Elinor Smith was born in 1911. She knew she was born to fly at the age of 6 when she took her first airplane ride. She started taking lessons at the age of 8. She was fortunate at that time to have parents who supported her in what she wanted to do. Her mother didn’t want to deny her daughter opportunities just because of her gender and her father had always had a passion for planes. These things helped her in her quest to fly. Elinor set many aviation records. Most of these records came because of her age. She was youngest woman to fly solo at the age of 15. At the age of 16, she became the youngest person to earn a pilot’s license in the U.S. On October 21, 1928 at the age of 17, Elinor flew under four East River Bridges in New York City. The bridges she flew under were the Queensboro, the Williamsburg, the Manhattan, and the Brooklyn Bridges. She is the only person ever to accomplish that feat. Her first world record was the endurance record she set on January 31, 1929 of 13 hours, 16 minutes, and 45 seconds. During that flight was the first time she had ever landed at night. In April of 1929, Elinor again broke the endurance record making it now 26 hours, 23 minutes, and 16 seconds.

Later that year, she teamed up with Bobbi Trout and set a joint record endurance flight of over 42 hours and became the first women to refuel a plane in midair. She also became the first person, male or female, to receive a transport pilot’s license at the age of 18. While she was still 18, she became the first woman to pilot a military aircraft.

In 1929, she became the first female executive pilot of the Irving Chute Co., for a nationwide tour to demonstrate parachute drops . In 1930, she became the first woman to test pilot for Long Island’s Fairchild Aviation Corp. In 1931, she became the first woman to fly over 30,000 feet, but she wanted to beat that record. So, a week later, she went up again and set a new women’s altitude record of 34, 500 feet.

Her proudest moment though was in 1930 when all the licensed fliers of the U.S. were asked to name the best female and male pilots in the United States. Elinor won. She said, “It was such an honor to know that my peers considered me the best.”

Elinor then married a year or two later and had two children. While she was pregnant with her third child, she thought maybe she shouldn’t be flying; that she should be home taking care of the children. So, she quit flying. Almost 25 years past before she piloted a plane again.

Elinor loved to fly; Flying was meant for her. She is such a great example to the aviatrix of today.

A PAN AM 747 TV commercial.

(Left: Pan Am stewardesses posing at foot of stairs leading to the upper 747 First Class lounge.) Whichever way you look at it, the Boeing 747’s legacy is remarkable. Probably the most recognisable airliner other than Concorde, not only is the Jumbo Jet still the world’s best-selling widebody, and the longest-running airliner production program after the 737, but it was also a key contributor to bringing air travel to the masses. And until the Airbus A380’s arrival two years ago – an aircraft regarded by some as the 747’s spiritual successor – it was the largest airliner flying.

The origins of the 747 are rather infamous. The creation of the airplane reportedly all started from this simple note in 1965:

Dear Mr Boeing,
Please build us a very big aeroplane soon. If it is pretty as well that will be a bonus. We will buy lots of them.
Yours sincerely,
Pan Am

Piano Bar entertainment was featured on many flights.

Passengers disembarking from the 747’s first flight.

The Qantas Captain Cook First Class Lounge – very nautical with the rope work and also so 70’s…check out the hairstyles.

First-class passengers in a BOAC Boeing 747 are ready to enjoy their lunch.

Passengers mingle in a coach lounge aboard a 747 in 1971 aboard Continental Airlines. “The plane ushered in a new era of luxury travel,” aviation consultant Scott Hamilton said.

A stewardess serves drinks in the Economy section of a Pan Am World Airways 747.  The typical Pan Am allowed for 58 first-class seats and 304 economy seats.

Tragically, Pan Am went out of business.  But the 747 is still around and probably the most reliable aircraft operating.  Nothing can compete with the comfort and style of this great aircraft.

It was the kind of plane that seemed to fit the swinging go-go days with martini-swigging travelers lingering around a bar.

First-class passengers dressed.  There were no jeans, tank-tops or fashion victims.  They even dressed in coach.

First-class passengers make their way up a spiral staircase to get to the “flying penthouse,” harking memories of private rail cars.

It seemed the epitome of plushness when it made its first commercial flight 40 years ago today. A Times reporter described the cabin as a “luxurious auditorium some genie had wafted aloft.”

