Flying in the Family: Part 1

So most of you who have been reading know that I became a Flight Attendant as a temporary thing.  I had just graduated college and was freaking out about paying back my student loans and making money.  It was a backup plan a lot like Krista's over at SassyFA (follow her...she's hilarious) although it was more of a joking around to ease the stress for me & my classmates.

Flying is a lifestyle....and this airline thing has just been a part of who I am since I was a kid.

It began with my father working on what is currently the Pittsburgh International Airport.  He worked on a job pouring concrete for all of the existing runways & ramps.  Sometimes I'd get to go up there watch the contruction and the planes from the old terminal take-off & land.  I remember thinking how awesome it was that my dad helped build that.  Because of his work there, he had contacts at ATC & later organized a trip for my brother's church group to tour the tower....I was forced to tag along. What an amazing tour. Now I think it's pretty amazing that I had NO idea how huge PIT would be and the role it'd play in my life...and how deserted it'd end up today.

When I was 13 my mom began to provide child-care for a woman who was a Flight Attendant for US Airways in Pittsburgh.  That same year the 8th grade cheerleaders, dancers & football players took our photo at the county airport....can you guess where I am in this picture?  I'll give you a hint...it's the same place I found myself standing when I became a flight attendant.

My mom became very good friends with the family she worked for and when Kylie was old enough for school, my mom found herself needing to work more.  Kate knew of a Pilot-Flight Attendant couple who were looking for child-care for their 18 month old little boy and eventually their new born daughter.  Eventually Ellen stopped flying and my mom needed to find other work.  She did a few things and never really enjoyed them.  US Airways began to hire Flight Attendants and my mom got prepped for her interview by Kate & Ellen.  My mom didn't get the job- In retrospect it was probably better that way since she would've ended up furloughed soon after.  She ended up getting a job as a Gate Agent for USairways Express in PIT.   For anyone who remembers- these gates are now unused and the gate areas are now used as additional TSA checkpoints...odd yes.


I digress....in 2001 my mom was approached by the base manager in PIT from a small regional airline based out of Indianapolis that operated flights for USair Express.  She was encouraged to apply and she did. Next thing you knew....My mom was off to Indianapolis for 3 weeks to become a flight attendant!  Even though my mom was on reserve- she got lucky and ended up based at home with 2 of her friends from class who were from Virginia & Tenneseee.  So my house became their crashpad- and I was the crashpad driver in the summer. Then 9/11 happened....My mother was away on a trip. Lancaster PA. My uncle ended up driving the 4 hours to get her & her crew since airports were shut down.  The result was a voluntary furlough.  My mom saw the opportunity to be home for the Holidays and took it.  They reduced staffing & no longer needed to keep Pittsburgh open as a base for the regional and my mom commuted to Columbus, OH and operated flights for USair & America West (which by the way merged to the present day US Airways)

Kate & her family ended up moving to Delaware where she is on leave from flying.  Kylie is a freshmen in college (wow I feel old) and despite the many tantrums she threw as a young kid when her mom would go away to work- she's actually the most level-headed and adventurous psuedo-little sister I know.  Ellen & Steve ended up moving to Columbus, OH after 9/11 when Steve got furloughed. Steve eventually worked for my mom's company & soon Ellen couldn't resist getting back in the air too.  Steve has since been recalled back to USAir & they moved to South Carolina and on the rare occasion I run into him at work & we still think it's funny that I used to watch his kids when I was a kid.....Kate & Ellen have amazing stories....Maybe I can convince them to share a few with me for the sake of you all reading.

So there's the aviation influence in my life......March 3rd will mark the completion of 3 years flying.....so the rest of my story will be posted next week!