Whitefish Dog and Home

Bucket Lists and Opera

So what other kind of flying do senior flight attendants do when they aren’t just packing on the hours? Believe it or not, after all of those years of travel we are adventure geeks at heart and love to explore. I finally decided to take some time and see the sights.

Upon recommendation, I chose to check out Prague. I was embarrassingly ignorant of their culture and history so I was anxious to learn. I worked first class on the way over and met two absolutely delightful gentlemen who were seated directly across from my jumpseat. They were inclusive and friendly and made for a wonderful flight, but what struck me was how they seemed to relish every single detail. This was clearly not their first trip in first class, but they cherished every effort and nuance that made that cabin special completely. They studied maps, looked out the window and planned their trip. Their enjoyment was inspiring.

I thanked them before saying goodbye, and told them what a joy it had been to serve them. As we talked, I learned that they were on a bucket list trip for one of them and having the time of their life. They shared that they would be attending the opera that night and I just squealed as I could think of nothing more sublime. The Prague State Opera was in a class with Milan’s Teatro alla Scala in stature. They certainly were doing things right! They asked me to meet them at the opera house and enjoy the evening. What a wonderful opportunity.

The evening was magical. That was the kind of extraordinary experience we road warriors lived for. They met me in the vestibule and gave me one of the few tickets left to purchase and we agreed to meet up for champagne at intermission. Experiencing that grand presentation on my own was a gift because my focus was complete and I don’t think I missed a thing. Those gentlemen are the memories that make a career.

The next morning I was up early, armed with another great recommendation for my day. I got this one during the routine briefing for the trip. Those briefings are held in a room with a large white board that always has a few notes on the side to check out. Crews will write up new finds for restaurants, shops and sights within a day radius of our layover hotel. The tip I grabbed was to take the walking tour of Prague, and to use the company with the red umbrellas. The tips were usually a little vague like that, but that was part of the fun; scouting out the prize.

The tour was fabulous! I was hooked. What a great way to see a city. The pace was perfect to really see and examine the sights and the guide was very informative. I learned more history in one day with context than weeks of study could have achieved. We also stopped for local food and beverages and discussed local customs which is incredibly important to understand a place. A few sights that I might have missed or walked by without understanding still stick with me. Like the Jewish cemetery in the heart of town:

The cemetery has a rich history, but the reason for today’s appearance is rooted largely in Jewish respect for the deceased and their unwillingness to move or disturb a grave. Over the years it was difficult for the Jewish population to secure more real estate to bury their loved ones, so they began layering the plot of ground they did have. The gravestones were moved to the top level to honor the deceased in the layers below, and a retaining wall was built to preserve the structure of this monument to perseverance to overcome adversity. Today there stands a cluster of headstones on a raised plot in the middle of town. You really can’t help but stop and listen to the voices preserved as you look up at this incongruent sight along the busy street.

The next sight that stayed with me involved looking down, and I might have simply walked over it and idly wondered why that design was on the street.

These 27 crosses are inlaid on the street in the majestic Old Town square and represent the 27 Czech Nobleman who had been part of the War of 30 Years and fought against Fernando II who had them executed in the square. After the execution, 12 of the heads were placed in iron baskets and hung on the tower bridge for 10 years as a reminder of who was in power. I was grateful to understand the sacrifice in the history of this place and not just let myself get carried away with the beauty and splendor of the majestic square!

The architecture and the art throughout the city were spectacular. I was so glad to have enjoyed it by walking the town rather than driving through. It was also interesting to hear international perspectives on the sights in our small group of sightseers. Walking tours was definitely going to be my way to check out a new town whenever possible and I highly recommend it for seasoned travelers wishing to scratch more than the surface.

Roman Holidays

Rome. Need I say more? What’s not to love?

I actually had no real interest in going to a huge city in Italy at first glance. It seems that folks who travel a bit, say Europe maybe once a year or so, love to bash big cities. It was easy to get on board with that, until I ventured off to Rome to see for myself. I had the benefit of an introduction from flight crew, which is akin to visiting a new city with locals.

Maybe I should pause and explain how flight crews explore the world. We don’t have the same approach as someone going to a destination on vacation or even for a few days for business. We largely are dropped in a city (and with good luck, in a good central location) without any transportation and we only stay for 24 hours. Ideally, they are 24 useful hours. It is prime to arrive around noon, grab a quick refresh and then head out to enjoy one point of interest per trip and then a great meal followed by a good night’s sleep. It’s trickier when you have an odd number of hours or have to leave late at night or very early the next day because you have to devote most of your layover to rest and nutrition.

Location is important as well. Since we were on our own to get around, we really get to know the radius within a few miles of the hotel. Public transportation opens a whole new world for us. If we layover out at the airport for convenience, time or security reasons, we are pretty much just focusing on rest. We had a great location in Rome off of Via Veneto and central to everything including public transportation. Walking was our mode of choice after the confinement of the aircraft, and it allowed us to absorb the city through all senses as we explored.

Crews get to know the area right around their hotel really well and share good finds with each other. We don’t typically hang out as a group on layovers, it would be like herding cats to get 10 or 14 of us going in one direction, and we all have our own personal interests. A lot of times we make plans to meet at the end of the day for dinner which is the perfect amount of socializing for our break from being “on” constantly when we work. If there was someone new on the crew, we would either point them in the right direction to see the “must see” sights or one of us would take them out and introduce them to the city. We gave each other space but took care of each other too. It was awesome when you had enough seniority to finally fly the Rome trip regularly. I mean imagine going to Rome every week for months on end! I would pick a different feature I wanted to explore in depth each time and give it my full attention. I did things you might not do on a busy vacation:

I attended church one Sunday at the Pantheon. Wow. Just wow. Yes, I cried. The history and majesty of the architecture were simply overwhelming.

Looking up, Seeing God

I took the time to crawl around in crypts under the city and take a balloon ride over it. I spent weeks heading across the river to get to know Trastevere where yes, they have a foodie walking tour. I learned about my favorite Jewish bakery over there from the Italian speaker from Rome on the crew and would save all of my calories for that spot. The earthy funk of the streets made that neighborhood a delight to wander and explore. You could feel the grit of everyday life.

Of course just stopping anywhere in a piazza for a lazy glass of wine and salad to watch the beautiful, emotive people could pass an entire afternoon. I loved how you could duck into any church on the street and step into a work of art.

So much of Rome is the food, though. If you think you’ve had Italian food before going to Italy, well, no you have not. I even had Italian relatives from Boston who immigrated from Italy, but this food absolutely transported me. I was struck by how fresh and truly flavorful the cuisine was. Not just a lot of dishes piled with cheese and tomato sauce. And this is where traveling with crew was a real bonus. We all LOVE food, and a crew goes out to eat every day in Rome so we cover a lot of ground and get away from the obvious places and find the great local gems. We leave cards recommending the greats in, you guessed it, the briefing room and pass them around and small local trattorias become crew legends. Then crews become legends showing up all of the time and we all develop a family relationship and it is a lot of fun and feels like going home in those great restaurants in a fabulous city. One of those places was a place we lovingly call “Nona’s.”

Nona’s is actually named: Ristorante der Pallaro. Trust me, it’s Nona’s.

It’s a non-descript building with a nice courtyard set up with 2 long tables lined with chairs. Nona (Grandmother in Italian) starts cooking every morning early, and cooks all day. There is one menu per day (what Nona made) and 2 seatings.

