed to deal with that situation; we also learned how to deal with landing on water in an emergency and how to coordinate the passengers safely on the aircraft’s life raft. We were also shown the aircraft simulator where they train cabin crew to experience realistic situations where they would have to evacuate passengers while following procedures and we were also taught survival techniques which gave me a broader knowledge of what cabin crew go through when training.
