Category Archives: On the Fly

You Found What WHERE???

** Layout of seating on L1011 to help get a feel for today’s post.            “D-zone” is on the far right in this picture. PART II:  THINGS THAT “MAYBE” SHOULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED… I grew up fast and that naïve middle class girl from an affluent Chicago suburb got herself educated fast.Continue reading “You Found What WHERE???”

What’s That Smell???

In the continuing saga of  “You found what WHERE?” Let’s revisit the coat closets on the L1011 where we left off last time. Oh yes, the closets should have had monitors. On another flight from the US to San Juan the mid coat closet was the center of attention. This closet was an engineering marvel.Continue reading “What’s That Smell???”

Sink’s Clogged!

Ok, one last one under “You found what WHERE?” before we move on to other things. I finally decided I better learn how to work that lower galley with all the drama upstairs. It was intimidating because it was a huge responsibility. You kept the service going and you didn’t want to let your crewContinue reading “Sink’s Clogged!”

Oh No You Didn’t!

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 wasContinue reading “Oh No You Didn’t!”

Always Check, Cross-Check

Let’s explore a little more under the theme of “Oh no you didn’t…” I didn’t always fly on the large, modern aircraft. This will really date me, but I began my career on 727s, DC9s and DC8s. At the bottom of the seniority list I got really familiar with the DC9. One endearing quality ofContinue reading “Always Check, Cross-Check”

Flyer Beware

These little tidbits might fall more under “Oh no they didn’t” rather than “Oh no YOU didn’t,” but still need to be told to color in the full picture of a flight attendant’s life. In my last post I referred to flying on the DC9s and DC8s back in the dark ages. Those older aircraftContinue reading “Flyer Beware”

Classless in First Class

So back to a more lighthearted look at “Oh no you didn’t…” Folks often wonder if flight attendants ever thought of sort of “getting back” at particularly difficult passengers. Well, c’mon, we are human. Thank goodness for filters. If the running dialog in my head as I worked a beverage service in a packed cabinContinue reading “Classless in First Class”

Nonstop to Hell

  I’d be lying if I said those experiences didn’t shape me and form my tolerance level for tomfoolery and such. As I gained experience, I got a much better feel for where that fine line was between “blowing off steam” and personally abusive. I wasn’t a big fan of the latter but always triedContinue reading “Nonstop to Hell”

Sweet Dreams and Flying Machines…

    Everyone thinks flight crews are fearless creatures walking on air. It’s remarkable how many people are truly uncomfortable flying. I had flown personally since I was a baby, I was very fortunate. I began my career with no fear, I was naïve. I got my first introduction to the serious side of thingsContinue reading “Sweet Dreams and Flying Machines…”