You are seated and some jugs of excellent house wine are set in the middle of the table with carafes of water. The fun begins.

The full meal starts with antipasto and ends with dolce and moves at a languid pace. Everything is served family style and the mood is always festive and friendly. Each course absolutely melts in your mouth like butter. I have no idea how the eclectic combination of fresh flavors comes together so beautifully, but each meal is a work of art. If you ever get to Rome, you must try Nona’s!

For the absolute best antipasto bar in Rome, wander over towards Piazza Barberini. Down a small side street, and trust me on this, you want to find this, is da Olimpio.

It’s at the end of Via degli Avignonesi, and just a storefront trattoria/pizzeria. When you enter, glance to your left. Feast your eyes on an antipasto bar that could easily be dinner. It is spectacular! After being seated at one of the white clothed tables in the intimate setting and enjoying your first sip of the house wine gracing the table, you can get a plate of fresh food that will make you linger. Save some space, though, because they rock some of the arguably best pizza in town. Winding down at da Olimpio is a sublime way to end a busy day in Rome. You can wander over to the Trevi Fountain just a short distance away and enjoy some Gelato at Gelateria Valentino afterwards for a sweet finish.

There are some of the most amazing fine dining options in the world in Rome. Staying in a hotel off of Via Veneto, there was no shortage of those options and they were impressive. I have to say that one worth your visit that isn’t a household name in tour books but a favorite Roman fine restaurant is Al Pompiere.

It’s not flashy and bold, but old school. Located in the Jewish Ghetto section of town, not far from where you cross the Tiber to head over to Trastevere, the surrounding area is a great niche to explore on its own. The food is very traditional Judeo-Roman and the staff is part of the fabric of the place. It’s an older world experience. They can do things with artichokes there that will amaze you, but you really do have to try the fried ones with some zucchini blossoms to start your evening. Just saying. You’ll enjoy a great meal in a beautiful historic setting without too many beautiful people trying to be seen ordering Nouveau-Roman food to spoil your evening. Can’t beat that!!

One of the best things, and surprising things about Rome for such a big city is its warmth. Take the time to appreciate that if you ever get there. Slow down to local time and take that 2 hour lunch and enjoy a bottle of wine and talk and watch the world pass by. Listen to the musical nature of the language and watch the effusive greetings between people. I highly suggest learning a few words of Italian before going, it is surprisingly similar to English and logical to learn. Italians are overjoyed when you make an attempt to speak with them in their language and will welcome you warmly. I found it so much fun that I decided to really work on learning the beautiful language, which led to another adventure of course.

Ciao! A domani!!

Talking the Talk

As I spent time each week in Italy immersed in their culture, I found myself picking up Italian a bit at a time with no effort. A melodic language, easy on the ears, it had remarkable similarities to English and the Italian propensity to embellish communications with gestures helped with translation. I took the next step and started listening to language audio lessons in my car when driving. I used the structured Pimsleur Method, which large companies and the government uses, as my guide and found it very effective. Suddenly, instead of knowing the words to every new song that came out, I was building my Italian conversation skills. It helped that I could practice every week in Italy of course, but it was a lot of fun and after about 6 months I decided to kick it up a notch.

My airline had a program that would pay for you to attend an immersion course in a foreign language spoken on one of our routes. The goal was to develop more foreign language speakers from within. It was an outstanding opportunity, so another flight attendant and I decided to make the very most of our learning. We chose to attend the Omnilingua School in San Remo, Italy for a 3 week immersion course in Italian. Let the adventure begin!

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San Remo is a beautiful coastal town on the Mediterranean coast of Liguria in northwestern Italy. It was a completely different experience than the large city of Rome and like going to a whole new country.

After landing at the closest airport, which is actually in Nice, France, we hopped a train for the ride to San Remo which took just under an hour. That was already a joy as we skirted the French and Italian Riviera and passed landmarks like Monaco and Cap-Martin.

We left the train behind and grabbed a cab which took us to our 2 bedroom apartment we would share for the next 3 weeks. The apartment was European minimalist but completely adequate. We were most taken by the red washer/dryer combo in the kitchen. We would later realize what an extraordinary convenience that was for the building and the area. We had a small balcony that was just perfect for afternoon study with wine and cheese with a peek-a-boo view of the Med:

Every day after class we would walk through the tiny bustling streets and stop in markets and pick up a bottle of wine and fresh baked bread to enjoy with some local cheese and fruit while we studied the day’s lessons. Our class had about 8 people in it from all over the world and was a learning experience just talking to each other. The first day, our teacher asked where we all were living while in San Remo. We were to speak in Italian as much as possible. I explained that our apartment was just above the Casino which was a landmark in the town. She smiled and laughed a bit as I pronounced Casino as we would here in the US. I then got my first instruction in Italian which was that a Casino (pronounced like a place to gamble in the US) is a brothel. She felt almost certain that I lived just above the Ca-si-NO. Ahhhhhhhhh, what a difference that accent can make right? Well, she saved me from telling people I lived above a brothel for the next few weeks.

Classes were interesting and structured well, and we were learning fast. Weekends were an opportunity to explore and practice our skills. Our first weekend we took the 3 ½ hour train ride to the Cinque Terra for a most glorious day of hiking and beauty. We tried to only speak Italian to negotiate the train and when encountering others, thankfully everyone was patient and helpful. What a stunning place and cool opportunity for a weekend trip!

We returned to our apartment only to find we had locked our key inside. Next lesson: problem solving in a foreign language. Our apartments all opened onto a central courtyard. We were on the second floor, the windows on the side we could access were locked and we could not convince that lock to give up. Finally this little elderly woman peeked out from behind a barely cracked door and called out to us. “Cosa c’e?” Of course the minute we really needed to communicate, all of our words left us. Finally we remembered the word for “key” and could tell her we did not have our key. She opened the door a little wider, we clearly were not threatening and needed help. At about 4’10 herself, she couldn’t be too careful of course. We all pondered for a bit, then she started speaking rapidly and gesturing wildly. Very dramatic, vivid gestures and then siren noises. We were afraid she was going to call the Carabinieri on us and we were in big trouble. As we tried to explain in very poor Italian, she calmed and asked us to follow her. Cautiously we followed her, and she led us into her apartment which we knew was a very trusting act for her and we were honored. She took us into the kitchen, turned on the burner on the stove and then started the motioning and siren noise again. Then she pointed at us and the phone. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! Call the fire department for help! Of course, it was Sunday and no landlord would come.

Before we could try for other options, she picked up her phone and made the call. Well, the day ended with us in our apartment after having met some of the hottest Italian firefighters possible, enjoying sherry with our new little friend and some fresh local cheese. Our speaking skills were picking up here!

The whole experience of living in a walking town and immersing yourself in their way of life was so educational. Small things like learning to walk our trash to the dumpster a half a block away made us feel more local. Picking up fresh food every day and stopping by Trattorias at 9:00pm for a little dinner was a new way of life. We made every effort to only speak Italian and the effort paid off. It was frustrating at first, for everyone concerned I’m sure, but it was so gratifying to grow more at ease living in a foreign country. Walking in others’ shoes and talking their talk is completely enriching. I highly recommend this type of travel!! Just keep an eye on your keys…

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Something More

To say I made the most of my commercial flying career would be an understatement. The friends I made and the experiences I was afforded by traveling the world were priceless.

