Happy Birthday Robert Reardon! 90 Years Young Today. And Still Flying !!!
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Bob Reardon and Bonnie Vork in B-377 Stratocruiser galley 1950s
Photo taken in flight by Anne Billingsley, Lady Skywriter |
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Mary Ann Gallagher, Bill Marchessault, Bob Reardon, Fay Kulenkamp and Maggie McMahon
NWA flight attendants in vintage uniforms at "Remembering Donald Nyrop", June, 2011 |
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To mark Bob's 60 years of service, a huge celebration was held at the Officer's Club at MSP. Pictured here,
Mitch (Radisson Narita) and Bob with event planners extraordinaire Richard Moody and Lori Rothmund
See Fall, 2011 Reflections, page 9 |
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| Jean Carlson Schreier, Bob and Anne at 60th |
So what's next, Bob? Are you up for another party? Your 65th Anniversary is coming up in 2016.
Happy, happy birthday and many more. I loved flying to D.C. with you, first eating lunch at Bassins and then doing the town. That was back when Ike was president and Elvis was "king." And we got to work on the Stratocruiser. Grand Memories.
Best wishes for many more from your old flying partner, Anne (Lady Skywriter) Billingsley Kerr
Labels: airline history, commercial aviation, Delta Air Lines, flight attendants, Northwest Airlines, stewardess uniforms, stewardesses, Stratocruiser
Behind the Scenes with TPT (Ch 2) at NWA History Centre April, 2014
Later this summer, Ch 2 will take a look at another "lost" Twin Cities gem: Northwest Airlines
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| Wayne Snyder, NWAHC BOD with Elaine Mielke, volunteer, at NWA Museum door |
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| Lost Twin Cities IV Assistant Producer Leya Hale taking a "selfie." |
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| TV production equipment everywhere |
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| Leya "powdering" retired NWA F/A Fay Kulenkamp and sound engineer Eric "wiring" Anne Kerr (Lady Skywriter) |
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| Fay and Anne during the interview |
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| Retired NWA Captains get ready: Norm Midthun getting "wired" and Red Sutter signing his life away |
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| Where did that red tail go, Red? |
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| Fay and producer Lisa Blackstone with Anne's old uniform (top) and Fay's green "caterpillar" uniform (bottom) |
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Norm, Anne and Fay
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Stay tuned for future details as to the showing date. . . . . .
Photos by Joe Callaci, Bob Johnson and Anne Kerr
Labels: airline history, cabin attendants, commercial aviation history, Delta Air Lines, flight attendants, historic aircraft, Northwest Airlines, stewardess uniforms, stewardesses, Stratocruiser
The Red Dress
Oh Boy. I've dithered over the red dress issue since learning of it early yesterday. It is fraught with peril. But, gulp, here goes:
On the one hand, I find it incredible that the union that represents Northwest Airlines flight attendants believes the size cap imposed by Delta on its signature red dress uniform (size 18) is not large enough and is asking the airline to offer it in sizes up to 28. It should be noted here that the airline offers "a range of outfits in other colors and styles up to size 28 that flight attendants can wear." Although I am more than 50 years older than I was when I worked for NWA, I still haven't achieved size 18 (thank goodness) and I cannot possibly imagine a size 28 making it down the aisle on any airliner I can think of without immediately getting hung up on arm rests, elbows or any manner of protrusions, and consequently blocking the aisle. Which calls into question the union's statement that "the job isn't about sexy, it's about safety."
On the other hand, I fully subscribe to the hard-won rejection of the ancient beliefs that "looks" has anything to do with the ability of a woman to work a flight, and that she can do so competently and efficiently, even while married and over the age of 32. (See ancient history in my book Fujiyama Trays & Oshibori Towels - Recalling a time when passenger flight was an adventure and the Boeing Stratocruiser ruled the skies.) But over size 18? What do you think?
Labels: cabin attendants, stewardess uniforms
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