American Airlines coach bar on the new 747.

Boeing Co.’s 747 was not only the biggest plane that anyone had ever seen before — it was nearly three times larger than the largest jet flying at the time — it transformed travel in a way that few have.

“It was marvelous,” said Marilyn Murphy, a former Pan Am “stewardess” — the term for what are now “flight attendants” — who flew on the 747 during its early years. “I always felt it revolutionized the way people travel because it became more of a social experience. People would congregate around the plane and talk about where they had been or where they were going.”

The plane was a game changer for Pan Am, which at the time was an international powerhouse but ceased operations in 1991. As soon as the airline received its first 747 in 1970, Chief Executive Juan Trippe switched the flight attendants’ uniforms, giving them a classier look with pristine white gloves and stylish blue hats.

“The plane ushered in a new era of luxury travel,” said Scott Hamilton, an aviation industry consultant in Issaquah, Wash. “It is truly an American icon. It was the first jumbo jet and a wonderful technical achievement.”

The horror of flying today in the USA – including a commercial produced by Princess Cruises to drive the point home.

But when the first 747 rolled off the assembly line, the aircraft was so huge that some pilots refused to fly it and critics said it would never get off the ground. It almost bankrupted Boeing, and airport officials worried about how they would handle all the passengers.

Two generations later, the jumbo jet with its signature hump is still flying high and is one of the most recognizable planes in the world. Many of the 747 components were built in Southern California, including the 172-foot-long center fuselage in Hawthorne.

History books say the plane made its first commercial flight on Jan. 21, 1970, but the Pan Am flight actually took off from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport bound for London’s Heathrow Airport at 1:52 a.m. Jan. 22 because of a delay.

Four decades later, the 747 is still a common sight at Los Angeles International Airport, where dozens of the latest generation of the mammoth plane carry thousands of passengers to far-flung destinations in Asia and Europe each day.

Two years ago, the 747 was dethroned as the world’s largest passenger jet when the double-decked Airbus A380 entered service with Singapore Airlines.

Boeing built more than 1,400 747s, making it one of the most successful commercial jetliners ever.

Air Force One, a modified 747, continues to be a symbol of U.S. might. And NASA still uses a 747 to transport space shuttles back to Florida whenever they land at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert.

But things weren’t always so rosy for the 747. When the program was undertaken, Boeing didn’t have the financial strength or the manufacturing capability to produce them. The company went deep into debt and had to strike deals with suppliers to make the parts on their own dime.

“It was really a critical time for Boeing,” Joe Sutter, chief engineer on the 747, said in an interview. “There came a time when the banks didn’t want to lend us any more money. So, by going after the 747, the company was essentially committing the entire company.”

It didn’t get any easier as the program went forward. The airplane was overweight and the new engines had overheating problems.

“We knew we’d have a good flying machine once we worked the kinks out,” Sutter said. “It was make or break for the company.”

The 747’s cavernous cabin, which was built in Hawthorne, changed travelers’ flying experiences. Before the 747, traveling on a jetliner was like flying in a cramped metal tube.

The change was dramatic. The 747, with its five cabin sections and twin aisles, stretched nearly the length of a football field. It could carry more than twice as many passengers as existing commercial planes, and amenities such as multiple movie screens and snack bars seemed to make flying more enjoyable.

“Flying in a 747 is more like flying in a room with high ceilings than anything else,” Hamilton said.

To this day, the Hawthorne factory ships fuselage panels — now for the forthcoming variant, the 747-8 — to Boeing’s assembly plant in Everett, Wash., by rail.

The site, currently operated by Vought Aircraft Industries Inc., has produced the fuselage panels for every 747 that has taken to the skies — including Air Force One — since the aircraft program began in 1966.

“A tremendous amount of people in this area can attribute their jobs to the 747,” said Dana Dickson, the site’s general manager. “There have been quite a few father-and-son teams that have worked on the program.”

Twice a week, Vought packages the parts and sends them along to Boeing in three custom, oversized rail cars. For the most part, the arrangement has worked without a hitch, Dickson said. But in the 40-year partnership, there have been a few hiccups. One of them was the Mt. St. Helens eruption in Washington in 1980.