I spent most of my career commuting to a base since I often chose to live in smaller towns and more intimate settings. When I worked I was all in, when I was off, I was all gone. When I flew out of Salt Lake I lived in Whitefish, MT. When I flew out of Atlanta, I lived in Beaufort, SC. It could be challenging sometimes to get to work but the freedom to live where I wanted was a fabulous perk.

Hidden Lake, Glacier National Park

One day on a flight to work I sat next to a flight attendant who was also commuting to work for NetJets. She introduced me to the world of private jets and corporate flight attendants. After 25+ years of flying commercial, I was ready for a new chapter. I began my research and set my goals. The flexibility of my job allowed me to learn new skills and prepare for the change and I was grateful for that. We’ll switch gears and take a look at the life of a corporate flight attendant next, but it might be nice to pause and share some travel tips from true travel pros that might just make your travels a little easier.

Cubes

I can’t say enough for being organized when you pack. It’s the foundation of a smooth and enjoyable journey. Every single day you will begin, end and interact with your organization or lack thereof. That sounds so nerdy, I know, but work with me here for a minute or two.

The foundation of good organization are these fabulous cubes:

Cubes

They come in different sizes, colors and prices. They are your best friends. Pack all of your medicines, and only medicines, in one. This goes in your carry-on bag in case your 2^nd bag gets checked at the last minute. Women, one is for makeup. One is for toiletries. Don’t follow the temptation to just use a big one for toiletries and lump everything in. If you do use a big one, use smaller plastic bags or cubes within it to separate out shower items, Q-tips etc., and put everything back in their places after use. One may be (particularly if you are a flight attendant and live on the road) your food cube. That usually has non-perishables (nuts, dried fruit, energy bars) and a bottle opener and corkscrew. Be sure the corkscrew does not have one of those teeny-tiny little blades on it to cut the foil on a wine bottle. I like to call those a donation to TSA. Just a simple corkscrew and possibly an elegant camp wine glass in case your room only has plastic glasses. The last cube is for your nightstand. That one has your chargers, flashlight/headlamp, earplugs, lavender linen spray, travel candle, matches.

Now when you arrive in your room, the top layer in your suitcase is all cubes. It’s tempting to put them on the bottom, but then you have to dig through all of your clothes every time you move and get the cubes back out. Cubes on top.

Take your cubes and distribute them in their appropriate locations around the room. You only do this, of course, after you have used one of your Clorox wipes and wiped down every surface you or your cube is going to touch. Drop toiletries in the bathroom, food on the desk, and your night cube on the nightstand. Unzip each one but don’t just take everything out and move in like it is your new home, just use things out of the cube as much as possible and you will remain packed and ready to go. You also minimize the chance of putting things somewhere in your room and forgetting it. There! You’ve unpacked!

When it is time to leave, place each item in your room in its appropriate cube and zip it up. Carry the nice closed cube over to your suitcase. Bam!

candle Spray

You might have paused reading at the candle and lavender spray. It doesn’t take much, but makes an enormous difference if you pack a few human comfort items that make a hotel room feel like your space at home and less institutional. When doing yoga or enjoying a glass of wine (in your own glass) it is comforting to have a lightly scented candle burning for homey ambiance. Just before bed, a quick spritz of some relaxing lavender linen spray makes every bed feel like home and familiar. I subscribe to an online yoga channel and can stream any kind of yoga class I want any time anywhere. A bath towel makes a perfect yoga mat, and my hotel room becomes my studio and a place to recharge and relax.

If heavy travel is part of your life, don’t just curse the darkness but embrace the ways you can make it comfortable.

Packing Clothes and Laundry

After removing your cubes, the bottom layer in the suitcase should be your clothes. Some folks get very organized and cube their clothes (shirts, pants, socks, etc.) but my life on the road is more casual and I wing it in this section. Sort of.

It’s tempting to just grab stuff from the closet and fold it and throw it in the suitcase layer upon layer. That might work if you are going to a beach house for a week and plan to unpack all of your clothes once, but for everyone else it leaves you digging through the pile every time you need something. Two methods are best for organizing this section whether using cubes or free form. Rolling each individual item or folding it compactly, Marie Kondo style. Organize the clothes in a way that works best for you. Some folks place the items in the space organized by outfit. One shirt, one pant, underwear and socks.

I take a more organic approach and stack all tops, bottoms, underwear/swimwear and sweaters in sections. Once you remove your cubes you are looking at all of your options at once without unpacking at all. You can select which shirt, bottom, etc. you wish from the selection and leave everything else untouched. Pack shoes (in a bag or cube) on the end with the wheels.

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Marie Kondo suitcase from @MarieKondo

The natural product of wearing clothes is dirty clothes. May I suggest bringing an empty cube for these? It keeps those clothes separate and when you get home you just take that cube to the laundry room and you’re done.

For clothes you need to wash on the road, here’s a real pro tip. Laugh if you will, but just try it next time and you will be amazed.

We’ve all tried washing clothing in the little bathroom sink where the drain sometimes works and then dripping across the bathroom to the shower to hang up the wet clothes to dry. That’s just nasty. It’s hard to make sure you get the whole item properly cleaned as well, so what’s the purpose?

Next time, just step into the shower while wearing those sweaty clothes. Use the liquid body wash and soap up all over. Everywhere. Next rinse, use the handheld spray to make sure you get every bit of your clothing. Next step is to take the item(s) off and rinse the inside. Leave your clothes in the tub while you take your shower.

After you get out and dry off, lay another bath towel down on the floor. Wring out your clothes as best you can over the tub, then lay them flat on the towel you have prepared. Starting at one end, roll the towel tightly and completely to the other end. When you unroll the towel, you have semi-dry clothing. Grab a hangar and hang your clothing from the shower curtain rod or inside the shower, or just drape over towel bars. You now have clean clothes with no mess that will actually dry by morning!

If you want to take it a step further you can do what one of my favorite corporate pilots did after I shared this method with him. He went right off to his room and tried it and next thing I knew I was getting a text from him. The text was a video of his pilot shirt hanging from the ceiling fan in his room just flying around in circles. So there’s that option as well if you have a ceiling fan…

Eating on a Budget

Not everybody travels on a cushy expense account. That includes flight crews. If you are going to be on the road for a while you can only pack so much food and protein bars get old especially when trying to pair them with a lovely Pinot Noir.

Restaurants are nice, but if you really travel a lot that gets old and you just want to kick back on your own and relax and not spend a fortune on room service that somehow always tastes the same. A lot of us head out right away when we get to a destination and visit a good local deli or grocery store. Some nice fruit, cheese, crackers and maybe some prepared salad are great things to throw in the little frig in your room. You eat better and save a ton of money over eating out or picking up non-nutritious convenience food. Items you pick up also allow you to eat more like you are at home which helps you feel less like you are constantly on the road.

Staying Healthy

We’ve gone over the importance of cleaning your space on the plane and then re-sanitizing yourself every time you touch something else or plan to put a hand near your face. Your hotel room is not your home either. There are different standards of cleanliness everywhere and even with the best training, folks who do the thankless cleaning every day get tired or have an off day. Take control of your own space. As I’ve mentioned, travel with a packet of Clorox Wipes (the thin ones in the samples section of the store are perfect) and make that job-1 when you check in to your room. Don’t forget the remote (do you really want to hold hands with the last guest? Do you know where those hands have been???) and the light switches. The toilet handle is another place easily missed and the faucet handles. Door knobs. You don’t have to really worry about a list, just take a moment to walk slowly through the room looking at everything. If you think you might touch it, wipe it down. If there are glass glasses or mugs for the coffee, wipe them and then rinse with clean water. They may look clean, but you can’t be sure what cleaning cloth was used to wipe them. Eeeeeeeew.

