Pan Am Unbuckled: A Very Plane Diary

Copyright © 2011 electronic edition

Ramona Fillman and Ann Shelby Valentine.

All rights reserved.

TXu 1-777-589

Copyright pending 2
^nd
electronic edition, 1
^st
print edition

ISBN-10: 1475048076

ISBN-13: 978-1475048070

eBook ISBN: 978-1-62345-334-3

Contents

Preface

Part 1

Exceptional Air Time

Bien Hoa, Vietnam

From Russia with Me

Honolulu R&R

Lower 41

Pago Pago Plus One

The Adventurer

Tease for Two

Baby Lift

Part 2

Winging It

Into the Blue

Miami Springs

Upper East Side

‘Round the World – My First Flight

London

Frankfurt

Beirut

New Delhi

Hong Kong

Part 3

Perks & Quirks

Pajama Flight

University of Moscow

Flying Car

Kibbutz Eilat

Nepal

South Seas Trimaran

Part 4

Covering the Bases

Loving and Leaving New York

San Francisco Base

London Base

Sydney Base

Tokyo Base

Los Angeles Base

Illustrations

1960’s Pan Am luggage tag

Pan Am serving smock with armed service pins and patches given to Shelby by passengers on R&R’s

1960’s Pan Am Recruitment Brochure

Western Union telegram notice of hire

Graduation photo of training class, March 10, 1969 – Shelby is third from left, back row

Stewardess graduation certificate

In Beirut with red suitcase and gold bracelet, 1969

In Moscow with St. Basil’s Cathedral in the background, 1970

Man and cart in rural Russia, 1970

With Tomoiche, our Micronesian right-hand man, on Lamotrek, 1973

Preface

I was hired by Pan American World Airways on March 10, 1969 working in flight service until it ceased operation on Dec. 4, 1991. During those twenty-plus years, I was privileged to have amazing adventures all over the globe.

Some of the most meaningful moments of these adventures happened by surprise—on board Pan Am. ‘A Very Plane Diary’ is a simple recollection of just that: passengers and crew— on board and on the ground— from Vietnam to Russia and other ports, and experiences related to the work and benefits of the amazing company—Pan Am.

I hope that as you re-live these journeys with me, you will feel my sense of pride in Pan Am— it’s excellence in service and what it gave to the world during that period of time.

Of course, the real reason for writing down my adventures is to pass them along to my children and to satisfy the unyielding drive of my neighbor, Ramona, to write a story.

Ann Shelby Valentine

The names of some persons have been changed to protect their privacy.

Gratitude goes to family and friends for their keen observations of what this book could be—if only it had better authors.

Cover Graphics Alexander Barrett, 38spacial Inc., St Helena, CA

Dedicated to

Doug

&

Orvin

Part 1

Exceptional
Air Time

I hope it is a pleasant few minutes or hours you spend with me sharing these stories—whose only connections are that I was present when they happened, and that they took place on Pan Am Clipper Ships.