Fairchild C-123K Provider lost in Alaska crash was featured in 'Con Air' film

by B. N. Sullivan

Yesterday, a Fairchild C-123K Provider (N709RR), operated by All West Freight, was destroyed in an accident in Alaska, about a mile from the headquarters of Denali National Park. The accident took the lives of all three people who were on board.

It turns out that the accident aircraft had been a movie star. According to information on the website Old Wings, N709RR, (ex 54-0709 msn 20158) was featured as 'Jailbird' in the 1997 action film Con Air, where it was used for all the flying scenes.

For more information about this historic airplane, visit C-123 Providers starring in "Con Air" on the Old Wings website.  Also on Old Wings, you will find a photo of the accident aircraft, parked at All West's airport in Delta Junction, AK in 2006, and a wonderful close-up shot of the aircraft's Large Marge nose art.

More information about the Fairchild C-123K Provider:

• National Museum of the Air Force Fact Sheet
• Wikipedia page, with photos

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UPDATE:  The owner of the Old Wings website has kindly given me permission to post the two photos I linked to above. Note, these are copyrighted photos, used here by express permission from Aad van der Voet, the copyright holder.

Here is N709RR, photographed by Aad at All West Airport, AK on June 11, 2006.

Here is the close-up photo of the "Large Marge" nose art on N709RR.

By way of explanation, the photographer says:

All West Freight's C-123K Provider N709RR is adorned by this "Large Marge" nose art, armed with gun, badge and handcuffs. The signature at the lower left says Steven Pinder, and the red sticker at the upper left is a left-over from the annual air races at Reno, NV. The small print says "Scarlet Screamer IF1 Pylon Air Racer #50" and refers to Birch Entriken's Ivie Cassutt III M air racer (N135R). Reno is where this Provider was based before it came to Alaska in 2004. Photo taken at All West Airport, Delta Junction, AK on 11 June 2006.

Thanks again to Aad van der Voet for these wonderful photos of this historic aircraft.  So sad to know the aircraft will never fly again.

High Flight (...really high flight!)

Ride along on a Lockheed U-2 spyplane and check out the amazing view cruising at 70,000ft as the sky above turns black.

Thanks to Jill Rutan Hoffman for the tip about this video. Follow Jill on Twitter: @LookingSkyward.



If the video does not play or display properly above, click here to view it on YouTube.

Emily Howell Warner -- Legend of Aviation

Emily Howell Warner, the first woman to become an airline pilot in the United States, tells her story:



If the video does not play or display properly above, click here to view it on YouTube.

Video: Boeing 747 Cabin Interiors from the 1970s

Ready for some aviation nostalgia? This video showcases the interiors of Boeing 747 aircraft from the 1970s, "when flying was meant to be a memorable experience, when inflight service mattered, and when the Boeing 747 was the coolest plane to fly in..."

Airlines represented in the video: Air Canada, Air France, American Airlines, Braniff, Continental Airlines, Iberia, Japan Airlines, KLM, National Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Pan Am, SAS, TWA, and United Airlines.



If the video does not display or play properly above, click here to view it on YouTube.

Tip of the hat to YouTube user LakeNipissing for posting the video.

RELATED: Boeing 747 marks 40 years of flight.

9/11 flight attendant Cee Cee Lyles memorialized by her home town

Cee Cee Lyles, a United Airlines flight attendant who was killed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, was honored by her home town of Fort Pierce, FL, yesterday. A post office in Fort Pierce was dedicated in her memory, in a ceremony conducted by Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL), and attended by family members, community leaders, and her fellow flight attendants.

Ms. Lyles was born and raised in Fort Pierce, FL. Prior to pursuing a career as a flight attendant with United Airlines, she was a Fort Pierce police officer for six years. She died at age 33, when United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into a field outside Shanksville, PA.

A delegation from the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), of which Cee Cee Lyles was a member, attended the ceremony in Fort Pierce.

"Today's dedication of the Fort Pierce Post Office is a wonderful way to celebrate the professionalism and the memory of our flying partner and friend," said Patricia Friend, AFA-CWA International President. "Her memory will live on through the Fort Pierce community for generations to come."

Last year, Congress passed a resolution, sponsored by Senator Martinez and Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), which officially designated the local U.S. postal facility to be named in honor of Lyles. In 2003, Fort Pierce erected a bronze statue in Liberty Garden in Veteran's Memorial Park to memorialize the United flight attendant and Fort Pierce native.

