Nila Kleinsasser Paselk, a Fellow NWA Stewardess From the 1950s Dead at 82
 My eye immediately went to the photograph at the top of the obituary page in the StarTribune yesterday, Sunday, January 15. What caught my attention was the stewardess uniform in the photograph. it was navy blue with white piping around the tuxedo-styled collar revealing a white blouse underneath. I wore the same uniform in the mid-50s - so although I didn't recognize the last (married) name, I recognized the first name - Nila. Nila Kleinsasser was kind and gracious. She often appeared in Northwest Airlines advertising. She was a wonderful good-will ambassador for the airline. We lost touch over the years. I would see her very occasionally at a NESA (Northwest Ex-Stewardess Association) event since our flying days, but not for many years now. I wish we had kept in better touch. Rest in peace, Nila. My thoughts are with your family.
George Grim Dead at 99 - played NWA Stratocruiser organ on a flight from New York City to Mpls.-St. Paul in 1959
I wish I had known George Grim was still alive when I published my book, Fujiyama Trays & Oshibori Towels in 2009. How I would have loved to ask him about the time he saved the day by performing as organist on a NWA flight from New York City to MSP around Christmas, 1959. His performance is immortalized in a chapter called The 'Organic' Stratocruiser. The chapter begins with the story of why and how a Heritage Model Lowrey organ was installed in NWA Stratocruiser 709 in the first place. The "how" is testament to the wiley airframe engineering staff at the airline and the forebearance of the F.A.A. I'm not totally sure about the "why," but I suspect it had something to do with the fact that C. R. 'Swanee' Swanson, owner of Northwest Organ Company, donated the instrument to the airline provided he and other Northwest Organ organists would play it inflight and get free flights to New York and other East Coast cities in return. It was win-win, so to speak. One such organist, 'Swanee's son Chuck Swanson, is the reason George Grim stepped to the keyboard that day. Chuck was 19 years old, on his first flight to New York. The outbound flight went just fine. Trouble was, the return flight was delayed and Chuck wasn't in the loop. He missed the flight and it left NYC sans organist. George Grim was on this flight. George was a well-known personality in the Twin Cities. He wrote a column in the Minneapolis Tribune called "I Like it Here." There were folks on the flight who knew George had an electric organ in his home and knew how to play it. They prevailed upon him to entertain as they winged their way to Minneapolis/St. Paul. Northwest Airlines was delighted that George dedicated his next column to his experience. I'll bet that he still remembered this incident when I was writing about it in 2008. Sadly, it never occurred to me that George was still alive. I had heard nothing of him for decades and didn't even try to find out about him. Some reporter I am! When I read his obituary this past Tuesday, Jan. 10, I learned that he moved to Florida in the 1970s and had lived there ever since. Thanks, George, for entertaining folks in MSP so many years with your foreign correspondence, your columns, your radio and TV appearances and for launching "Santa Anonymous." What a productive life!
Joe Lapensky followed Donald Nyrop at the helm of Northwest Airlines
Lady Skywriter is sad to report the death of Joe Lapensky, a highly regarded leader in the airline industry as well as his community. When he died Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012 at the age of 93, he still lived in the same house in Richfield, MN where he lived before and during his tenure as C.E.O. of Northwest Airlines.
He began at Northwest in 1945 as a junior accountant and never left. He was named president in 1976 and became chief executive officer, replacing Donald Nyrop, three years later.
He led a huge Minnesota company the same way he led his life. Skillfully, quietly and modestly. He saw Northwest Airlines through the turbulent deregulation years; modernizing its fleet, expanding its horizons in Asia and Europe and still avoided the crushing debt that assailed its competitors.
Joe Lapensky never sought the spotlight, in business or life, and gave generously and anonymously to many worthy causes.
He will be missed.
New Thai Airline hires Ladyboy Flight Attendants
 Four Ladyboy Flight Attendants learning the ropes
New Thai Airline PC Air has hired four transsexual flight attendants, or angels, as the president of the company referred to them.
Thailand has a rather high rate of male-to-female transsexuals, and luckily Thai society is accepting of them. When it was founded, PC Air encouraged the "third gender" to apply for positions.
PC Air, whose name comes from the initials of president Peter Chan, originally planned only to hire male and female flight attendants, but changed its mind after more than 100 transsexuals and transvestites applied as well.
