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O c t o b e r 3 1 , 2 0 1 2 • V o l . 5 • N o . 4 4 • w w w.T h e W e e k l y S u n . c o m
Pan Am Stewardesses and Pilots Celebrate
A Way of Life
time to sunbathe on beaches in Tahiti and see other sights. enata BeguinFrench recalls Buchli was a trekking through the model in search Himalaya, visiting of a green card. the standing Buddhas So, at 23, she joined of Afghanistan and a line of 800 women in traveling along the Portland, Ore., vying Silk Route. for two openings as “I look at a book an airline stewardess of top tourist sites for Pan American Airand I’ve been to all of ways, despite a deepthem,” she said. “I’d seated fear of flying. tell passengers I’d “I spoke French to just been to so and so the interviewer and she and they’d say, ‘That’s didn’t say, ‘We’ll call great, but you’ve got you.’ She said, ‘Do you to see ---.’ My list have your passport?’ ” never got shorter.” Beguin recalled. Everyone who was Before she could anyone flew Pan Am reconsider, Beguin was in the early days— marching aboard a Boenot even the Queen ing 747 in a little pillbox of England had her hat, white gloves and ed around Pan own Learjet then. high heels. And with ir annual pic ture gather the k too ts a pilo und and s rdesse Stewardesses s year, they gathered aro ed that she became a memThi .” Last year, Pan Am stewa Am n “Pa ies ser on the TV saw and tap learned how to cater ber of what was arguably Am’s blue globe displayed ama departing a Pan Am jet that Renata Beguin Ob Suzanne Hausto royalty. And each the most prestigious pic ture of a young Barack t on the first row: Jana French, Barbara Caprik, ol Car ke, righ Mike Bur amassed a list of for the occasion. Left to women’s fraternity of its k row: Terry Thompson, i and Charlene Levie. Bac . ttie Bea e Jan the rich and famous and ner, Renata Beguin-Buchl time. lor Tay n Gu or, onn O’C n Joh n, Waller, Crystal Thursto they waited on. “They sent my mother, French recalls peowho lived in a farmhouse ple trying to solicit jobs from Mick Jagger. in Switzerland, a letter Beguin recalls seeing Tom Jones arrested that said, ‘You meet the nicest people needed them or not, and long locks had to after he refused to stop singing out loud on Pan Am, and guess who’s flying for be shorn. Each woman was told what she to the music on his earphones. And she us now—your daughter!’ She carried had to weigh according to her height—exthat around until it crumbled,” Beguin ceed it by a pound and she was dismissed. helped Rose Kennedy practice her French as the Kennedy matriarch nibbled on the recalled. At 5-feet-5, Jana French was told yogurt and muesli she brought aboard A few weeks ago, a dozen former her limit was 128 pounds. “I was really with her. stewardesses and captains for Pan Am 5-foot-4 ½, but I stretched it out, which “When she spoke about her son, it gathered at Fred and Renata Beguin’s gave me a little leeway,” recalled French. French-like chateau in Hulen Meadows “They didn’t account for big bones, either.” was always ‘The President.’ It was never Jack,” she recalled. for their annual Pan Am Clipper Club reDespite the regulations, Crystal Thurunion. They shared some of the foods they ston pocketed the French and philosophy Duct tape facelift? enjoyed around the world and swapped degree she’d earned at the University of memories of an era in history that stood New Hampshire and donned the Pan Am Thurston recalls Leonard Bernstein out for its elegance and attention to stewardess badge, which sported wings coming aboard in a sweeping cape and decorum. jutting out from a globe. She borrowed matching wide-brimmed black hat during It was an era that made Pan Am a $500 from her brother to buy her own a charter flight of the New York Philharcultural icon of the 20th century as it uniforms. monic to Japan. pioneered overseas routes for millions “In those days, women’s choices were She remembers the friendliness of of Americans who until then could only more limited—you could be a teacher, Gene Kelly: “He drank straight chilled dream of flying abroad and introduced a nurse or a bank teller,” she said. “I vodka shots with the wonderful caviar innovations that shaped the airline indus- wanted to see the world, learn about other course we had, which included egg whites, try, from the use of jumbo jets to computcultures, not work a 9-to-5 job. And I had egg yolks, onions and or/lemon to compleerized reservation systems. flying in my blood—my mother was one ment the caviar, and a choice of crackers,” As an employer, Pan Am was demandof the first women pilots in World War II, she said. ing. Pilots spent years learning over-theflying with the WASPs.” Thurston told Dolly Parton how beautiwater navigation and most stewardesses While strict, Pan Am treated its stewful she was, only to have the country singwere required to be multilingual, with ardesses like princesses, putting them up er respond: “This is all makeup, honey. college degrees, even nursing experience. in first-class hotels, chauffeuring them You girls are the natural beauties.” In the early years, stewardesses could wherever they wanted, Thurston said. In Sophia Loren showed her how she not be married. They were required to those days, layovers typically lasted at wear makeup and girdles, whether they continued, page 10 least three days, so flight attendants had BY KAREN BOSSICK
Lillian Grace Whitesell sported a face painting, courtesy of Poo Wright-Pulliam last Halloween.
Halloween Features Work of Tiny Elves STORY & PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK
P
ati Meyer is one step ahead of Santa. She employed 21 little Halloween elves to help her turn her yard into a Dead and Breakfast for this year’s Bootifying Hailey decorating contest. The youngsters—from 4 to 10 years of age—came up with the play on bed and breakfast. Then they went to work decorating the yard with skeletons and tombstones, spider cloth and more. “I can’t begin to tell you how creative and how capable they were wielding hammers, drills and staple guns. It makes me cry, it’s so cute,” said Meyer. Meyer was raking her yard at 311 N. 2nd St. when she decided to invite the youngsters she’d worked with as a childcare provider at The Advocates and other daycares. The kids had become like family over the years, she said. The youngsters decided that if they win the contest, they’ll donate their winnings to feed hungry children—perhaps, by delivering turkeys to needy families or giving needy families $25 each. “Often kids don’t get to make their own decisions—adults are always taking charge. This gave the kids a chance to express themselves in a fun fashion,” Meyer said.
HALLOWEEN EVENTS TODAY Halloween officially got underway in the Wood River Valley on Saturday with a Witches Tea and PumpkinCarving Contest and Nightmare on Main Street. It continued Monday and Tuesday with the Bellevue Haunted Forest. There’s more to come today: • Hailey merchants stage their seventh annual Hailey Halloween Hoopla from 3 to 6 p.m. Merchants with black and orange balloons outside their businesses will hand out treats for the little goblins, witches, fairies and toads. There will be hotdogs and mac ’n’ cheese for children wearing costumes between 4 and 6 p.m. at the Haunted Kitchen outside Cowboy Cocina in the Meriwether Building at 111 N. 1st Ave. Aqua Pro Spa and Pool will unveil the curtains on its Spooky Hollow during that time at 15 E. Bullion St. And King’s will host a Costume Contest from 3 to 5 p.m. at 615 N. Main St. Pre-kindergarten kids can strut their stuff at 3 p.m.; those in kindergarten through third grade, at 3:30 p.m.; fourth-graders through sixthgraders, 4 p.m.; seventh through 12th graders at 4:30 p.m.; and adults at 5 p.m. Prizes, including a bicycle, Chamber bucks good at local businesses,
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IN FAVOR of
Air Service on Nov. 6 Paid for by Citizens for Air Service – Maurice Charlat, Treasurer