Click here to read about the life of Cee Cee Lyles, from the archives of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

[Photo Source]

Boeing 747 marks 40 years of flight

Almost missed this one: Yesterday was the 40th anniversary of the very first flight of the Boeing 747. The world's first 'jumbo jet' first took to the skies on February 9, 1969, at Paine Field, near Everett, Washington.

Writing about the historic event in his blog, Randy Tinseth, Boeing's current marketing vice president for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said:

February 9, 1969 was cold, cloudy, and windy. In other words, a typical winter’s day in this neck of the woods. But it was also a day that changed everything.

A little before lunchtime on that date, the first 747 took flight. This 747-100, dubbed the “City of Everett” would spend the next 75 minutes flying over the Puget Sound region.

Randy's Journal has more photos of the first Boeing 747, as well as the crew for the aircraft's first flight: Pilot Jack Waddell, Co-Pilot Brien Wygle and Flight Engineer Jess Wallick.

These days, the “City of Everett” is on display at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

Here are some more stories about the first flight of the Boeing 747 forty years ago:

• Boeing 747 turns 40 today - Seattle Times
• The day Boeing brought the world to everyone's door - Times Online, UK
• Four decades of a flying giant - BBC News

[Photo Source]

A Little Northwest Airlines Nostalgia

The anticipated merger between Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines became a fact late last week. Integration of the two carriers into the 'new Delta' will be a complex process, but it is already underway. Eventually all of Northwest's crews will wear Delta uniforms, and Northwest aircraft will sport Delta livery, signaling the end of one era, and the beginning of the next.

Best wishes to everyone at both airlines during the transition period and beyond. Here is a video tribute that provides a nostalgic look at Northwest Airlines and its aircraft.



If the video does not play or display properly above, click here to view it on YouTube.

Tip of the hat to kicker943 for posting the video to YouTube for all of us to enjoy.

The Delta-Northwest Merger is a Done Deal

Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines announced their merger plans last April, and several days ago anti-trust regulators at the U.S. Department of Justice signed off on the deal. With that, Northwest Airlines is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta. The merged airline, called Delta and headquartered in Atlanta, has approximately 75,000 employees worldwide. According to a Delta press release about the merger, the company "will distribute an equity stake to substantially all U.S.-based employees with international employees participating through cash payments in lieu of stock."

Delta's management has promised "that no frontline employees will be involuntarily furloughed as a result of the merger and that no hubs will be closed," and that they have "implemented a seniority protection policy that ensures that frontline employees of both airlines will be provided seniority protection through a fair-and-equitable process."

The two pilot groups have a single collective bargaining agreement with Delta. It remains to be seen whether or not the 21,000 flight attendants of the merged airline will ultimately have union representation. Northwest's flight attendants are unionized, while Delta's have not had a union.

Integrating the two work forces is already underway. I understand that Northwest crews are being fitted for their Delta uniforms, and that pilots, flight attendants, and customer service agents will begin wearing them on March 30, 2009.

Best wishes to everyone at the new Delta as they go through the process of integrating their operations. Here is a video tribute to the Delta-Northwest merger.



If the video does not play or display properly above, click here to view it on YouTube.

Tip of the hat to stejensen for posting the video to YouTube for all of us to enjoy.

Qantas Airbus A380 inaugural commercial flight arrives at Los Angeles

Aviation history was made today as Qantas became the first airline to operate a commercial passenger flight on the Airbus A380 between Australia and the US West Coast. The new A380 'superjumbo' aircraft, operating as Qantas Flight QF 93 landed on Runway 25L at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) early this morning, October 20, 2008, after a scheduled flight from Melbourne, Australia. The flight was met at LAX by celebrities and government officials, including actor John Travolta, Australian singer Olivia Newton-John and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, among others.

Qantas took delivery of its first A380 (registration number VH-OQA) last month. The aircraft is powered by four Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines, and is configured with 450 seats in four cabins. On the main deck are 14 first class suites, and 332 economy seats. The upper deck has 72 business class seats, plus 32 premium economy seats.

Today's flight was the Qantas A380's first scheduled passenger service. Later this week, on October 24, 2008, the new aircraft will be used for the first time on the Sydney-Los Angeles route.

