THEY SAY A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS

I found three scrapbooks today containing more pictures which I have added to the previous posts. The first ones are my going away party before leaving for training. So, if you have been following me in the past, you can look at older posts for new pictures.

Here are a few borrowed from others. 

                                         

            When boarding passes were hand printed.

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The tripple tail Connie

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Cockpit of Connie

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Mary Gordon was a ficticious name - like Betty Crocker - for TWA's Travel Advisor

OLD PEOPLE FLYING WEST ~ ENGINE STUCK IN REVERSE ~ CHRISTMAS CHEER

December 6, 1963

Dear Mother,

    Here I am in PHX at the Skyriders Hotel, which is right by the airport. It's December and I am at the pool!  It is so funny to hear Christmas music while we are just sitting in warm sunshine. The Captain said, "We just have to do something about these working conditions." We all laughed. Sure is a tough job sometimes. I could get very used to feeling warm sunshine in winter.



December 15, 1963                                 MKC-PHX

Dear Mother,

     This flight is so easy I have time to jot a note. Of course, since it's Sunday, there aren't many passengers. We have a lot of old people going west to visit their relatives for the holidays. They're already starting to bring their shopping bags filled with presents. (Oh my..."old people flying west"....I was only 20, going on 21 when I wrote this...now I resemble that remark.)

    I'm getting ready for my trip home. So far, I have two suitcases besides my crew kit full of Christmas presents. I'll have to put three more large gifts in a refuse bag I guess. The hostesses are sure going to like me when I get on!!! (The good old day without restrictions.  Check two suitcases..no charge...carry on my crew kit and a huge trash bag full of gifts, no charge and no "authorities"with concern about what they contain.)



December 18, 1963

Dear Mother,

    My trip home went non-routine on our very first stop out of PHX at Tucson, when we reversed engines, #4 engine wouldn't "un-reverse". (Lockheed 1011 - piston engines)  We were stuck there for five hours and I knew I would be late for our big party. We all went in the terminal and ate delicious Mexican food.

     I didn't get home until 10:00 instead of 5:00 and to top things off, Mack wouldn't start so my flying partner gave me a ride home. (Mack was the name of my 1953 Packard for which I only paid $50. I called it Mack because I thought it was like driving a Mack Truck. It was very "temperamental", especially in the cold weather. I sold it to another TWA gal for $50 and it finally "died" as she was crossing the Broadway bridge on her way to the airport for a flight.)

     I was sad to have missed most of the party, but a few people stayed. It was a big success. Sarah bought fresh shrimp and shelled them (50!), plus cheese dips, crackers and chips. They made a punch out of Hawaiian Fruit Punch, vodka, and I think club soda. Anyway, it was delicious. They bought holly and had two big sprigs of it in the punch bowl and around the candles on the table.

     Everyone in the whole apartment house was invited and came. One man is quite good at magic tricks and brought some and performed. Mrs. Able brought of bottle of bourbon and Larry and Helen brought a bottle of Vodka. (Notice no one brought wine in those days). Bill gave the four of us a bottle of "White Shoulders .Too bad I can't stand the stuff. (Introduced in 1943 and very popular in 1963, it can still be purchased today.)

Two more days I will be 21.



December 27, 1963


My Hallmark Contemporary Thank You card to my mother.

OLD FRIENDS ARE THE GARDEN OF LIFE

A letter to a friend I worked with
November 5, 1963

Dear Gloria,

I realized I hadn't written since I paid my visit to you and the gang at C/R last July, so its time to bring you up to date again. I haven't been home since then, but plan on a visit this month.

My mother came to K.C. for three days last month and I worked the flight she took from K.C. to LAX. She had not been on one of my flights before. I gave her the Royal Ambassador treatment in First Class and she loved it.

Tomorrow I am flying to Butler, PA for my roommates wedding. We've been together since training, so I will miss her as a roommate. (My roommate, Jan and I have maintained our friendship and get together often. She and her husband will be celebrating 53 years of marriage this November.)

Kathleen (my sister) is expecting her baby around Thanksgiving and we're very anxious for the big day. I hope it's late so I'll be home for the baptism early in December. (My niece, Kelly, is now a very successful business woman, happily married with two sons and three grandchildren.)

Guess I'll just be in K.C. for another five months. I put my transfer through to fly International. Training is in April and I'll be based in New York. I finally made the decision about two months ago. I like Kansas City, but it's time for a change. I don't know how to explain it, but I need to learn more, see more and experience more. Although  I don't relish the thought of living in a big city like New York, flying International will be completely different and I'll be able to hold flights to Paris, Rome, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and England. If I'm not happy in New York, I can transfer back to domestic after six months. I may give San Francisco a try then. (Little did I know that a whole new wonderful world was awaiting me the following Spring.)

TURBULENCE AND LIGHTNING - HORSES AND THE WORLD SERIES

September 30, 1963

Dear Mother,

    Was I ever glad to get home Saturday. I never had such a terrible flight. (ORD - MKC) First of all, they told us we would have a four hour delay because of a mechanical. Most of the passengers got off and were protected on other flights. Then, in only an hour, they told us the plane was fixed. You can't tell me that plane was fixed in an hour when they said it would take four. You know how I dislike the Convair 880. The doors are so heavy, I fear I would not be able to open them in an emergency, and when you take off, you feel like the tail almost scrapes the ground. The jump seats in the back are the worst. I'd rather be on the jump seat in the woman's lave on the 749, that's how much I dislike it back there.

We ended up with only three people in coach, but the seat belt sign was on all the way. There was lightning on the right wing all the way. We went up and down and back and forth. I literally was hanging onto my seat. When we came into K.C., the cross winds were terrific. I never had a landing like that before. The blankets, pillows, coats and hats flew out of the overhead racks. We were scared to death. My knees were shaking when I walked down the stairs and hit the good 'ol terra firma. I've never been so frightened before. The pilots were laughing at us like it was no big deal, although they said the plane was being towed to hanger for "work".
(I still remember this flight and only had one more that was as frightening. That was prior to landing in Washington, DC on a flight from Tokyo. I was working TWA's press plane for President Lyndon Johnson's Asian Mission Tour. Lady Bird Johnson wrote about it in her published diaries. Air Force One was just ahead of us experiencing the same turbulence. More about that later.)


October 4, 1963

Dear Mother,

     I had a fabulous day of horseback riding yesterday. You know how much I have loved horses since I was a child. What ever happened to my collection of horses? Anyway, I loved the freedom of riding at a gallop and feeling like I was Dale Evans. Gosh! Remember how I used to play cowboys? I guess I always have had this "tom boy" streak in me for adventure.

   I got a call from my supervisor yesterday to do publicity of what TWA does for the World Series. On certain jet flights, we serve hot dogs, peanuts, beer, pass out pennants and wear ball caps. WDAF TV filmed me and another girl pretending we were serving passengers. I left on flight after that so I didn't get to see  it, but the girls saw it and said it was good. (The years before taping or DVR)