Flying High: Life as a Virgin Blue Cabin Crew!

Without Prejudice

First Flight: TAA.  Me in front!

As a little girl, flying was one of those unbelievably exciting experiences that I never wanted to end, but late one night in the early 90's, as I sat alone in the window seat of a very small propeller/engine plane, seconds away from take-off, that was about to change.

As the plane began to tear down the runway, initially the bright lights of Sydney in the distance were distractingly beautiful, but then suddenly, there were unusual loud beeps, long warning tones that continued to wail, as the plane moved faster and closer to wheels up.

I remember the look of absolute terror on the flight attendant's face as she exited the cockpit, and, thinking 'we are buggered'.  I knew, at the speed we were traveling, that it was too late to abort the take-off,  and as I watched the flight attendant buckle herself in tightly, I sat gripping the arm rest, frozen, waiting for whatever was about to happen.

As the warning lights and beeps continued, the passengers were silent, and then, just as the lights of Sydney seemed to fade in the distance, the plane dropped drastically, and, as I looked outside my window, I was terrified to see the engine engulfed in flames.  Within seconds the plane was turning sharply and those lights of Sydney came back into sight, but this time the runway wasn't dark, instead it was lined with seemingly endless flashing lights: fire trucks, ambulances, police cars.

I honestly don't remember the landing or even catching another plane that night (but I did).  I only remember being on the ground, climbing over the wing, being grabbed by 'someone', and walking away as I looked back at the plane.  I never found out what happened that night, but I know that it left me terrified of flying for years afterwards.

It became routine for me to meticulously count the rows, read every inch of that safety card and most importantly, watch the flight attendants faces...if they were smiling, through gritted teeth, so was I?

Virgin Blue Graduation with mUm & Dad

Then, one day, years later I noticed an advert in the local paper:  Virgin Blue Australia were looking for friendly, attractive, smiling cabin crew.  I figured the best way to cure my fear of flying: be in control!  I applied, made it through the model/cattle call group interview, then the final interview round, and a few weeks later, was sitting in Group 22 training school with a whole slew of friendly, smiling, young and attractive, 'Virgin Blue Clones'.  

As I looked around the classroom, I noticed that we all had a similar look: young, thin, blonde hair, big white smiles: very 'Children of the Corn'.   The VERY strict guidelines of how we must look, from our uniform (which I loved) to the length of our ponytail, the color of our eyeshadow and how it had to be worn, to the color of our lipgloss: we were 'Virgin Blue Clones' in the making, and, although initially expensive and 'what the f*ck', I thought it was wonderful.

Training was tough but exciting with endless hours of study, airport safety drills and exercises, fire fighting, water rescue drills, and, just being a part of the idea that in a few weeks, I'd be flying almost every day, all day, traveling to new cities every night, was enough to push me through the incredible lack of sleep that came with the every day pace. 

But, despite learning the mega Cabin Crew manuel and drilling every possible scenario, the one thing that always stuck with me: "Calm face, smile and Re-Assure, Re-Assure, Re-Assure". "Always remember that the guests are watching you". In lamen terms: even if the plane is nose-diving at warp speed into the ocean, just keep a calm face, smile and Re-Assure, Re-Assure, Re-Assure!!! 

Sir Richard Branson & MOI!

My time as a Cabin Crew, was at a time when Virgin Blue was the new kid on the block, and with Richard Branson at the helm, that's right, Sir Richard 'Virgin Records' Branson, with his fresh new airline and renowned gorgeous Cabin Crew flanking his side...how could it not be incredible?  

To be honest, my time as a Cabin Crew was probably one of the most exhilarating and dangerously wicked that I had ever experienced.  I met some wonderful people, made some great friends, did way too much partying: I still don't know how I survived it, but I did and honestly, I loved every second of it.  Of course, being away constantly, in a different city almost every night, meant that while fun, trying to start any kind of 'trustworthy' relationship was futile.

Although, I decided to give it a go once, yet he dumped me 'via email' while I was in another city.  Honestly, I can't blame the guy though, my arrogant 'too good for you attitude' and never around ways kicked in and sh*t, I would have dumped my a*s too!

I mean, come on, in addition to being a Virgin Blue Cabin Crew, I was one of the 'Faces of Virgin Blue': my face was plastered in advertising campaigns across Australia, on billboards, in magazines...how could I not be better than some, as I saw it then, hick from the country?   I was also ONLY 20 something, so my ego and immaturity went hand-in-hand, and I refused to learn from my mistakes, I just kept making the same fabulous ones over and over and over again!

Elle Magazine: 2nd from right.

Then, one day, just like that, I was done, I handed in my 'wings', and left my Virgin Blue days behind me!

But, to this day, I still watch the flight attendants faces, I still know each ding and beep, and regardless of how big their 'pretty' smile is, if that beep or ding indicates something it aint' supposed to, I know how to get my a*s off that plane pronto!

Would I ever go back to flying though...absolutely, probably not, but I do love thinking about the idea!

Update:  While writing this post and searching for Group 22 pictures, I came across an article in one of Australia's leading newspapers, The Age, titled Cabin Crew Flying After Victory Over Virgin Blue.

The basis of the story is that a group of ex-Ansett flight attendants fought and won against Virgin Blue, over the notion that they, and other women over the age of 36, were overlooked as Cabin Crew for younger, prettier, possibly less experienced flight attendants?

* They claimed the initial assessment process was akin to a "cattle yard" where interviewers homed in on young, attractive applicants.

What more can I say?


A big old CRIKEY!