More photos from "All About Bob"
 Mary Pat Laffey Inman with Richard Moody during "open mike." Lori Rothmund, center, lynch-pin of the guest list and other arrangements I love this: the first moment Mary Pat Laffey Inman and Jean Carlson Schreier saw each other in 53 years! They were in the same NWA "stewardess" class in 1958. They really enjoyed being reunited. Bill Marchessault and John Joseph, Delta/NWA flight attendants Welcome to the festivities Bob Reardon memorabilia Mary Fryer and Bruce Kitt, NWA History Centre Directors, manning an information table. More photos on yesterday's (10/4/11) blog. That's All, Folks . . . . . . . if you have more photos you'd like to share, send them to me please.
New Bob Reardon Information, gleaned at his fantastic 60th Anniversary Party
Bob Reardon with his sisters and Waverly MN pastor. l-r: Bernice Reardon, Rev. Martin Shallbetter, "the man of the hour", Mary Klingelhoets For openers, I did not know Bob was born and bred in Waverly, MN. His sisters shared that with me. I didn't know he was from a family of nine children. I did not know that he studied at the Sorbonne in Paris his junior year in college. How did a boy from Waverly, short on funds, arrange the transportation? He worked as a waiter on the Queens; Queen Mary on the way over and Queen Elizabeth on the way home. He claims that is when he really learned first-class passenger service. Again, the sisters know. Bob's 60th anniversary party last night was a smashing success. Masterminded by Richard Moody, Delta/NWA purser and event planner extraordinaire, it was a fitting tribute to Bob's 60 consecutive years of flying. At 87, Bob is nowhere near ready to retire. When c.j. (Minneapolis StarTribune columnist) asked me today how many people I thought were there, I answered, "Oh, about 200." She informed me in a subsequent conversation that there were actually 345. No wonder it was so crowded. And what a crowd it was. Old flight attendants, young flight attendants and middle-aged flight attendants. Some so old ( moi included) they weren't allowed to retire, but forced to resign when they either (a) married or (b) reached their 32nd birthday. Then along came Mary Pat Laffey Inman and changed the rules. Inspired by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Pay Act of 1966, Mary Pat and other Northwest Airlines flight attendants were on the cutting edge of enforcing these Acts. Mary Pat had a front-row seat. And Mary Pat flew in from Seattle for Bob's party! Bob Reardon and Mary Pat Laffey Inman Another surprise visitor was a fellow named Mitch, who has worked at the Radisson Narita since 1978. This 400-plus room hotel is where NWA crews stay. Mitch, (pictured below with Bob), flew in from Japan especially for the celebration last evening at the Ft. Snelling Officer's Club. Mitch knows the crews so well he goes out of his way to be sure they have exactly the accommodations they prefer. And it goes without saying, Mitch has known Bob for a long time. A few "old timers:" Mary Pat Laffey Inman, Carol Holmquist, Jean Carlson Schreier, Anne Billingsley Kerr A completely edible NWA DC-3 created by Jacklyn Dammel Tune in tomorrow for more photos of this extraordinary event . . . .
Bob Reardon's Celebration, "All About Bob", will be much better than TV's Pan Am!
 Bob Reardon and Mary Ann Gallagher talking with "Red" Kennedy, (r) retired NWA Captain, at the "Remembering Donald Nyrop event at the NWA History Centre, June, 2011
Just got off the phone with Richard Moody, who is producing the "All About Bob" event on Monday evening, Oct. 3, from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Officer's Club. Richard let me in on some of the surprises in store for Bob. I am really excited that I will get to meet some illustrious folks I've only corresponded with, until now. There will also be dancers, singers, a 3-D cake and enormous fun. Bob is celebrating his 60th year as a flight attendant/purser for NWA/Delta. To say he is a legend is an understatement. At 87 years old, I wouldn't be surprised if he is the oldest flight attendant in the world. I loved flying with Bob in the late 1950s and have written a chapter about him in my book, Fujiyama Trays & Oshibori Towels - Recalling a time when passenger flight was an adventure and the Boeing Stratocruiser ruled the skies. Now we'll see each other again. I can hardly wait. Then come to the Officer's Club at the airport - 395 Highway 5 and Post Road, St. Paul, MN Monday at 4 p.m. with your $20 per person cover charge. It will be worth every penny. I was not impressed with Pan Am's debut on TV last Sunday evening. However, "All About Bob" will be impressive. Please join us!
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