“We were at peak production around that time, so it sreally made things difficult,” Dickson said. “There were about 2 or 3 inches of volcanic ash on the tracks. So, everything had to be cleaned up, and we had to put special packaging on the product. It was just a wild time.”

The Hawthorne site is only five miles east of LAX. Every day, the 1,100 people who work at the plant can see the fruits of their labor. LAX has more 747 passenger flights than any other airport in the country.

“Every now and then you’ll hear one of the workers say, ‘There goes the jewel in the sky,!” said Reggie Morris, a Vought aircraft mechanic who has worked there for 35 years. “Without looking, I know that the 747 is flying by. There’s a lot of pride and integrity that comes with that.”

Dutch airline company KLM inaugurates a biofuel flight on one of its passenger carrying 747’s – a combination of 50% biofuel and 50% jet fuel. The biofuel being used in this KLM flight will be made from camelina, a feedstock that produces 84% fewer emissions than regular jet fuel and has proven to be a low-impact crop, requiring less water and fertilizer and can grow in areas where food crops won’t be displaced. KLM makes airline history.

CRUISING THE FUTURE: On Nov. 23, Dutch airline KLM completed its first Boeing 747 test flight using bio-fuel with passengers on board. The demonstration flight was carried out at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam powered by biokerosene, an equal mix of sustainable bio-fuels and traditional kerosene. As the airline industry moves toward reducing carbon dioxide emissions, the demonstration flight marks the first ever flight in Europe on biokerosene, a fuel KLM has been exploring since 2007.

1936 – Successor DC-2 the DC-3 – KLM led the field in Europe, scoring another first with the successor to the DC-2, the DC-3.

The same day, the airline announced a partnership with North Sea Petroleum and Spring Associates to form the SkyEnergy consortium to lead sustainability in aviation.

KLM – One of the first carriers to offer Jet service Trans-Atlantic.

“The Netherlands should make good use of this leading position to ensure clean, silent and sustainable air transport worldwide,” said KLM Royal Dutch Airlines President & CEO Peter Hartman. “This is technically feasible. We have demonstrated that it is possible. Government, industry and society at large must now join forces to ensure that we quickly gain access to a continuous supply of biofuel.”

An excellent YOUTUBE video look at KLM’s history.

The SkyEnergy venture will receive environmental advice from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). KLM’s president emphasized the importance of preserving forest and water resources and biodiversity.

1926 – A heated cabin – KLM early innovations – KLM regularly added new destinations to its network. The more northerly cities were not forgotten. Services to Malmo were started in 1926. A heated cabin helped to make the journey more comfortable.

HISTORY OF KLM – KLM was founded on 7 October 1919, making it the oldest air carrier in the world still operating under its original name, though the company stopped operating during the Second World War – apart from the operations in the Dutch Antilles in the Caribbean.

The first KLM flight was on 17 May 1920, from Croydon Airport, London to Amsterdam carrying two British journalists and a number of newspapers.

It was flown by an Aircraft Transport and Travel Airco DH.16, callsign G-EALU, piloted by Jerry Shaw. In 1920 KLM carried 440 passengers and 22 tons of freight. In 1921 KLM started scheduled services.

By 1926 it was offering flights to Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Brussels, Paris, London, Bremen, Copenhagen, and Malmo; using primarily Fokker F2 & Fokker F.III. KLM was also the first airline to fly to Manchester Airport, using a DC-2 via Doncaster.

Intercontinental service to the Netherlands East Indies (today’s Republic of Indonesia) started in 1929. This was for several years the world’s longest scheduled route. The service used Fokker F.VIIb, although the first non-scheduled KLM flight had been in 1924 by Fokker F7 registration H-NACC piloted by Van der Hoop. In 1930 KLM carried 15,143 passengers.

The first transatlantic KLM route was between Amsterdam and Curaçao in December 1934 using the Fokker F-XVIII “Snip.” In the 1940s the KLM was the only civilian airline operating the Douglas DC-5.

On 21 May 1946, KLM was the first continental European airline to launch scheduled service to New York. In 1950 KLM carried 356,069 passengers.

On 25 July 1957, the airline introduced its first flight simulator for the Douglas DC-7C – the last KLM aircraft with piston engines – which opened the first trans-polar route from Amsterdam via Anchorage to Tokyo on 1 November 1958.

