Old ex-Flight Steward and Travel Agent --- but Newbie of AFF.

[nate89]

...our memories (as a psychologist will confirm) are not always the truth!

Funny you bring up psychology - I graduated with psychology as one of my major's last month

 

[grussellt]

Welcome Favfern. I llook forward to your stories (as long as I'm not the subject!) I first flew in 1968 from LHR to JFK ( a BUNAC charter flight with British Eagle) and I've enjoyed flying ever since. We recently travelled from SYD to LAX on a QF 747 and I reckon the stewards were older than me - and I've just got my Seniors Card. The service (economy) was excellent and the staff seemed to really enjoy themselves and made a great contribution to the flight.

 

[Favfern]

Funny you bring up psychology - I graduated with psychology as one of my major's last month

Unfortunately, I have no formal qualifications in psychology, but have probably been around long enough to know that we can't always trust our memories, no matter how real they seem to us. I often wonder why courts can take so much notice of so-called "eye witnesses" five years after the crime! Fraught with danger, I feel.

 

[Favfern]

Welcome Favfern. I llook forward to your stories (as long as I'm not the subject!) I first flew in 1968 from LHR to JFK ( a BUNAC charter flight with British Eagle) and I've enjoyed flying ever since. We recently travelled from SYD to LAX on a QF 747 and I reckon the stewards were older than me - and I've just got my Seniors Card. The service (economy) was excellent and the staff seemed to really enjoy themselves and made a great contribution to the flight.

When I first joined Qantas in May 1967, apart from a few old die-hards who had started flying on the Flying Boats out of Rose Bay, being a steward was not regarded as a career! It was the Twentieth Century equivalent of "running away to sea". It was something you did for a few years to have some adventures and see the world at somebody else's expense. When you had your fill of the so called glamour --- which consisted often of living out of a suitcase for months at a time --- you returned to the real world hopefully the better for the experience. The hosties were all young. Before I joined, a young lady had to be 21 to join QF. At about that time, they dropped the entry age to 18 for women, if my memory is correct. It must not have worked out as they hoped, as my memory says they raised it again shortly after, to 21. Maybe the 18 year olds were too hot to handle. I won't make any comment on that. Some of the American airlines had some ladies of more mature age, but I don't remember many with Qantas. Of course, in the Sixties, ageism and sexism were much more rampant than they are allowed to be today. Today, it is more likely you might make a career as a steward or air hostess. (I will probably get into trouble with the politically correct crowd for using the term air hostess! I should have said "flight attendant").

 

[Favfern]

I have just sent an email to the controllers of this site to find out how we might start a blog about the "good old days" of Aussie International travel. While I am very computer literate (hey, that's amazing! I AM 65!), I still don't quite understand blogging! Any blog about the Sixties and Seventies will be a hoot, but it will need some contribution from some of you oldies like me! I am more than happy to kick it off! If you would like to know why some ex-airline staff still wear their watches on their right arm even when (as right handed people) they would normally wear it on their left; if you would like to know why airline staff never ate rockmelons in Teheran in the Sixties; if you would like to know how a Qantas Steward had to learn to ice-skate in the desert; if you would like to know the name of the country where Qantas Stewards never had to pay for a drink in the late Sixties; if you would like to know the name of a country who sent a QF Steward home rather than arrest him for running (naked)through the corridors of a 5 star hotel in the Middle East; if you would like to know about a country where the passenger in the back seat was as guilty as the driver when the car had a bingle; if you want to know about a country where your (very young) humble scribe was rescued by motherly prostitutes who recognized his inebriation and put him into a cab --- this COULD be the blog for you! I hope there are other old buggers out there who are willing to share their amazing experiences for the edification of the "young ones".

 

[admin]

Got your message Favern. I'll try to contact you tomorrow to give you a brief rundown on our blogging system. It's actually pretty easy - not very different to creating posts and threads (which you have already mastered).

Basically click on the "Member Blogs" button (just above the red horizontal line near the top of the screen). Then, click on "My Blog" on the red horizontal line - and away you go

You've wet my appetite, can't wait for the blog!!

I have just sent an email to the controllers of this site to find out how we might start a blog about the "good old days" of Aussie International travel. While I am very computer literate (hey, that's amazing! I AM 65!), I still don't quite understand blogging! Any blog about the Sixties and Seventies will be a hoot, but it will need some contribution from some of you oldies like me! I am more than happy to kick it off! If you would like to know why some ex-airline staff still wear their watches on their right arm even when (as right handed people) they would normally wear it on their left; if you would like to know why airline staff never ate rockmelons in Teheran in the Sixties; if you would like to know how a Qantas Steward had to learn to ice-skate in the desert; if you would like to know the name of the country where Qantas Stewards never had to pay for a drink in the late Sixties; if you would like to know the name of a country who sent a QF Steward home rather than arrest him for running (naked)through the corridors of a 5 star hotel in the Middle East; if you would like to know about a country where the passenger in the back seat was as guilty as the driver when the car had a bingle; if you want to know about a country where your (very young) humble scribe was rescued by motherly prostitutes who recognized his inebriation and put him into a cab --- this COULD be the blog for you! I hope there are other old buggers out there who are willing to share their amazing experiences for the edification of the "young ones".

 

[anat0l]

Welcome to the forum Favfern.

I'm of the young kind whose only recollection of a flying boat is the toy one I might've thrown across the bathtub when I was a munchkin, but I still look forward to hearing your stories with much interest!

It'd be great to hear about some of your comparisons with today's flying. I'm sure there will be much "grumpy ol' grumbling" - which may or may not be much deserved - but I am still fascinated to hear it.

 

[ty_buchanan]

Hi,

I too arrived in Darwin by BOAC in 1964. The run on the 707 to Darwin was a dream compared to the flight by turboprop comet to Melbourne. At Darwin airport we were told this was the last flight for this comet.

Before we took off the traffic controllers kept the pilot on hold for ages with motors running flat out. Someone said look the roof is cracking and a 1" wide crack appeared all the way down the ceiling above the walkway. We told the stewardesses and they said nothing can be done now; the plane will hold out.

We arrived at Melbourne and the plane began circling and circling. We were told nothing at first. The pilot then came on the loudspeaker and said the landing wheels are stuck only halfway down. Clear all loose items, put safety belts on and put your heads between your knees.

Thankfully, we landed safely. There were fire engines everywhere and a large crowd had formed to watch. Some passengers were happy. Others were very serious and upset. Some said this aircraft was obviously not checked closely enough. It should have withstood the stress at Darwin airport.

It did not make the newspapers or television news. Maybe it has been covered up, but I can honestly say that it actually happened.

Ty

 

[Deleted member]

Welcome favfern. I look forward to your posts.

 

[Simo]

Can not wait to hear about the old days.

I am in my very late 30's (40 next month) and I remember when you only had security at Capital city airports.

 

[Travelqueen]

Got your message Favern. I'll try to contact you tomorrow to give you a brief rundown on our blogging system. It's actually pretty easy - not very different to creating posts and threads (which you have already mastered).

Basically click on the "Member Blogs" button (just above the red horizontal line near the top of the screen). Then, click on "My Blog" on the red horizontal line - and away you go

You've wet my appetite, can't wait for the blog!!

Im fascinated also.... Can someone tell me where/how to find Favern's blog?