I mentioned earlier that we formed bonds that were like family. I had the great pleasure of flying out of one base for 15 years when I lived in the mountains where many of us felt like true family, even Ohana. Somehow we always managed to find the lighter side of life and it was a great way to learn to live. I flew mostly to Hawaii during those years and a lot of the crew I flew with either had family there or just loved the place like home. A lot of the guys left their surf boards over at “the racks” in Waikiki (sadly, burned since then) and surfed every time they went. Everyone there thought they were locals I bet since they showed up a few times a week. It was a golden spot in my career.
We worked hard to earn those great layovers, though, and the trip home flew all night which could be tough. One of my dear friends never disappointed with a quick wit and I tried to work near him since he could keep me laughing most of the night.
One evening during the boarding process, I was following him down the aisle through C-zone on the 767 and there was a lot of fog blowing out of the AC system since it was a humid night outdoors. Per usual it was dramatic looking, and a few guests started murmuring and one finally stopped him and loudly asked if the plane was on fire or if we were in danger. He barely broke stride, looked down as he waved his hand through the air elegantly and proclaimed just as loudly: “Oh no sir, that’s just a little something to help you sleep!”
He was long gone and I just hit the area as most folks burst out laughing and the concerned gentleman slowly started to grin. Clearly the ice was broken (and the fog lifted) for that flight.
Same dear friend. We were working opposite ends of the beverage cart during the morning service as we approached our destination after the long night flight. We were pouring mostly juice after offering bagels and danish.
Our lead flight attendant turned up the sidewall lights a bit so we could see and not run over feet and luggage in the aisle.
One of our guests awoke with a start and inquired quite loudly: “Who turned on the f*cking lights?”
My work partner did not miss a beat, leaned down close to the gentleman and quietly advised: “Oh sir, those aren’t the f*cking lights, you slept right through the f*cking lights, THESE are the breakfast lights… would you like some coffee?”
Oh yes he did!
Whitefish Dog and Home 