Each crew flying the transpolar route over the Arctic was equipped with a winter survival kit, including a 7.62 mm selective-fire AR-10 carbine for use against polar bears in the event the plane was forced down onto the polar ice.

1946 – Inaugural flight New York – Captain Evert van Dijk took a Douglas DC-4, the PH-TAR ‘Rotterdam’, on KLM’s inaugural flight to New York, May 31st, 1946. KLM was the first continental European airline to start scheduled flights to the American metropolis after the war.

In March 1960, KLM introduced the first Douglas DC-8 jet into its fleet. In 1966, KLM introduced the Douglas DC-9 on European and Middle East routes.

The new terminal buildings at Schiphol Airport opened in April 1967 and in 1968, the Douglas DC-8-63 entered service. With 244 seats it was the largest airliner of the time. KLM was the first airline to put the higher gross-weight Boeing 747-200B into service in February 1971 with Pratt & Whitney JT9D engines, beginning the era of widebody jets.

Just prior to WW 2, KLM had “Holland” painted on their DC2 and DC3 aircraft so they would not be mistaken for military planes.

In 1980, KLM carried 9,715,069 passengers. In 1983, it reached agreement with Boeing to convert some of its Boeing 747-200s to stretched upper deck configuration. The work started in 1984 at the Boeing factory in Everett, Washington and finished in 1986.

The converted aircraft were called Boeing 747-200SUD, which the airline operated in addition to Boeing 747-300s. In June 1989, KLM introduced the Boeing 747-400. Later that year, in July, KLM acquired 20 per cent of Northwest Airlines, starting an alliance between the two airlines. In 1990, KLM carried 16,000,000 passengers. In March 1994, KLM and Northwest Airlines introduced World Business Class on intercontinental routes, and in July 1995, KLM introduced its Boeing 767-300ER.

(Left: KLM Stewardesses, from the jet age to the 1930s) In March and June 2002, KLM announced it would renew its intercontinental fleets by replacing the Boeing 767s, Boeing 747-400s, and eventually the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 with Boeing 777-200ERs and Airbus A330-200s. Some 747s will be first to retire.

The MD-11s will remain in service until 2014/2015. The first Boeing 777 was received on 25 October 2003, entering commercial service on the Amsterdam-Toronto route, while the first Airbus A330-200 was introduced on 25 August 2005 and entered commercial service on the Amsterdam-Washington Dulles route.  In March 2007 KLM started using the Amadeus reservation system, along with partner Kenya Airways.

On 30 September 2003, Air France and KLM announced that they would in future be known as Air France-KLM. This entity was offered on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange on 5 May 2004. The takeover by Air France marked the end of the oldest independent airline in the world.

The Royal adjective will remain. Its independent identity is guaranteed to 2008, but its operations may be merged with those of the French company.

MILESTONES IN KLM HISTORY

Sep 12, 1919

Queen Wilhelmina awarded KLM – yet to be founded – its “Royal” designation.

Oct 7, 1919

Dutch Royal Airlines for the Netherlands and its Colonies (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij voor Nederland en Koloniën – KLM) was founded.

Oct 21, 1919

The first KLM office opened on Heerengracht in The Hague.

May 17, 1920

KLM’s first pilot, Jerry Shaw, flew from London to Schiphol in a leased De Havilland DH-16.

Apr 4, 1921

Following a winter hiatus, KLM resumed service with its own pilots and aircraft: the Fokker F-II and F-III.

May 9, 1921

KLM opened its first passenger office on Leidseplein in Amsterdam.

Oct 1, 1924

KLM initiated its first intercontinental flight, from Amsterdam to Batavia (Colonial Jakarta) in a Fokker F-VII.

Sep, 1929

KLM started regular, scheduled service between Amsterdam to Batavia. Until the outbreak of the Second World War, this was the world’s longest-distance scheduled service.

Dec 1933

KLM flew Christmas and New Year’s cards from Amsterdam to Batavia in a record time of just over four days in a Fokker F-XVIII Pelikaan. The mail arrived in time for Christmas.

Oct 1934

The Douglas DC-2 Uiver won a “handicap” race – a flight with passengers and cargo – from London to Melbourne.

Dec 1934

KLM made its first transatlantic flight, from Amsterdam to Curacao in a Fokker F-XVIII Snip.