Examine your bed before unpacking so if you need to change rooms you don’t have to pack everything up. When you have made your room your own, then unpack.

Consider the food you eat. Room service is not fine dining in a 5 star restaurant. The concepts of a fabulous poached sea bass may look enticing, but it is prepared in a hotel kitchen, sits until ready to bring upstairs and then you get it. Don’t complain about the room service, change your expectations. It’s also not a good idea to order things or pick them up at the little convenience market in the lobby if they have ingredients that need to be fresh. Stay away from the tuna salad, egg salad, pre-packaged sushi and such. Go to the store and pick up some fresh fruit and cheese instead.

Just keeping your surroundings clean, your hands clean if you are going to eat and eating mindfully can change your life from always getting sick when you travel to bringing nothing home but pictures and memories.

So there’s a few pro tips for you that you won’t find everywhere. They make life on the road a little smoother which I had to learn to do for my next adventure when my career was going to really go into high gear. We’ll look at the world through the oval windows of private jets next.

Starting Fresh

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My first long term gig on the Falcon 7X

Let me begin by saying it is not an easy transition from commercial to corporate flying. All of those years of experience make your safety skills reflexive and your skin is already thick from dealing with people. After that, you need to put your ideas of experience aside and get ready to learn a whole new game. The difficulty level ratchets up a notch because a lot of folks in private aviation have no desire to hire someone with a commercial flying background. Some of that is understandable since some commercial flight attendants show up on the scene acting like they know everything there is to know about aviation and are only too glad to tell you so. There’s also the sticking point of teaching old dogs new tricks. Some just can’t change their mindset from crowd control to bespoke service. For whatever reason, you hit roadblocks right away. The best way to convey that you have the right frame of mind is to immerse yourself in quality training. That costs a good chunk of money. I call it “pay-to-play,” but if you don’t have the proper pedigree for private aviation on your resume you might as well just file that resume in the circular file yourself.

In commercial aviation, advancement depends solely on seniority. You can have the best personal record, full of accolades and commendations, but you will never get a promotion because of it. The up side of that is flight attendants in commercial aviation have a great camaraderie and trust and look out for each other.

Private aviation is extremely competitive. You are not the only one who looks at that job/lifestyle and thinks it looks like a good idea. There are always people nipping at your heels trying to get a break. Even the ones who have made it to the top and are flying great jobs always have one eye looking over their shoulder to watch others in their orbit. If they see someone getting really strong, rather than form an alliance that makes everyone stronger and helps everyone in their career, the reaction is more likely to be to try to find a way to eliminate that person from the competition. I know that’s how the real world works, but it took some adjustment to learn how to survive. If you are being interviewed for a job and appear too strong and resourceful, you are less likely to get that job because you will pose a threat to those already there. Let the learning begin.

I did my first corporate training at Alteon, a Boeing company, which no longer offers training. I admit, I wondered how much they could really teach me about in-flight safety after all of my years of training, but off I went.

My mouth was immediately shut after day one. The training in private aviation is far more detailed and focused than commercial training. Why? Well, you are training to protect CEOs and world leaders and they take their wellbeing very seriously. The classes are smaller, which helps. There is also a lot more money in private aviation, so their toys are better.

The mock-ups where we would practice scenarios of emergency situations were fully enclosed fuselages with real aircraft interiors. The mock-up was a full motion mock-up, like a flight simulator. When you practiced a landing emergency the whole plane rocked while you tried to prepare it for the situation. It might come to rest at an awkward angle so you had to evacuate it by balancing on seats and crawling. The scenarios were challenging and had a unique focus since we were training to handle situations on our own, not with other flight attendants to assist.

My favorite part at Alteon was spending a little time in a flight simulator with an instructor. It was so empowering to learn where a few of the critical buttons were in the cockpit and get a feel for the instruments. Each of us would practice landing a large private aircraft (we used a B737 sim) after contacting folks at the the tower to be talked in. You felt how the aircraft would react to the different controls, how to reduce the speed and change the headings and then finally touch down on a runway. I admit, my first attempt was more of a splat than a touchdown, but aside from eliminating some grass and runway lights, I kept her upright and got her stopped without destruction so I called that good!

Sim

Over the years the training industry has narrowed down to two widely accepted and accredited players: Flight Safety and FACTS. While neither one puts you in a flight simulator, I did have the opportunity to experience the “dunk tank” when doing ditching training at the pool which was outstanding for honing the skills to stay calm and maintain good situational awareness in an accident.

dunk

We learned wilderness survival techniques which were incredibly relevant since a lot of private jets fly to very remote locations and often pass over the poles to make good time. Help does not always arrive quickly.

The difficult decisions necessary when triaging after an accident and understanding how to keep people alive were skills added that had to be sharp. Of course we all knew the first one saved on a private jet (wink) would be the owner or principal. Our lighthearted banter would help us through the realization that we would be very alone most likely, and getting a jet on the ground is just the beginning of the emergency.

triage

So the safety training was amazing and sobering and I learned a lot but I knew I was only part way through learning my new craft.

I had to learn how to perform the job itself in the manner expected. I chose the Corporate School of Etiquette in Santa Ana California to help me refine my skills for a private jet. The training was amazing and I have returned a few times for their Advanced Culinary classes to keep my skills sharp. The culinary section was taught by a Chef who graduated from Le Cordon Bleu and trained at the Culinary Institute of America. It was incredible fun and so enlightening to spend a few days in class with a Chef who taught us fabulous things to whip up in a small aircraft galley with limited time. Everything from proper knife skills to plating and presentation were covered and my confidence grew as I developed an understanding of the options I had at my fingertips on a private jet. In commercial aviation, you show up, the food is loaded on the plane, you heat and serve it and then pick it up. Done. On a private jet, you examine the passengers’ profiles that are provided and then develop a menu plan around their preferences. Then you compile a clear, detailed shopping list and catering order to achieve your goals. You have to learn how to craft an order for the professional caterers (or sometimes Chef in the hotel) and how to communicate them so there will be no disappointments when you are in flight and prepping. We learned how to write a proper menu for each service that would make our offerings sound appealing and not fall flat on delivery.

The etiquette classes were fascinating to not only learn the nuances of formal service but to prepare you for the clientele in this elite world. Our teacher had studied at the Protocol School of Washington and helped us understand the complexities of serving high level business people in a global environment.

InFliteDining

Finally there was an In Flight Service section to the course where you put everything together. This was really helpful for me because service on a private jet in no way resembles what goes on in the cabin of a commercial plane. I learned a whole new vocabulary that is unique to private aviation. I remember glazing over when they started talking about FBOs and line service. Those roughly translate into the terminal and the amazing folks who are your lifeline on the ground and rush over to help you whenever you pull up so you are ready to go when necessary and make you look good in the process.

OK, no more landing at “airports” and “guys on the ramp” in my vocabulary after some indoctrination to this new world and I was getting comfortable. Then I had to learn how to actually work through a normal day which requires shopping, cleaning, staging, prepping food and organizing it on the aircraft to finally serving my guests and then cleaning again. My biggest lesson learned sounds simple when you pare it down to its roots, but it was the pivot in my career that I so needed to make the transition. On my test flight (in the simulator) my instructor told me to stop talking. That was it. The most profound insight that turned on the lightbulb for me. In commercial aviation, passengers decide if you are working hard or really trying by noticing how much you are out and about in the cabin engaging with passengers.