[Photo Source]

Flight Attendants and 9/11 - Nothing Will Ever Be the Same

by B. N. Sullivan

Seven years have passed since September 11, 2001, yet the tragic events and their aftermath are burned indelibly into the minds of everyone who was working in commercial aviation on that day. Crew members, in particular, were acutely pained by 9/11. They realized immediately that the crew members on the hijacked aircraft were among the very first to be murdered by the terrorists. They understood that -- but for fortune -- they could have been working on one of the hijacked flights that morning.

When the U.S. airspace re-opened several days after the attack, most crews returned to work. No one knew what was going to happen, and no one could guarantee their safety, yet flight attendants and pilots courageously put on their uniforms, boarded the planes, and carried on.

In the weeks following 9/11, much media attention and well-deserved praise was focused on the firefighters and other first responders who rescued victims and put their lives on the line in New York and Washington. At the same time, though, little attention or recognition was given to the airline crews and their role on 9/11 and during its aftermath.

Then, as the airline industry suffered a huge economic downturn after 9/11, many crew members were furloughed, or lost their jobs outright. Most of those who remained employed did so by agreeing to huge cuts in pay and benefits, including the loss of their pensions.

To this day, the pervasive emotional and economic effects of 9/11 and its aftermath on airline crews remain largely under-reported by the media and ignored by much of the flying public. In fact, nothing has been the same in the aviation industry since 9/11.

As a researcher who has spent years studying the health and well-being of people who fly for a living, I can say that no event in recent history was more acutely stressful to more people in aviation than 9/11. Awhile back, I set out to document some of the experiences of airline flight attendants working in the United States at the time of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. I collected their stories by means of focus groups, structured interviews with individuals, and responses to an on-line survey.

In 2005 I wrote a paper based on these personal narratives. The paper was presented at a meeting of the British Association for American Studies, held at Cambridge University, England. Here is the link to the text of my oral presentation: "Nothing will ever be the same again." - How flight attendants in the US coped with '9/11.'

I want to assure the crew members in the United States and around the world who experienced 9/11 so personally, and who still grieve, that some people do indeed notice you, do admire your courage, and do appreciate all you have done and continue to do for all of us.

Vintage TWA Commercial: Those were the days!

These days it's getting more and more difficult to remember what flying used to be like -- for passengers and crew alike. Have a look at this vintage TWA commercial and you'll see what I mean.



(If the video does not play or display properly above, click here to view it on YouTube.)

For more old airline commercials, have a look at this feature on the Travel & Leisure website.

Emirates' first Airbus A380 has arrived in Dubai

Earlier today, the first A380 in the Emirates fleet arrived at its home base in Dubai. An article on the UAE news website Xpress described the huge aircraft's historic arrival at Dubai International Airport: "The four-engine bird appeared magically from an overcast haze around 5:35pm and flew a graceful fly-past before banking to the east toward Sharjah. Eleven minutes later, the 469-seat aircraft landed, dwarfing other parked aircraft."

Yesterday Emirates took delivery of its first Airbus A-380 'superjumbo' aircraft in Hamburg, Germany. This aircraft is the first A380 among a total of 58 ordered from Airbus by Emirates.

The luxurious double-decker passenger cabin of the first Emirates A380 is configured in three classes, including a 14-seat First Class, and a 76-seat Business Class on the upper deck, with a 399-seat Economy Class below. This first aircraft will be deployed on the Dubai-New York route, the first commercial A380 service between the UAE and US. The inaugural flight is set to take place on August 1, 2008.

Emirates has also ordered two other versions of the A380. One will have a three-class, 517-seat configuration for medium range flights. The other, also intended for medium range service, will have 604 seat in two classes.

The Emirates A380s will be powered by Engine Alliance GP7200 engines, enabling the carrier to save 500,000 litres of fuel per aircraft per year over any other engine alternative currently available. The company says that this aircraft "will offer fuel economy as low as 3.1 litres per 100 passenger kms, better than that of Toyota’s acclaimed Prius hybrid passenger vehicle (which uses 4.4 litres per 100 vehicle kms). It also comfortably meets the current EU Stage Three and proposed Stage Four noise level standards."

According to an Emirates news release about the A380 delivery:

The aircraft was received by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman & Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, at an official handover ceremony attended by President of Emirates Airline Tim Clark; Airbus CEO Tom Enders; former Engine Alliance President, Bruce Hughes; Jürgen Thomas, the “founding father” of the A380; the 2,000 Hamburg Airbus staff directly involved in the production of the A380; 58 Emirates cabin crew, representing the number of A380s the Dubai based carrier has on firm order; international media, VIPs and other guests.

