New Mansfield college classroom will help students soar to new heights

After taking delivery of part of a retired plane last summer, work to fit out the retired A320 airbus has finished and the Vision Air interactive classroom is now open to students at West Nottinghamshire College’s Derby Road campus.

Welcoming staff and students aboard for the first time, travel and tourism advanced diploma students demonstrated some of the skills they have been learning, including safety and seatbelt demonstrations and checks.

Students also delivered a public announcement to welcome passengers on board and undertook a range of customer service skills, including serving refreshments.

Sabrina Sandhu, travel and tourism teacher, said: “We’re proud to launch Vision Air and the students are thrilled to be able to take their learning to this interactive and immersive space. This means their skills as budding cabin crew can broaden out with confidence. This is as true to life as being on-board a plane.

The students were joined by former diploma student Shea Boam, who has gone on to work as cabin crew for Ryanair, and tutor Maria Gunning, who worked for Thomas Cook as cabin crew for more than 25 years and now instructs students in areas such as customer service skills, safety demonstrations, history of aviation and how to deal with conflict on a flight.

Maria said: “For me, cabin crew is the best job in the world. It’s not just a career, it’s an entire lifestyle.

“Despite the glitches in the airline sector at the moment, it’s still a great industry to enter.

“There are still pathways for great careers and for today’s students who have a passion for travel, it’s the perfect job.

“This new plane is a fantastic idea and a boost to the curriculum and any future travel and tourism students”

Advanced diploma student James Ellis, aged 18, said: “I’m looking forward to coming back to college for my second year and having this as our weekly classroom.

“The more practice we get on here will really assist us for the future.

“In the future, I’m considering either being on-board a plane as cabin crew or going to university to advance my skills.”