In private aviation, the guests really don’t want to talk to you. It’s not personal but they are incredibly busy or need a few moments away from the crowd and they really don’t want to chat. They have not hired a new friend. The goal is to remain available but invisible. I mean who is really comfortable sitting in their living room or board room with the help hovering around?

This took some getting used to after years needing to be “out there,” and it took a little while before I was completely comfortable with closing the door in the galley and staying out of their space. I also had to sharpen my observation skills since they don’t want you asking if they need more water or ice, rather you should simply notice and provide it. After your guest requests more ice, for example, you should never have to ask if they care for more, but as you pass through the cabin observe when the beverage reaches the same point as it did last time they requested more ice and silently bring a glass with additional ice to them. It’s the small stuff, the fine detail that takes your service to the next level.

With some great training under my belt and a world of new knowledge I set out on my newly chosen career. Ready or not, I went out and looked for a job. Sadly, my career path followed what I found to be the norm, it took over 6 months to convince someone to give me a try. Private flying is like any other profession, they only want to hire people with a proven track record on top private jets. When I took that into consideration along with the sheer number of competitors for the few positions, I knew I had to distinguish myself from the pack. I decided to combine my passions into a specialty segment for the less than 1% and developed my own company addressing some unmet needs. My career developed legs, four legs to be exact…

Sit, Stay, Fly!

Truly successful people tell us that the way to be successful is to follow your passions. It makes sense, you will always go that extra mile for something you are passionate about. I had aviation in my veins and I just had to lean in to that passion to find my stride. My training actually presented the unmet need that I was passionate about satisfying.

In my very first training, I learned about an accident where the humans survived but the dog on board did not. He flew through the cabin on a rough landing and could not survive injuries sustained when hitting the bulkhead. Now, I’m a huge animal lover and advocate, and this stopped me dead in my tracks. I had many years of safety training, but flying with animals in the cabin was new to me and I could not handle the fact that there were no real safety provisions for them when I asked for specifics. I leaned in a little further…

I developed the first standardized Pet Safety Protocols for pets flying on private jets or in the cabin that covered everything from turbulence to bracing positions and evacuation. I also became proficient in pet first aid and CPR. I knew the clients I had who traveled with their pets thought of them as family members, and they deserved the same safety considerations as their humans; right down to pet oxygen masks, life vests and secure seat harnesses. I wasn’t sure if others would care as much as I did about this, but I knew I would feel better if anything happened, knowing that I could help all of my passengers.

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Ruffwear Float Coat PFD and Load-Up travel harness

Next I developed a brand that told my story and how I could satisfy a client’s unmet needs based on those safety protocols. I studied SEO and social media integration and worked to get the word out about what I was doing that was different. The best part was that I enjoyed every minute of it because I loved what I was doing! The efforts began to pay off, but I must admit I had some great clients to help me sell the idea. Sit-n-Stay Global took off.

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Yes! People wanted someone to treat their pet family members with the same respect and safety consciousness that they received. After the safety briefing on each flight when I essentially trained the pet parent on correct bracing positions and evacuation procedures for their pet, the real fun began. Every flight started with an amenities basket full of treats and toys that could put any pet in a good mood. Spring water was placed out in a crystal bowl on a placemat and the service would begin. Each pet had a detailed profile describing nutritional preferences and I would prepare meals for the pets that would rival the creations presented to their humans.

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The service finally made it to “The Lifestyle of the Rich and Furry” and the word was out. It turned out that in addition to caring about the safety of their pets, human clients enjoyed some time to relax stress-free while I kept an eye on their darling.

Animals get bored on a long flight just like humans, so I would load Meerkat episodes on my iPad and watch Meerkats playing with my pet clients. We would look out the window together and I’d point out all of the great spots for dogs on the way. You really can’t beat that for working.

Dolce and me

The service evolved as each client would present requests. Soon I was staying on with clients at destinations worldwide to serve as their pet nanny. Not all activities are pet friendly, so when my client would head off for a day of scuba diving or had to put in long hours on a movie set, they could still come back at the end of the day to their favorite family member. It really opened up opportunities for those traveling alone who couldn’t bring their pets along ordinarily because no pet wants to be left alone in a hotel or villa all day. I would research each destination and then take my pet client out for a day of adventure hiking or to the beach. We would send selfies and updates to the human client and everyone could relax knowing the fur babies were in good hands. At the end of the day, I would deliver a happy and tired pet back to their human, and usually set up an inviting happy hour to welcome them home. I would always return to my room smiling, knowing I had the best job on earth.

Bruno&Bella

Boris and Natasha do Venice

Over time I flew with some amazing people and their animals. Let’s face it, if you are chartering a private jet so your pet can go along safely, it’s not likely you have a big attitude to work around. That flying was enormous fun and a spectacular way to break into flying private. I admit my very best clients have been dogs, cats, ferrets, bunnies and even a goat I had charge of in the Middle East. We wagged our tails into Forbes, Business Week and numerous media outlets and won a lot of hearts in the process.

Guests liked my service and it wasn’t long before I was called more often for “human only” flights. I had taken off, climbed out and was ready to level off, cruising in a new career. Of course it got more interesting…

**Professional tip:

If traveling with your pet without a nanny or private jet, you may encounter plane changes in airports without enough time to make it out to a relief area and back. A perfect solution is to go into the “family bathroom” in the terminal which is usually a private room. Lay down puppy training pads and if your pet needs some encouragement in the strange environment, spray them with puppy potty pheromones. You can get both of those at the pet store. Let your pet find relief and then enclose all of the used pads in a Ziploc you bring with you and dispose. Be sure to thoroughly clean the area with Clorox wipes as a courtesy for the privilege, and then head out on your way.

If you wish to learn my system for pet toileting on a private jet, just send me a note and I’ll let you know what else you will need.

It’s Private

I began flying with human clients as a fill-in for their regular flight attendants when they needed time off. My reputation soon put me on a short list to serve amazing people including CEOs, Hollywood personalities, a Microsoft founder, an international philanthropist and even a producer who had probably seen other galaxies in his day. Some things are universal when it comes to serving high profile clients and my experience in commercial flying as well as observing and reading pets to anticipate their needs served me well. Yes, I said it, the mind set to serve animals and CEOs is remarkably similar.

Early on, when flying commercial, I had enough exposure to famous people to have lost the starry-eyed syndrome. When Walter Matthau was researching a role and helped me serve first class it was a lot of fun for both of us. I had help in the middle of the night on a crossword puzzle from James Earl Jones and welcomed President Jimmy Carter through a catering truck, all when I worked commercial. I learned some very important lessons.

Each of these people were individuals who just wanted to be normal. Finding the right note between respect for their accomplishments and allowing them to relax and feel comfortable was a skill I honed. I got a taste of what it felt like to have people watch you eat or think they are entitled to a part of you because you are there as a flight attendant, but these folks essentially could never take their uniform off. They had that attention 24/7 everywhere. It became my goal to give them refuge. The two things I could give those people that money could not buy were privacy and warm human caring. As a result, some helped me with crosswords and others asked me to help them learn how to serve a cabin. Just a few moments of normal.

