Britannia airlines hoped to end the myth that cabin crew members are just “trolley dollies” by inviting a reporter along to try their taxing training course.

Leicester Mercury reporter Sarah Kerby joined the airline’s new recruits on their five-week intensive course on the ground before being let loose in the air.

Kitted out in full uniform, Sarah joined the fledgling flight attendants for a day of their tough training schedule at East Midlands Airport.

In a bid to get the staff used to the cramped confines of a Boeing 757, Britannia uses a 30-seater mock-up of the plane.

And trainees face long days on board, sampling airline meals and practicing their safety drills before taking off as new crew members this summer.

But only ten per cent of applicants make the grade to fly with Britannia, and Sarah hoped that she would rank up there with the chosen few.

First, she had to forget about meeting deadlines and instead get to grips with what was printed on the safety card and checking that seats were in their upright position with tray tables stowed away.

She found out the hard way that there was more to being a member of the cabin crew than the “pre-flight vogueing routine of ‘the emergency exits are located here, here and here”.

Sarah was also surprised at the in-depth nature of the training course.

She said in her report: “It means long days and hard work and it’s surprisingly technical with a strict emphasis on safety especially since 9/11.”

When lunchtime comes, the trainees eat on the plane.

Sarah added: “It has to be the most bizarre plane lunch I’ve ever had. We’re sitting in a cabin eating our chicken and broccoli and not flying.

“This tactic of keeping the trainees in the cabin serves a very real purpose of helping them get used to life in the air.”

And just four days later Sarah’s fellow trainees earned their wings and were free to jet off to holiday hotspots, leaving the grounded hack to reflect: “Having spent the day with them, I’m slightly jealous.”

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