The Washington times., 1936-04-13
AIR HEROINE
TELLS WHY
SHE FLIES

Nellie H. Granger, diminuttve
hostess aboard the HI-tGted
TWA Girltner that crashed near
UniontoDn, Pa, Nth a loss of
II HUeS, has focused nation
tUide attention on this hitherto
HttLe-kHotDn career for tDomen.
S tie 10 ar deSs Joan HettingeT,
"hGIt-miHton miller" of the
United Air Lines, explains In the
following article tDhy the girls
stay at their jobs year IN and
year OUT
BY JOAN HETTNGER
NEW YORK, April II Q.N.S0.
Last November I decided to quit
the air and go back to nursing.
I'd been flying for three years,
had put In nearly 5000 hours in
the air, and thought that ought
to be enough.
But every time an airplane
droned overhead I thought of that
night we flew straight into the
moon. We were high over the
Alleghenies, the clouds were below
like q rolling Snow.white sea, and
the moon was dead ahead.
Or I thought Of the evening we
were coming into Cleveland. One
Of those incredible evenings
There was a thunderstorm to the
south and lightning was flashing
But we weren't in it. The sun was
just setting, clear and red. Below
the lake was the most delicate
green, and we glided down
through q haze that was sheer
gold.
Well, I stood my nursing job for
just two months.
She Comes Back
And then I came back. I guess
I'm here to stay; I hope so. This
air business is in my blood.
Oh, you don't have color like
that on every flight. They're rare
moments. And I suppose a lot Of
people would find it pretty mono
tonous, this flying from New York
TO Chicago and back again, night
after night, day in and day out.
Because nothing much else ever
happens.
Unless you'd think it interesting
to have O 12-day-old baby as q
passenger. I had one that age two
weeks ago. The best passenger
ever had, too. Went sound asleep
almost before the plane was of
the ground, walked twice, was fed
and went back to sleep directly
No trouble at all.
Older children are a little more
troublesome. They get too bored
sitting in the cabin, looking down
They want to 60 up forward and
pilot the ship.
"Air Treatment"
And Chinese! I only had one
but he as q difficult subject. He
couldn't understand English and
tried to tell him by signs to put
cotton in his ears and chew on the
gum. He put the gum in his ears
the cotton in his mouth, and
looked perfectly comfortable. And
I couldn't persuade him to change
Perhaps I wasn't cut out to b.
an airplane Stewardess. A lot o.
passengers think so after discover
ing that I have atraphobia-ol
what ever it is that makes vol
want to jump off tall buildings
that I'm scared to death to rid
in SubwayS and elevated trains
and I simply can't bear to do more
than As miles an hour in an auto
mobile on any road, no matter how
good.
But while wouldn't dare to e
up to the roof of the Empire State
Building I'm utterly at home II
an airplane at any altitude.
don't get much of an opportunity
to look down at the landscape.
Routine Job
After we leave Chicago I'm very
busy hanging up coats, distributing
newspapers, saying hello to ole
passengers and getting my records
straight. BY the time that's fin
ished we're in Cleveland, and it,
time to get the meals ready.
It's all wrong to suppose that
we spend lot Of time reaSSurine