In private aviation, you don’t just encounter someone briefly but you are immersed in their life for a period of time. That is an enormous responsibility. You sign on to protect their privacy and allow them personal space in a world where both are lacking. Attention to detail in accomplishing that mission is a necessity. When your guest arrives you never offer your hand, rather, you wait for them to introduce themselves to get the cue for how they prefer to be addressed. Of course you know when the president of a large tech company is boarding your flight and you know exactly who he/she is. By waiting for him to introduce himself, you can gather information on whether that person would even like to be engaged (they might just walk by) or how they like to be addressed. Most folks go by their first name because they want everything low key and they don’t want to be reminded that “the help” is there with someone referring to them as Mr. President of Tech Company. When speaking with other crew members anywhere, you just refer to this person as “The Boss,” so no names are ever dropped. Nobody off the aircraft should know who you are flying with and preferably, they won’t even know you are crew.

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Once, we landed in Van Nuys and the paparazzi was literally hanging over the fence with cameras when we blocked in. We said our good-byes away from the door, and then kept busy inside the jet until all media had cleared. The last thing you need is the media getting a good handle on who you are and where you are staying. They will trail you to see when you shop for departure just to figure out when a target date is to be back at the FBO for more pictures. Every move you make must consider the privacy and security of your client.

I traveled to some amazing destinations with my extraordinary clients, some were truly fabulous and some eye-opening. I could never tell people where I was or who I was with. As a corporate flight attendant, you are very quiet on social media. I love photography too, and would share some wonderful shots from around the world… about 6 months after I had been there. Thinking a few steps ahead at all times to avoid disaster was critical. Just imagine where that picture goes when you post it. Another flight attendant that knows you well might be in bed catching up on social media on her iPad and notice out loud where you are. Her partner asks who I am, and she says: “Oh that’s Carol, she flies for XYZ.” The partner might unknowingly have quite an interest in XYZ, and now knows that XYZ is at an economic summit in Switzerland. That could proffer a lot of business information and conjecture that your client didn’t need or want. You always have to be mindful of possible ways you could violate your client’s privacy. I like to say when people ask pointed questions: “They call it a private jet for a reason… it’s private.”

Glaciers I have known

Over the years I met some people who touched me with their vulnerability and I hold those memories close. I felt honored when a particular actor who was catching a ride on my boss’s jet asked me simply where I was from, after sitting quietly for hours. I told him I was from Montana and a big smile spread across his face. I could see the warm memories flooding over him and then he decided to share his love for Montana with me and describe his most recent visit. By the time we finished talking, he had shown me pictures of his kids and himself enjoying the spectacular scenery surrounding my town and I had shown him pictures of how my “kid” played up there. Of course my kid was a dog, but I think it was probably one of the most normal experiences he could have on a jet and I was humbled that he felt comfortable enough to talk with me about something we both love. For a time, we were just two people having a warm conversation. It is the highest honor when your guest is completely comfortable and can get some time alone to decompress while in your care. That is doing your job right.

Our Montana

Another time I was warned that the guest joining us had a reputation for treating flight attendants badly. My pilots had personal experience with him making the plane take a tech stop and then leaving the flight attendant wherever they landed. Ouch.

I wasn’t deterred, but treated him with the same respect and consideration I would afford any new acquaintance. I largely left him alone, and he was gracious and even funny when we spoke. After eating, everyone settled in for some sleep. As I walked by during the night I noticed his blanket kicked off. I gathered it back up on his divan for him and one eye opened, he smiled and said thanks. He looked like a little kid that had just gotten tucked-in by Mom more than one of the largest producers in Hollywood. Powerful or not, it seems everyone would like to just be cared for. That’s a skill you can’t really learn, it’s a quality you bring to the job and is as necessary as thick skin when it comes to making the elite feel normal and comfortable.

Global lamp

I’ll share a few experiences to describe how working with the powerful and elite can be different from serving the masses. You may be disappointed because I don’t put names and faces on the experiences, but you know what they say…

It’s private!

The Office

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G650ER

The first thing that stood out when switching from commercial to corporate flying was the work environment. It’s sort of like going from living in an apartment to a beautiful custom home. At first the difference is amazing, but you quickly get used to the new “office” as we usually refer to it, and there’s no going back.

I became aware after a bit that just about everybody who doesn’t travel on private jets would love to get a look inside of them. It’s like checking out the interior of a really fancy car. Let me share some of the spaces that became my offices where I would work culinary magic and manage complex systems that rival any smart home.

This was the galley in a Falcon 7X that I called my office for quite a bit. It was the first thing you saw when you entered and it was a pretty efficient little world for me to manage. The crystal barware in a lit display was always an eye catcher. Those glass cabinets were fitted with custom holders on each shelf that would cradle each glass in place during take-off, landing and when things got sporty. They usually housed Baccarat, Waterford and Ridel glasses to convey the client’s beverages imparting luxury at the first touch.

There’s a highly disfunctional sink that will clog if you let dust go down that drain, I swear. On long flights where you needed to use the limited stock of china over, you do dishes there (repeatedly) in flight. That’s right, we whip out the rubber gloves and put Dawn in the sink and get after it up there. Just like home.

Under the sink and beautiful counter is the gorgeous burled wood that hides all of the compartments where things are stowed. The fine china is in drawers with more custom inserts to keep it in place during flight operations. Another drawer has all of the cutlery carefully cradled in a custom interior. Just like home, there is usually a drawer that has serving utensils and kitchen gadgets. Some planes have built in espresso machines, but a lot use a portable Nespresso that is hidden in these drawers.

One of the larger doors conceals a professional convection oven. The trash is hidden behind another big door and there’s a place to stow catering as well.

The beautiful wood cover on the counter area had sliding doors that opened to reveal a microwave, work space and more storage.

The other side of the galley on this jet had a large closet and cooled storage area for catering. Trust me when I tell you that a corporate flight attendant becomes a logistical engineer when it comes to fitting all of the fresh items from the caterer and shopping into these spaces. Those galleys really taught me how to organize efficiently and the importance of putting every item back in its place after use.

There is no clutter or mess in an aircraft galley. Every time you prepare something in the galley and create a temporary fiasco, it is cleaned immediately afterwards so the client never stops in and sees disarray. After every wipe down it is sanitized for safety.

Galleys have gotten more sophisticated over time and on the larger private jets (ones that use a flight attendant) come very close to cooking in your kitchen. My longest client on a G650 had a glorious galley that even had a window over the sink. That helps a lot when you are on a long haul flight and serve 3 meals along with numerous snacks. The window lets in great light and opens the space up.

The ovens on that jet included a steam-convection oven and a large microwave. There’s also a refrigerator and freezer hidden behind the luxurious wood. That really expands options for fresh ingredients. This one also had an espresso machine along with a conventional coffee maker.

There’s usually a door that can be closed to the cabin so guests don’t have to watch the behind the scenes prep and protects their privacy. On the G650 there was quite a large crew area when that door was closed, complete with our own rest compartment and lavatory. Our crew could be in that part of the aircraft and the guests could forget we were around and get things done. I could whip up some pretty mean nachos and personal pizzas in that galley!

Crew Lav Nov 21, 2015, 8-06 PM

Crew Lav

Nachos at 45,000' Nov 21, 2015, 8-37 PM

Nachos at FL450

Just before you entered the cabin on the 650 you would find the electronic control panel to make the interior run smoothly. That aircraft is completely automatic and operates with the plane’s power right down to the doors that open with a push of a button. You could manage all of the interior lighting in each of the 3 cabins (including color options) and connect conference calls between cabins from that panel. If you understood that panel, you had a good feel for the jet.