Sep 1945

KLM resumed service following the Second World War, starting with domestic flights.

May 21, 1946

KLM initiated scheduled service between Amsterdam and New York using the Douglas DC-4 Rotterdam.

Nov 1, 1958

KLM opened its Amsterdam-Tokyo service, flying over the North Pole using the Douglas DC-7 Caraïbische Zee.

Mar 1960

The Jet Age began with the introduction of the Douglas DC-8.

Sep 12, 1966

NLM (“Netherlands Airlines”) was founded. This was later renamed NLM Cityhopper.

Apr 1967

Schiphol Center went into service.

Feb 1971

The Wide-body Age began with the advent of the Boeing 747-206B.

Mar 1, 1971

KLM opened its headquarters in Amstelveen, south of Amsterdam.

Nov 1975

KLM added the Boeing 747-306B Combi to its fleet, an important milestone for KLM cargo transport.

Mar 1988

KLM took over NetherLines European Commuter service.

Jun 1989

KLM introduced the Boeing 747-400, the most advanced 747 of its time.

Jul 1989

KLM acquired a 20% interest in the US carrier Northwest Airlines, an important step toward the creation of a worldwide network.

Apr 1, 1991

KLM merged NLM Cityhopper and NetherLines to create KLM cityhopper.

Oct 1991

KLM increased its interest in charter carrier Transavia from 40% to 80%.

Dec 1991

KLM introduced Flying Dutchman, making it the first airline on the European continent to create a frequent flyer loyalty program.

Jan 1993

The US Department of Transportation granted KLM and Northwest Airlines antitrust immunity, allowing the two airlines to intensify their partnership.

Sep 1993

KLM and Northwest Airlines started operating all their flights between the US and Europe as part of a joint venture.

Nov 1993

For the first time in its history, KLM transported more than ten million passengers in a single year.

Mar 1994

KLM and Northwest Airlines introduce World Business Class, a new product on intercontinental flights.

Jul 1995

KLM introduced Boeing 767-300ER to service.

Jan 1996

KLM acquires 26% share in Kenya Airways.

Jan 1998

KLM and Malaysian Airlines System announce investigation into commercial cooperation.

Feb 1998

KLM-Northwest Airlines alliance honored with ‘Airline of the Year Award’ by influential US trade magazine Air Transport World.

Aug 1998

KLM repurchases all regular shares from the Dutch state. The state retains cumulative preference shares A and priority shares with a franchise in excess of 14%.

Nov 1, 1999

KLM founded AirCares, a communication and fundraising platform supporting worthy causes and focusing on underprivileged children around the world.

Dec 1999

KLM was the world’s first airline to attain ISO 14001 certification for its Environmental Management System.

Spring 2002

KLM announced the first phase of a fleet renewal program for its intercontinental aircraft – three Boeing 747-400ER freighters and eight Boeing 777-200ERs to replace the Boeing 747-300s; two more Boeing 777-200ERs to replace two MD-11s. KLM placed an order with Airbus for six A330-200s. Upon completion of the program, KLM’s fleet consisted solely of Boeing 747-400s, Boeing 777-200ERs, and Airbus A330-200s.

Oct 25, 2003

KLM’s first Boeing 777-200R landed at Schiphol. The aircraft provides service to Cape Town, Nairobi, and New York.

May 5, 2004

The AIR FRANCE KLM Group was born. On this day Air France redeemed the conditions of its share bid, allowing for the merger between Air France and KLM. Seven months earlier, in September 2003, the airlines had decided to join forces.

Sep 2004

KLM, Northwest, and Continental join SkyTeam, an international alliance of airlines, of which Air France, Delta Air Lines, Alitalia, Korean Air, ?SA Czech Airlines, and Aeromexico were already members.

Jun 2005

AIR FRANCE KLM introduced its new, combined, frequent flyer program, “Flying Blue.” It was the first time in history that two European airlines had joined their loyalty programs – exclusive service packages targeting loyal customers.

Aug 25, 2005

Aircraft manufacturer Airbus delivered the first of KLM’s A330s.

Dec 2006

KLM was the world’s first airline to introduce self-service transfer kiosks at which transfer passengers at Schiphol can print out their own boarding passes, quickly and easily.

