The history of flight attendants began in 1930 when the commercial flights started. By that time the work conditions and the requirements were very different from today. SKYPRO presents you 2 of the pioneers flight attendants that made history in aviation.
At the very beginning the first stewardesses were registered nurses. Their main responsibilities were to snacks to the passengers, attending to those who become sick and guarantee that the passengers have everything they need. They used to work long hours, about 100 hours a month while they were badly compensated. Air hostesses weren’t allowed to get married and have to look smart and perfectly according the physical requirements for this profession. Many pioneers contributed for the better conditions of flight attendants work.
Ellen Church
Ellen Church was the first female flight attendant. She was a nurse in San Francisco hospital when she took her pilot license. By time, airlines didn’t hired women as a pilot so Boing Air Transport (BAT) hire her as flight attendant. To be a flight attendant she had to be a registered nurse, single, younger than 25 years old, weight less than 115 pounds and stand less than 5 feet, 4 inches tall.
Ellen first flight was from San Francisco to Chicago with 13 stops and 14 passengers.
Ruth Taylor
Ruth Taylor was the first African-American flight attendant in the United States. Born in Boston, into a family of black, white, and Cherokee heritage, Taylor attended Elmira College and graduated as a registered nurse from the Bellevue School of Nursing in New York City. Hired in December 1957, Taylor was the flight attendant on a Mohawk Airlines flight from Ithaca to New York, the first time such a position had been held by an African American. Taylor was later an activist for consumer affairs and women’s rights.