View of my galley and cabin control panel — View of galley and cabin control panel

The plane flowed into 3 distinct cabin areas for the guests. The first one had individual seats for comfort and discussions. Each chair swiveled and moved on a track to arrange the seats to suit your needs. They also could be configured together into 2 single beds.

First Seating Section, all Electronic (note window Size) — First Seating Section

The next section had a long credenza where you could present food, set up a presentation or find the fresh fruit basket. Behind those doors and drawers was a temperature-controlled wine cabinet for red and white, a fax machine/printer, linens to set the tables and cabin snack storage. An electronics drawer held the iPhones that worked as a remote for each seat in addition to having calling capabilities. That credenza also had storage for the passenger smoke hoods and ditching equipment.

Across from the credenza was seating for 4 more folks and a table for dining or business meetings.

Credenza & Table Nov 21, 2015, 7-58 PM

The aft section had 2 divans for relaxing that could be converted into a queen bed. When passengers wanted to sleep, you had to convert this and berth any of the cabin seating to form beds. You had to do this quickly because nobody wants to wait when it is time to sleep. Different aircraft had different linens and memory foam toppers that reflected the owner’s preferences. Each bed would be made up using luxury linens, blankets and duvet. I always chose to give them a spritz of lavender spray and leave a sprig of lavender and a chocolate on the pillow. The idea was to create a warm, inviting rest area. Bottled, chilled spring water would be placed in each bed area and changed out every hour during the flight so if someone awoke they would find fresh, chilled water waiting and a small snack.

I would place a few battery operated candles throughout the cabin to provide a subtle warm glow to light the way in the dark cabin at night.

Behind the 3^rd cabin was the main lavatory. It was a room that was large enough to move around in and outfitted with luxury home type features. The lighting and the sink caught your eye when you entered. There were drawers holding all sorts of necessities anyone might need. In those drawers and the closet in the lav, you could find a small convenience store of eye masks, ear plugs, fuzzy socks, extra towels, medications handy for in-flight, and supplies.

One trick to good service on a private jet that is subtle and unseen is to know when guests have used the lav in flight. Afterwards, you would always go back and wipe it down with sanitizing wipes, refold the toilet paper in a pretty point and make sure the amenities basket was stocked. Each guest that enters the lav should feel like they are the first and only one to use it. My husband used to laugh at me and tell me I had been flying too much when he would enter our home bathroom and find the toilet paper pointed. It just got to be such a habit to check the roll and make sure it looked pretty that the habit would follow me home.

Behind the lav was baggage and our supply stock. You could enter it from the lav so people could easily access their luggage to change in the private bathroom before and during the flight. It was important to create a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere where people could relax and find refuge. Changing into sweats or jammies can really help you relax on a long trip.

Let me add here that homelike comfort can go a bit over the top. Once you’ve seen one Hollywood mogul in his briefs trying to find his jammies I suppose you’ve seen them all. You can’t unsee that. Trust me.

We appreciate it when guests close the door when changing because as much as we strive to make the cabin feel like home, we really don’t all become family. Save the tighty-whiteys for your family if you don’t mind.

Now you’ve had a peek inside a few of my favorite offices to have a frame of reference when I tell you about some of my adventures. You’ll be able to picture those experiences within a beautiful flying home drenched in wood and leather. It’s really so civilized!

Friends With Benefits

If you or your company does not have a private jet, the next best thing is having friends who do. I had an amazing trip with quite a few challenges when I worked for one of the original founders of Microsoft as he entertained friends on holiday in Europe. Those 3 lucky friends got to travel in style. I had to make sure everything went smoothly.

My first hint that, even with a few days in Rome, Paris and finally Iceland, I was going to have plenty of work to do in my down time came through with the initial passenger profile forwarded to me. Those profiles and briefs can be extremely detailed and complex. They contain information on meal preferences, health issues and specific ways a guest likes things done. This one had paragraphs of food preferences. I was advised that my client was very particular about his eating habits and would not be shy if the menu selections I made did not match those preferences. His girlfriend was a hard core vegan and liked tea that could only be secured from a specialty tea shop. The other 2 had a normal list of preferences.

After studying the profile and actually creating a spreadsheet and flow chart to keep the preferences straight, I began developing meal plans. This was limited by his preferences of only world class beef, wild salmon, mashed potatoes and English green peas for a vegetable. I selected a tried and true caterer for our first leg which would be a transcon flight across the US. I felt pretty confident I had nailed it and spent over an hour in Whole Foods adding preferred snacks, water and produce that met requirements. I got a little feedback when we stopped to refuel that my offerings had fallen a bit short. The client requested I taste test all future offerings to make sure they were up to his standards. The answer is always yes on a private jet, so I assured him that I would taste different samples of catering from a select few caterers I had in my book prior to ordering.

I would select caterers in each destination and have them deliver my proposed menu to the hotel. It was kind of fun because as a crew, we tasted some pretty awesome food in the process. Once a caterer was selected, I would fine tune the order after consulting with the Chef on specialties or suggestions.

In between gourmet tastings, our small crew of 3 enjoyed the extraordinary Villa Borghese with its beautiful gardens and exquisite art. That’s another big difference between commercial and private work. An airline layover is usually about 24 hours long in Europe. You remain until the return flight leaves the next day and pack in all you can. In private aviation, you stay at a destination as long as your boss wants or needs to be there. That allowed for some more leisurely day trips. It was a more relaxing pace and we fit in the Vatican and enjoyed the sights of the city.

Villa Borghese

Vatican

Modern Warrior Aug 17, 2015, 3-30 AM

Modern times Roman warrior

We held tastings in a private dining room in the hotel and tasted some outstanding food before making our choices. We knew our jobs were on the line since the client had recently fired a pilot for making poor choices. We hit a home run on that menu, mind you, hitting a home run means his girlfriend let me know that he liked the meal much more than the first. I call that a win, since communication was not high on his priority list. It was time to turn our attentions to Paris.

Paris sounds like a gastronome’s dream for finding great food. It is a dream, but it gets tricky when your boss wants his food served plain, melted butter on the side and requires some seemingly simple ingredients. Ordering salmon, mashed potatoes and English green peas became an ordeal. I was lucky to be there when a dear friend of mine who is a French speaker for Delta was also laying over there with her crew. She took me out for an absolutely epic day to see the sights and sample some of her favorite food finds in the city as locals experience it. What a day!

Best tour guide ever!

Amazing street food

Notre Dame Mar 17, 2015, 10-42 AM

Notre Dame

Armed with a familiarity with my surroundings and a list of top tier caterers, I created a menu for our next leg to Iceland. We then began the tasting and sampling process which I admit was truly enjoyable for our crew of epicureans. We made our selections and seemingly satisfied our client’s desires on our next leg to Keflavik, Iceland. My confidence was growing.

Iceland was not initially on the itinerary, but when we made a fuel stop there on the way to Europe, our guests decided to add it because it looked interesting. You can just do that on a private jet which is a huge perk.

We enjoyed Iceland thoroughly. I had only stopped for fuel prior to that visit and was anxious to see this natural wonder. We did some local hiking and found some truly incredible restaurants to enjoy. I had not realized that a lot of Chefs from Europe and the world were drawn there for the lifestyle and quality of life. Some of the most spectacular meals were served in high end rustic surroundings. The challenge that presented itself there was a lack of beef, and the seafood options leaned towards the exotic (to us) local fish. That meant whale, more whale and fish you never see here. I realized I had my work cut out for me, but took an evening off to visit the Blue Lagoon for a little touristy relaxation.

