Here's a blog from yesterday about the US Air Force Museum showing lots of planes, though not all of them, by Big Daddy Dave.
Here's my earlier post Remembering Flying that has most of my photos that remain of my own short-lived months of being a stewardess for Pan Am.
My story for today's Sepia Saturday includes another stewardess, "J."
She was trained and stationed in New York, to fly the European circuit. I flew the Latin American circuit from Miami.
Though she's a little bit older than I am, she kept flying longer before getting married and hanging up her wings. (Yes that pin was called wings.)
Remember this was the 60s. Here Chubby Checker gives J. (on far right) tips about the Twist. Look him up if you've never heard of him, or the great dance moves.
When J. got married, she had two little girls, and the oldest was born about the same time as my second son. J. and I never met when flying. Crews out of Miami seldom would be on a flight with crews from New York.
So my second son graduated from Georgia Tech and lived in Atlanta. And that's where he met Michelle, J.s daughter, and they fell in love. Imagine their surprise that both their mom's had been flying around in Pan Am planes at the same time. Imagine my surprise too. J. had stayed in touch with some of her friends she made while flying. I didn't stay in it long enough to make any friends.
But we do love laughing about our days of wearing uniform skirts below the knee. And a girdle was also required! Another thing you may have to look up!
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Today's quote:
Hello,
ReplyDeleteGreat collection of photos. I like seeing the different uniforms of stewardesses. I am back in the 1960's it was an exciting job, now the flight attendants have to put up with some mean people.
Have a great day and happy weekend.
I do feel sorry for the flight attendants these days. Tough job.
Delete...I remember when flying was fun.
ReplyDeleteYep, the getting ready to go somewhere, tickets easy, no TSA waiting lines, and comfortable seating. Gone gone gone, except getting ready now means a car trip to me.
DeleteI remember Chubby Checker and the twist and the 60s :) You have such a personal relationship with planes. My only one is that I used to be a passenger before I gave up flying.
ReplyDeleteI've pretty much given it up too. At least at rush seasons...or bad weather.
DeleteBeing a stewardess was such a glamor job back then. When we flew to England in '69 on Islandic Air, we were surprised by their stewardesses who were a bit chubby and frumpy (like real people.)
ReplyDeleteGood for them. I would be surprised even today that chubby and frumpy would make it on any American airlines.
DeleteI enjoyed this post, Barbara, and somehow missed knowing that you were also a stewardess. There is a popular book out about the life of a stewardess, but can't recall its title now. Thanks for sharing the vintage photos as well.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed this. I'd love to know what the book is, if you think of it, put it in a note either here or on your blob
DeleteHi Barbara, I love airplanes too... My first flight was on a North Central Airlines Convair 240 in 1957...Buffalo to Detroit. Lots of leg room and comfortable seating, decent food and great service. I also flew on Convair 440s, Vicker's Viscount's and on a Lake Central DC-3. The latter was from Detroit to Erie PA to Buffalo. I still regret not having flown on a Lockheed Constellation or on Pan American Airways. Over the years I also flew on business via a Short Skyvan and BAe-146 aircraft. Business aircraft I've flown on...owned by companies I worked for...included a Beechcraft King Air, a Cessna Citation II, a Grumman Gulfstream I and a Gulfstream II. The Grumman "I" was a propeller driven aircraft and the "II" was a business jet. Thanks for publishing the link to my blog site. Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
ReplyDeleteOoooh, those business planes are improessive to me, especially Gulfstream II...what fun. Of course you were busy being serious businessman at the time, but I think every flight had the element of an adventure, with just a hint of possible problems and being such that we probably wouldn't walk away from most of the problems with a plane. I got my parents to accept that I could take that job by citing that more people died crossing the street than in plane crashes. In 1963 that was probably true...not sure anymore.
DeleteHow fun you were a stewardess/'flight attendant' at a time when it really was a glamour job. Too bad you couldn't continue for at least a little while longer, but the rules were pretty stringent back then. When we flew via British Airways to London a couple of years ago, we had a lucky break. Our daughter with us is handicapped so while waiting to board the plane, we were allowed to sit up at the front of the waiting line where the flight attendants were also waiting to board the plane. We entered into conversation with them, getting to know a little about them and they, about us, and as a result, received what I considered extra first-rate treatment on the flight which was really nice. :) We've flown on several different American airlines, but having flown twice now on British Airways, I have to say they are the best in all ways. The American airline coming even close would be Alaska Air.
ReplyDeleteGood to know about BOAC, and I would expect them to be top rate. I've heard good things about Alaska Air.
DeleteYour sister had some stories about her time in the airlines. That was before metal detectors. She told us about a time someone looking like a Fidel Castro follower boarded a NY-Miami with a large kitchen knife inside his army fatigue jacket. They alerted the pilot who announced a mechanical problem. Everyone disembarked, then the would be hijacker was arrested.
ReplyDeleteHow great that you heard about my sister's flying adventure. Wow. That was a close call. I don't think anyone had started hijacking airplanes when I flew, or I would have learned some ways to deal with that. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment!
DeleteWhat memories!
ReplyDeleteThere are several times in my life that I have great memories and few photos.
DeleteThere’s such a mystique about airplanes and travel. I dreamed of being a flight attendant all through my childhood.
ReplyDeleteA dear friend in college also wanted to be a flight attendant and was considered too short. I think she joined the Air Force and was thus able to fly in some capacity.
DeleteWhat fun stories and connections to flying! Some of your readers are of an age that we don't have to look up chubby Checker and girdles! Ha! What a cool photo with him. And a fun memory for J, I would think.
ReplyDeleteI see her occasionally at family gatherings. I do think she enjoyed meeting Chubby Checker!
DeleteYou were lucky to work at Pan Am when air travel was a pleasant experience (mostly) instead of today. Between the tedious air[port security check-in, the struggle to stow carry-on bags, and the discomfort of the seats, there isn't much about flying that is fun anymore. Last year we started our summer holiday with a short hop from AVL to CLT on a small turboprop and my seat was at the very back next to the flight attendant's fold-down seat. Since the woman had little to do on this short flight we struck up a conversation and I learned something about her work with American airlines.It's not an easy job being on call 24/7 and having to fly to unpredictable places. Lately they are often subjected to outrageous abuse from passengers.
ReplyDeleteYou said it Mike! It's now like the experience my mother always expected from riding on Greyhound buses. I have traveled that way, as well as train travel before it became almost non-existant. Having your own transportation is the only way to make the trip enjoyable, and I do believe getting there should not be a form of suffering!
DeleteI loved teh pictures of the flight attendant uniforms - how on earth did you keep on your head those pillbox hats? Like you, I can;t say I like the hats in the blue uniforms. At school in the 1950s, becoming an "air hostess" was regarded as the glamour job to go for, and I rather fancied the idea of travellng - but I knew I did not stand a chance being rather a plain child with straight harrier and glasses. Of course later on attitidues seemed to change and the favurite phrase was "trolley dollies". Just like to add also, how I enjoy seeing your changing banner photographs - stunning!
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