Jun 2007

KLM introduced a unique partnership with the Worldwide Fund for Nature. The agreement includes hard and fast limitations to CO2 emissions and the corporate expression that, even in the airline industry, there are different and better ways of doing business. KLM views this cooperative effort as a crowning achievement to the steps it had already taken in corporate sustainability – efforts that have earned it the title of “best in class” in terms of energy efficient flight among all the major international airlines.

Mar 30, 2008

The Open Skies treaty went into effect, allowing airlines to fly freely – for the first time – between Europe and the US. KLM had long been a proponent of this treaty.

May 23, 2008

The US Department of Transportation granted antitrust immunity to KLM, Air France, Delta Air Lines, and Northwest Airlines. This will allow these airlines to make better use of the Open Skies treaty, streamlining their activities and better attuning them to customer demand.

Dec. 31, 2008

KLM becomes 100% owner of Martinair.

Jan. 12, 2009

Air France-KLM takes 25% minority stake in Alitalia .

Airline History – The Stewardess – MAD MEN: Set in 1960s New York, the sexy, stylized and provocative AMC drama Mad Men follows the lives of the ruthlessly competitive men and women of Madison Avenue advertising, an ego-driven world where key players make an art of the sell.

Stewardesses play apart in the MAD MEN TV series and our a part of the social history of the JFK to Johnson decade. Here’s a look at the women flight attendants who flew Pan Am, TWA and PSA – vanished American institutions and airlines. The period of MAD MEN.

BACKGROUND

The role of a flight attendant ultimately derives from that of similar positions on passenger ships or passenger trains, but it has more direct involvement with passengers because of the confined quarters and often shorter travel times on aircraft. Additionally, the job of a flight attendant revolves around safety to a much greater extent than those of similar staff on other forms of transportation. Flight attendants on board a flight collectively form a cabin crew, as distinguished from pilots and engineers in the cockpit.

The first flight attendant, a steward, was reportedly a man on the German Zeppelin LZ10 Schwaben in 1911.

Origins of the word “steward” in transportation are reflected in the term “steward” as used in maritime transport terminology. The term purser and chief steward are often used interchangeably describing personnel with similar duties among seafaring occupations. This lingual derivation results from the international British maritime tradition dating back to the 14th century and the civilian United States Merchant Marine which US aviation is somewhat modeled. Due to international conventions and agreements, in which all ships’ personnel who sail internationally are similarly documented by their respective countries, the U.S. Merchant Marine assigns such duties to the chief steward in the overall rank and command structure of which pursers are not positionally represented or rostered.

Imperial Airways of the United Kingdom had “cabin boys” or “stewards”; in the 1920s. In the USA, Stout Airways was the first to employ stewards in 1926, working on Ford Trimotor planes between Detroit and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Western Airlines (1928) and Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) (1929) were the first US carriers to employ stewards to serve food. Ten-passenger Fokker aircraft used in the Caribbean had stewards in the era of gambling trips to Havana, Cuba from Key West, Florida. Lead flight attendants would in many instances also perform the role of purser, steward, or chief steward in modern aviation terminology.

Ellen Church pioneers sky job for women: The position of flight attendant remained largely undefined until Ellen Church entered the aviation industry in 1930. A registered nurse who had taken flying lessons, Church approached Steve Stimpson of Boeing Air Transport seeking an airline job, possibly as a pilot. Instead Stimpson and Church created a stewardessing occupation for registered nurses.

Church’s timing was critical. Stimpson, recently back from a long flight, saw the need for cabin attendants and urged his employer to add a courier to the crew. Stimpson had already hired three male couriers when Church visited his offices on Feb. 23, 1930. After meetings with Church, Stimpson tried to sell his idea of a nurse-stewardess to his superiors, citing the national publicity that would result.

William A Patterson, assistant to the president of Boeing Air Transport, decided to embark on what others in the airline industry considered a daring experiment. He gave his approval to hire eight nurses to work as stewardesses on a three-month trial basis. At 8:00 a.m., May 15, 1930, a Boeing tri-motor left Oakland enroute to Chicago with Ellen Church, the world’s first stewardess, aboard.