HH Sheikh Ahmed noted that while Emirates may not have been the first airline to receive the new generation aircraft, it was the first to place a firm order for it eight years ago.

Since Emirates is by far the biggest customer of the A380, the aircraft will eventually be available on most of the airline's international routes. The carrier notes that, in time, if a person is traveling on an A380 chances will be about one-in-four that they will be flying Emirates.

Emirates’ inaugural A380 commercial flight will depart Dubai International Airport at 11:00 local time on Friday, August 1, 2008. It will arrive at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport at 17:00 local time. According to Emirates, the fully booked flight will take between 12.5 and 13 hours, compared to 14 hours on a Boeing 777.

[Photo Source]

9/11 Flight Crew Memorial dedicated

A memorial to the pilots and flight attendants who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks was dedicated today in Texas. The 9/11 Flight Crew Memorial, which is located in Grapevine, TX, was created to commemorate the heroism of the 33 crew members who lost their lives after their aircraft were hijacked by terrorists on that awful morning in 2001.

The memorial depicts two pilots, two flight attendants, and a child passenger. The sculpture also includes two eagles, signifying the two airlines -- United and American -- that lost aircraft and crew on 9/11. Unveiled today, July 4, 2008, the 9/11 Flight Crew Memorial is the only memorial dedicated solely to the flight crews who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.

Sculptor Dean Thompson created the memorial, which is 18 feet high. His wife, Valerie, is an American Airlines flight attendant. Speaking about the memorial to a reporter at CBS 11 TV, Valerie Thompson said, "I hope people recognize that we were the first responders on that day. We had a very important role in helping protect the public."

A message on the website of the 9/11 Flight Crew Memorial Foundation explains:

The name of the bronze art is VALOR – COMMITMENT – DEDICATION. The valor was demonstrated in the professionalism and courage shown by those who perished on that fateful day from the most vicious attack ever on American soil. Their names will always be engraved into stone and history and in our hearts. The crews who climbed back aboard when the sky was reopened demonstrated unparalleled valor going into the unknown to bring everyone home to their loved ones.

Commitment was later demonstrated along with the same courage when their companies called upon them to keep their companies alive by giving up pay that they earned, to keep solvency available in the terrible years following. They still have not been repaid for this courageous effort, but they demonstrated commitment and continue to work under conditions worse than ever.

Dedication to their jobs making safety in the sky their number one issue is paramount. They have been pushed to the limit with rest time barely reaching minimums. Flying safe aircraft has been questionable as recently demonstrated by actions taken by FAA to this regard.

We are honoring all flight crews of all airlines internationally. We are placing this memorial under the flight path into one of America’s largest and busiest airports, Dallas Fort Worth International. It will be visible from the sky when approaching from the North or departing to the North.

For information about the memorial, and more photos, visit the 9/11 Flight Crew Memorial Foundation website.

[Photo Source]

Most senior Aloha Airlines pilot commands final passenger flight

On March 31, 2008, Aloha Airlines operated its final passenger flight, Aloha Flight AQ 251 from Kahului, Maui to Honolulu. Aloha's most senior pilot, Captain Darryl Wong (pictured at right), was the pilot in command of the Boeing 737-200 for that historic flight. The final flight came just a day after Aloha Airlines announced it was shutting down its passenger operations.

News reports said that Captain Mike Moore had been scheduled to fly the flight, but had relinquished the cockpit at the last minute to Captain Wong, who joined the company in 1976. In addition to flying for Aloha, Wong is a major general in the Hawaii Air National Guard. "It was very nice that they wanted me to fly, so I was very honored," he said.

In the right seat of Flight AQ 251 was First Officer Tasha Kobashigawa, Aloha's most junior pilot. Ms. Kobashigawa, who used to be a news reporter for Honolulu TV station KITV, joined Aloha Airlines just four months ago. An article about Aloha's final passenger flight in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin quoted Ms. Kobashigawa, who said, "You get to a place where you think you're going to be for the rest of your career and in a blink of an eye it's gone. I'm going to stay in flying. It's my passion. I worked too hard to let it go."

Flight attendants on the final Aloha Airlines passenger flight were Renee Jewell, Steve Oshiro and Tori Swoish.