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KEF16 Aug 9, 2016, 6-49 AM

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11pm at the Blue Lagoon

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Swim up mud facial bar

KEF16 Aug 9, 2016, 3-040

Minerals build up on rocks

KEF16 Aug 9, 2016, 2-35 PM

The driver who took our crew out to the natural spa was a true gift. He has lived his whole life in Iceland and was very proud of his country and shared details about what we saw on the way out and back. He had good reason to be proud. Iceland formed when there was a pulling apart of the North American and European tectonic plates. It sits on a crack in the earth’s crust and has an entire system of reservoirs that are heated by the magma below. The country is energy-independent and derives power from using these reservoirs of heated water to harness geothermal power. Every home is connected to the system for energy. Talk about clean power, and it is incredibly affordable for the residents. We learned all of that on the way to the Blue Lagoon which is touristy but still a lot of fun. We ate in a dining room overlooking the thermal pools and enjoyed the long day when the sun only sets for an hour or two at night in the summer. The mineral pools were relaxing and featured mud facial stations for your skin and a bar to relax even more. The warm mineral water worked its magic and we slept well.

Back at the hotel in Reykjavik, I got busy planning menus for the return trip. After downloading and studying every menu from the top restaurants in town, I knew I was in trouble. I simply was not going to find what the client required. It was time to think outside the box and create a new strategy. I just wasn’t going to find the main course options I needed there, so I proceeded to download all of the menus from top caterers and restaurants in St. John’s Newfoundland where we would stop for gas. I finally found a good steak, potatoes and peas. Outstanding! I created a “progressive dinner” that would begin with a full selection of main course appetizers from Iceland. Since we left at night, my guests enjoyed a delicious sampling of the best creations from Iceland and settled in for some sleep. We arrived in St. John’s, our guests got off the plane to stretch and I greeted the caterer who brought outstanding cuts of beef, potatoes and peas. Of course I had a variety of food for the other guests, but theirs was a less confining set of choices.

The guests seemed to get a kick out of this progressive dinner, and the food worked out perfectly. The boss did decide he no longer liked peas on that leg at 40,000 feet, so I put on my magician’s hat and created a new vegetable side dish from the other items in the order for everybody else. With disaster averted, everyone napped and relaxed for the last leg home.

That trip taught me that some folks don’t want enticing new cuisine, they want home wherever they are. I also got some good training in staying flexible and changing things on the fly as needed. Everyone kept their job and our guests left happy so I’m going to call that trip a successful one. It’s like we say in aviation; Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing.

I walked away from it with new tools in my toolbox and more confidence that a solution is always out there. I had a pretty good visit to Rome, Paris and Reykjavik while getting work done, so I was grateful for my new opportunities.

Fantasy Island

Sometimes a friend would ask me to cover for her and I would get to experience a whole new life. I typically flew for corporate types and their amazing guests. Some of my corporate accounts flew to some pretty dark places in the world to search for new cures for diseases or to negotiate oil contracts.

In my briefing I realized that I was not only going to a Hawaiian Island I had not visited before, but that my client owned the hotel and the island. Puts things on a different scale. The catering for that trip was elaborate and plentiful. We had to pack just about everything into that galley that they might want on the way, because who can really be pinned down to what they’ll feel like two days before a trip? So off we went on a quick five hour flight from the West coast where I served different options for the entire five hours. They had a short order cook on board and made the most of it!

Coming in to land, the approach was breathtaking and I was thankful for pilots who had a good feel for landing on the edge of a cliff. It was stunning.

1300' cliff on final approach — 1300′ cliff on final approach

We were warmly welcomed as family by our drivers who were waiting with their limos and polished SUVs at the bottom of the steps when we deplaned. When we signed in at the beautiful Four Seasons, our crew signed in on a “family” registration sheet. We would want for nothing while we stayed there and all expenses were covered. Of course this is where you have to understand as a professional crew member that there are boundaries. It would be deeply frowned upon if I got busy ordering expensive bottles of wine to my room or got a spa massage and facial on “the family.” As a crew, though, we enjoyed exquisite meals at Nobu and other restaurants which bore NO resemblance to flying commercial. I had been flying private for five years, but still had to stop and appreciate how different that lifestyle was compared to commercial aviation.

After meeting with the Chef at Nobu to plan catering for the return flight, we went out for a drive on the stunning island. The land was gorgeous and helped me visualize what Hawaii looked like before the tourist explosion. Horses grazed lazily in fields that looked like Heaven for a horse. It became very clear to me why the people native to the Hawaiian Islands so regret and often resent the intrusion on their beautiful land by skyscrapers and condos. Even the trees were thoughtfully planted to form a stunning runway to the hills of the interior.

The boss and his guests did not stay in the hotel, rather they whisked off to his yacht parked offshore. It looked like a small island itself. That left a little free time to hike around the exquisite grounds and marvel at the hidden gems tucked here and there. Everything was naturally maintained and even the sprawling ranch-type hotel did not interrupt the flow of the massive grounds that felt like an arboretum.

It was a lovely time until the regular flight attendant on the account arrived with some more guests. She immediately went to the chef and ordered everything she would want for my return trip. I am usually more than delighted when I get help from a colleague so I gladly agreed. Upon departure I learned that help is a four letter word.

When I arrived at the jet to prep it for the return flight, she was just bringing it in from a quick trip to the mainland. She lingered on board chatting after bringing one guest in with her. By the time she left the jet, she left me only about 15 minutes to do all of my prep for my 13 guests returning with me. The caterer arrived and unloaded enough food to fill two private jets or maybe a small commercial plane. Where was all of this supposed to go????

It was at that point that I learned an important lesson in private aviation. We are not all in this together, we are not sky sisters and there’s folks out there who will do what they can to make sure you don’t outshine them at any cost. I went from looking like a rookie on her first trip trying to stow a week’s worth of food while the guests were arriving, to acting as a short order cook all of the way home. Most of the food was untouched and made the ground crew very happy when we landed back in California. I looked like I was struggling to keep up the whole way home. Just one subtle way to make sure another flight attendant doesn’t look too good and jeopardize your job. I was grateful to at least learn that awkward lesson relatively early on.

It was good that I was prepared for how things really ran in the corporate world, still I was blindsided a few years later when my favorite job with a top pharma company vanished when a new aircraft management company took over the management of their fleet. Most large corporations that are not in the aviation business have a management company manage their jets since it isn’t their primary line of business and it can be very complicated. This system also limits liability in the event of an accident. You actually don’t work for the company itself, but you are employed by the management company. Turns out my contract with the old company didn’t matter to the new company who had their own (younger) attendant they selected for that prime account. My coveted full-time gig was over and I was back out beating the bushes for work. I know it seems incredulous that I wouldn’t fight or take action against the company that fired me on a whim, but the private aviation community is very tight and if I caused that much of a fuss at one company in the Bay Area, nobody else would hire me. I had to go quietly, and when my great clients I had flown with for a few years asked where I went, they were told I took a job elsewhere. Yes… I was learning private aviation could be very very good but it could turn on a dime. My survival skills were about to be tested in a way we never prepared for in training. It’s a good thing I enjoyed my time on fantasy island, because the lessons continued…