the late 1920s, some airlines employed male crew members, known as aerial couriers, cabin boys, flight companions,
In these early days
of passenger flight, airlines realized that they needed to keep passengers
happy and encourage them to return once they were brave enough to fly. In
the late 1920s, some airlines employed male crew members, known as aerial couriers, cabin boys, flight companions,
airplane attendants, or stewards, on their flights. These men, who
were usually teenagers or men of small stature, loaded luggage, reassured
nervous passengers, and helped people get around the plane. Stout Airlines, which later became part of the
United Air Lines group, is credited
with hiring America's first male flight attendants in 1926 for its Ford Trimotors
on the Detroit to Grand Rapids route. Some airlines used the co-pilot
to tend to passengers, serving beverages,
reissuing tickets when a flight was canceled or delayed, and reassuring passengers
during air turbulence. By the late 1920s, Pan American Airways, which flew over water, required
extensive first aid and seamanship training for its steward trainees.