[Photo Source]

A Tribute to Aloha Airlines

Late last evening, March 31, 2008, Aloha Flight AQ261 arrived in Honolulu from Maui. It was Aloha Airlines' final scheduled passenger flight. Aloha had publicly announced the shut down of its passenger operations just two days ago on March 30, 2008.

Here's a video tribute to a great airline, produced by Aloha employees - the Aloha ʻOhana.



(If the video does not play or display properly above, click here to view it on YouTube.)

You might also want to have a look at the AQ ʻOhana's wonderful collection of photos of Aloha employees and their families on PBase.

As a Hawaii resident and long-time customer of Aloha Airlines, I'd like to say to all of the Aloha ʻOhana:

"Mahalo nui loa, me ko`u aloha. A hui hou."

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Related: Some earlier Aircrew Buzz articles that featured Aloha Airlines:

• Aloha Airlines No. 1 F/A retires after 50 years - November, 2007
• Aloha Airlines B737 becomes a flying work of art -  May, 2007.
• Aloha ʻOe: Aloha Airlines Shuts Down Passenger Operations - March, 2008

Aloha ʻoe - Aloha Airlines Shuts Down Passenger Operations

Today is a sad day in Hawaii. Aloha Airlines, which has been in business in the islands since 1946, announced that it is suspending all passenger operations as of March 31, 2008. The airline, which recently filed for bankruptcy, announced that all inter-island and trans-Pacific passenger services are slated to be shut down, a move that will affect about 1,900 employees.

On Friday, March 28, employees of Aloha Airlines staged a rally at the Hawaii State Capitol in Honolulu [photos] urging lawmakers to do what they could to save the airline -- and their jobs. Indeed, legislation that would have provided loan guarantees and certain tax exemptions was introduced late last week, and was to be heard during the coming week. A Pacific Business News (PBN) article about the legislation said:

House Bill 509 is modeled on 1993 legislation that was intended to help Hawaiian Airlines, which was struggling with financial difficulties at the time.

The bill's first hearing is before the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.

A Senate spokesman told PBN that, if passed by both chambers, HB 509 could be submitted for Gov. Linda Lingle's signature as early as April 9. The guarantee would take effect immediately.

PBN reported that language in the bill's draft says issuance of a loan guarantee is "in the public interest and for the public health, safety and general welfare of the state."

While well-intentioned, help from the Hawaii State Legislature apparently came too late. The airline said "Aloha ʻoe" [farewell] earlier today.

In an Aloha Airlines news release about the suspension of its passenger service, David Banmiller, the carrier's president and chief executive officer, said:

Despite the groundswell of support from the community and our elected officials, we simply ran out of time to find a qualified buyer or secure continued financing for our passenger business. We had no choice but to take this action.

“We deeply regret the impact this will have on our dedicated employees who have made Aloha one of the best operating airlines in the country. “Aloha Airlines was founded in 1946 to give Hawaii’s people a choice in inter-island air transportation.

Unfortunately, unfair competition has succeeded in driving us out of business, bringing to an end a 61-year-old company with a proud legacy of serving millions of travelers in the true spirit of Aloha. ”We realize that this comes as a devastating disappointment to our frequent flyers and our loyal business partners who have supported this company for many, many years.”

Aloha's recent filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection cited financial difficulties due to fierce competition, and record-high fuel prices. This was the second time that Aloha Airlines filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 in the past three years.

Aloha's air cargo and aviation services units will continue to operate while the U.S. Bankruptcy Court seeks bids from potential buyers. So far, one such bid has been announced. On March 27, 2008, Saltchuk Resources, Inc., announced its intention to buy Aloha’'s air cargo business. Saltchuk is the parent company of Young Brothers Ltd., an inter-island ocean freight shipping company in Hawaii.

Aloha Airlines No. 1 flight attendant retires after 50 years

Patti Smart, the Number One flight attendant at Aloha Airlines, is retiring -- reluctantly -- after more than 50 years of service. The woman nicknamed the 'Queen of Aloha' will retire this coming Friday, but she says, "There will be sparks flying from my feet as they drag me down the runway."

Ms. Smart, whose hire date was Jan. 28, 1957, reminisced about her early flying days in an article in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin:

A lot has changed since the old days, when people dressed up in hats and bow ties to fly on propeller-powered planes across the Pacific.

"You're supposed to have the same niceness, the same warmth, the same caring. But it's faster now," Smart said. "In the older days, the flights were longer so you had more time to be intimate with passengers and you got to be very good friends with them."

