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The first airplane
Wilbur and Orville Wright made 4 brief flights at Kitty Hawk with their firs powered aircraft that they used a stop watch to time the flights. The Weight Brothers created the first airplane. https://airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/wright-brothers/online/fly/1903/ -
First Flight Attendant
The German Heinrick Kubis was the world's first flight attendant in 1912. He attended the passengers on board the DELAG Zeepelin LZ 10 Schwaben. He was also one of the survivors of teh fire that swept the airplane as it attempted to land in Lakehurst, New Jersey in 1937. -
Cabin Boys
Imperial Airways of the United Kingdom had cabins boys or steward in the 1920s. In the US. Stout Airways was the first to employ stewards in 1926, working for Ford Trimotor planes between Detroit and Grand Rapids, Michigan. -
Ellen Church's Flying Experience
The first female flight attendant was a 25 year old registered nurse named Ellen Church. She was hired by United Airplanes in 1930. Women were called a stewardess or air hostesses on most flights. In the US, the job was one of a few in the 1930s to let women work. -
The History Behind Ellen Church
Ellen Church had big dreams of being a commercial pilot but the executives didn't trust a women being in the cockpit. She was very upset when she heard this but it didn't crush her dreams of being in the air for long. She convinced Boeing, an airline, that they needed 'caregivers' on all flights. These people would later become known as flight attendants. -
First Female Pilot
Helen Rickey was hired by Central Airlines in 1934, making her the first women pilot but she resigned 10 months later when the all male pilots's union refused to accept her.Years after that, she was penniless and jobless and committed suicide. -
The Rise of Women Flight Attendants
Female flight attendants quickly replaced male ones, and by 1936, their were more women flight attendants than males. The girls has to be petite standing 5 foot to 5'4 and their weight needed to be around 100 to 118 pounds. 30 decades later it was changed that you had to be a high school graduate, single with no kids, 20 years old (19 1/2 could still apply but for the future), 5 foot 2 inches at least but no taller than 5'9, weight around 105 to 135, and much have 20/40 vision without glasses. -
The First Uniforms
From 1930 - 1932, women wore conservative clothing, it was all pillbox hates and square shoulders up until 1938. In 1938, Gladys Entrekin designed a more figure flattering blue outfit and George Petty sketched the women wearing the design. It was called the "Pretty Girl" uniform. -
Howard Greer's Uniforms
In 1944, a Hollywood designer Howard Greer consulted with some working women to create an imperfect, but more utilitarian uniform. He created the blouslip that combined undergarments that didn't need constant tucking in. Also a discrete triangular jacket flap could be unbuttoned so that hostess could smoke or enjoy a drink when not working without damaging the airline reputation. -
Ruth Carol Taylor
Ruth Carol Taylor was the fist African American flight attendant in the United States and she was hired in December of 1957. Her first flight was with Mohawk Airlines from Ithaca to New York on February 11, 1958. She was sadly let go 6 months later because of Mohawk's then marriage ban. -
Christian Dior's Uniforms
In 1962, Christian Dior brought 'haute couture' to Air France which kicked started in-flight fashion. The House of Dior designed an outfit that was as functional as it was sophisticated, and it also depicted the position of women in the workplace. The uniforms included shape angles and slanted pocket flaps for an aerodynamic mood. Loper's pencil skirt and propeller fin like hate where to show a picture, went the women's arms were down, like she was a rocket. -
Wacky Colored Prints
In the mid 1960s, the uniforms started going above the knee. Also drug such as LSD inspired psychedelic prints Pucci and Wells designed 'the airstrip' which was a multilayer uniform that the attendants could take off if the temperature rose in-flight. One of the most famous was the 1966 Supersonic Derby outfit which was a harlequin-print nylon jersey uniform covered in art motifs, paired with green boots, and topped with a bowlers hat. -
Putting an End to Harsh Rules
3 of the main rules to be a flight attendant were age, weight, and the ban on marriage. Originally female flight attendants were fired if they reached the age of 32 or 35 depending on the airline, if they exceeded weight regulations, and they had to be single and fired if they got married. In 1968, they found that to be illegal to require under Title VII of the Civil Rights At of 1964. -
Training
Flight Attendants were usually trained in the hub or headquarters of an airplane over a period that might take 4 weeks or 6 months, it all depends on the country and airline. One of the most elaborate training facilities was Breech Academy which Trans World Airlines (TWA) opened in 1969 in Overland Park, Kansas. It later closed in 1988. -
A Ban On Gender?
In 1968, there was a rule set in stone about who was up to par to be a flight attendant. There was a restriction of hiring ONLY women but that was soon lifted off of ALL airlines after the Diaz vs Pan Am court case in 1971. -
Airline Academy
Airline Academy is the most popular school/ academy to train at to be a flight attendant. It's located in Orlando Florida and was open in 1972. There are 12 students per teacher so students get the best experiences. -
September 11, 2001
Flight attendants received heightened prominence after the 9/11 attack when some flight attendants such as Sandra W. Bradshaw, CeeCee Lyles, Renne May, Betty Ong, Madeline Amy attempted to protect passengers from the assault and they contacted air traffic controllers on the hijackings. -
The Future
In 2017, it is predicted that there will be 41,030 airlines by 2036 along with 839,000 new cabin crew members. 289,00 in Asia Pacific (37%), 169,000 in North America (21%) and 151,000 In Europe (19%).