At the end of the three-month stewardess experiment, Boeing officials enthusiastically endorsed it a great success. Church, a chief stewardess, was deluged by applications from both men and women eager to experience the adventure and mobility the new flying job offered. Church became responsible for directing and determining standards for the new job. In the station manager’s absence, she supervised food service, bought equipment and handled the passengers in and out of Cheyenne, Wyo. Thus, Church pioneered another first; she was among the first women to work in a management position in the emerging aviation industry.

Although the aviation industry followed United’s lead in hiring women to work on airplanes, some did so reluctantly. Eastern hired seven hostesses on a year’s probationary period to work its 18-passenger Curtiss Condors. In 1933, American Airlines trained four registered nurses to serve as its first stewardesses. The new flying job for women pioneered by the original eight nurse stewardesses was becoming an accepted idea for U.S.-based carriers and European airlines. Stewardesses were special to William A. Patterson, who later became the president of United Air Lines, the successor company to Boeing Air Transport. As his associate John Hill recalled, “My God, it was an honor to be a stewardess. United had started the profession of stewardessing, and they were so proud of it.”

In 1962, St Bona of Pisa, a 12th-century pilgrim, was canonized by Pope John XXIII as patron saint of air hostesses.

HISTORY OF THE STEWARDESS – FROM THE BEGINNINGS TO THE MAD MEN ERA

1933: An icon is born America had a new icon of femininity, declared the Toledo Sunday Times: the airline stewardess “goes to work 5,000 feet above the earth, rushing through space at a rate of three miles a minute. She has been eulogized, glorified, publicized, and fictionalized during her comparatively short existence. She has become the envy of stenographers in New York and farmers’ daughters in Iowa. She seems to be on the way to becoming to American girlhood what policemen, pilots, and cowboys are to American boyhood.”

1936: Uber-women aloft An article in Literary Digest from 1936, titled “Flying Supermen and Superwomen,” noted that airlines put as much extraordinary care into selecting their stewardesses as they did with pilots. Would intermarriage between the two groups, the article breathlessly asked, yield “a race of superior Americans”?

1943: What more could you want?  No wonder stewardesses received such favorable attention from the press and the public.  As a female writer for Independent Woman admiringly concluded, they exuded “the skill of a Nightingale, the charm of a Powers model and the kitchen wisdom of a Fanny Farmer”—an ideal blend of traditional and modern femininity.

1955: Playboy’s “Miss December” United stewardess Barbara Cameron posed for Playboy Magazine as “Miss December” in 1955. She appeared again exactly three years later as the “The Girl Next Door” in the line-up of “most popular playmates” marking the magazine’s fifth anniversary.  A notable departure from the usually very respectable stewardess mystique of the postwar era, and a foreshadowing of the reputation for promiscuity that female flight attendants would acquire, through little effort of
their own, by the 1970s.

1958: “Glamor Girls of the Air” When American Airlines opened a new stewardess training facility, Life Magazine marked the occasion with a tribute to flight attendants, “Glamor Girls of the Air: For Lucky Ones Being Hostess is the Mostest,” which perfectly captured the postwar vision of stewardesses as cosmopolitan brides-in-training. On Life’s cover were two brightly smiling stewardesses, and inside were trainees preparing for “one of the most coveted careers open to young American women today.” “The job they want does not pay extraordinarily well, only $255 to $355 a month. The life is irregular and the opportunities for promotion are small. But the chance to fly, to see the world and meet all sorts of interesting people—mostly the kind of men who can afford to travel by plane—gives the job real glamour.”

1965: A showgirl or jet-propelled waitress? The jet age, with its crowded, speedier flights and more motley passenger population posed a new challenge to stewardesses’ glamour image. It was with the advent of jets that travelers and pundits (and occasionally flight attendants themselves) began to speak of the stewardess as merely a glorified waitress and flying itself began losing its cosmopolitan allure. Nonetheless, a female reporter for the Des Moines Register wittily suggested how durable stewardesses’ image was in “Meet the Girl Who Wears Those Silver Wings and a Big Smile”: “The airline stewardess, 1965, has one of the most frustrating jobs in the world.  Male passengers expect her to look like a Las Vegas showgirl, and are angry when she doesn’t. Female passengers are angry when she does, and are fond of calling her a ‘flying waitress.’ Bachelors say she’s not as glamorous as she used to be, yet would trade their collection of James Bond paperbacks for a date with her.”