While she must have a million good stories to tell from those 50-plus years of flying, she did share this funny one with the newspaper reporter.

As she was serving pineapple juice to passengers, she spilled it all over her uniform. She changed into a pair of pants and washed out her skirt in the lavatory. When she tried to air-dry the skirt by letting it flap out the window in the cockpit, one of the two pilots snatched it and let it fly out the window.

"I wanted to kill those two. I wanted to get their two heads together and whack them. They were laughing and laughing," she said.

The joke didn't stop there. Another pilot on the next flight out radioed her plane and said he had caught the skirt as it went flying by.

Perhaps that incident happened while she was working on a DC-3 early in her career. She certainly has seen a lot of changes to the airline industry since then -- including the introduction of jet aircraft.

Congratulations and aloha to Patti Smart as her long career in the air comes to a close.

Click here to watch a KITV News Video about Patti Smart's final flight on Aloha Airlines.


Click here for many more photos of Patti Smart, the Queen of Aloha.

[Photo Source]

Two female pilot cadets at Etihad Airways

Meet two history-makers: Salma Mohammad Al Baloushi (left) and Aisha Hassan Al Mansouri, the first female cadet pilots at Etihad Airways. The two women currently are undergoing initial pilot training at the Horizon Flight Academy at Al Ain, UAE.

The cadet pilots must complete 930 classroom hours and 205 hours of flying in single and multi-engine aircraft, after which they will be eligible to become entry-level first officers at Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates.

An article about the two women in the Gulf News recounts how they came to be interested in flying as a career.

Salma said: "I was studying to be a nurse, but something just didn't feel right. I didn't have a real passion for what I was doing and that made studying to become better hard work. It made me stop and look at life and I decided to follow my childhood dream of becoming a pilot. I am hard-working and have found a passion in life again."

...

Aisha was inspired to become a pilot after a zero gravity experience at the Al Ain Airshow. She said: "I loved being up in the sky and knew instantly that I wanted to become a pilot. My family is so proud of what I am doing."

The two women were recruited as a part of Etihad's program to hire more Emirati nationals.

[Photo Source]

US Airways No. 1 flight attendant celebrates 50 years service

Today was a special day for the Number One flight attendant at US Airways: Bette Nash celebrated 50 years of service. Ms. Nash began her flight attendant career on November 4, 1957.

Here is an excerpt from a news release issued by the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) about Ms. Nash and her golden anniversary:

"Bette Nash is a walking, talking history of the evolution of our industry, and we are so fortunate to benefit from her experience each day," said Alin Boswell, fellow US Airways flight attendant and Washington, DC Local Council President for the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA). "Not only is she a great flight attendant and mentor, but she is a wonderful person who brings much joy to everyone she encounters."

Ms. Nash began her career the same year Sputnik was launched, and when air travel was an expensive luxury full of amenities. As air travel evolved into what it is today, so has the role of flight attendant. Fifty years ago, flight attendants were forced out of their job after a few short years and the average career span was less than 18 months.

In 1964, seven years after Ms. Nash began her career, the Civil Rights Act passed and with the strength and determine of AFA-CWA, for the first time flight attendants were able to challenge the discriminatory policies based on gender, age, race, weight, marital status, and pregnancy that had become commonplace in the airline industry.

"Bette's accomplishment today is the fully realized goal that AFA-CWA set out to achieve over sixty years ago," said Patricia Friend, AFA-CWA International President. "When AFA-CWA began representing flight attendants in 1945, it was the goal of our founders to turn this 'job' into a full-blown career - a career that would provide for, and support flight attendants and their families. It is a humbling moment to reflect upon Bette Nash's accomplishment and realize how far we have come as a profession. AFA-CWA congratulates and thanks Bette for her years of devoted service. We look forward to celebrating many more milestones with her in the future."

Congratulations to Bette Nash!

[Photo Source]

Video: History of Cathay Pacific Cabin Crew Uniforms

I've noticed that whenever I post anything in this blog about flight attendant uniforms or flight attendant history, I get a lot of positive feedback from readers. This interesting video addresses both topics, since it reviews the uniforms of Cathay Pacific cabin crew over the past 60 years. I hope you enjoy it.



If the video does not display or play properly above, click here to watch Cathay Pacific Cabin Crew/Flight Attendant Uniforms on YouTube.

Tip of the hat to YouTube user crazyroom06 for posting the video on YouTube.