A must read, "PLANE INSANITY" by Elliott Hester

[Earthling@ALB]

This is a great book... I recommend that every person who ever plans on taking a flight, read this
book. It's funny, whitty and well written. It gives a heck of a lot of insights as to what crews go
through day-in/day-out. It will definitely make you have a desire to bring a box of Godiva Chocolates
for your flights' crew... I've been in/around airline folks since I was a kid - they have positive
attitudes thats for sure - but I've not seen/heard this side of the job (well, a few things...)...

[yoshi]

Maybe that should be the only reading material the airlines provide on the aircrafts!

[Studley]

I have that book, and it's a great read. :smile_2:

[SFOFlyboy]

It's a regular on any flight I take as a pax... every FA does a double take when they see it...

Well written and hilarious stories! :laugh:

[flymeaway]

I love that book...I loaned my copy to a friend, and before I knew it, it had been passed around to everyone. I need it back! Ack!

Has anyone read _Around the World in a Bad Mood_? I haven't yet...wondering what the reviews were!

[Studley]

In reply to:<hr />
Has anyone read _Around the World in a Bad Mood_?



That's the next book I want to get.

SFO, you're right! FA's start asking about the book when I'm reading it. :grin:

[SFOFlyboy]

Around the World is a good book as well, the author works for a fictional WAFTI Airlines ("We Apologize for the Inconvenience" Air) hahahahah

[JuniorPuke]

On the Issue of "Around the World in a Bad Mood." The woman's training was in Minneapolis-StPaul- does that say anything to you all. I bought the book and ive it a "3" (Sorry, Renee) in any case, Studley- you can have my copy when you get to DTW. I understand that the show's great, though, it's still playing in NYC, and worth going to see. I can't help but believe that that's part of the problem- the show's great- so they assume that everyone's gonna love the book. The show has a lot of humor that's lost in the book. One of my favorite's is "How does an F/A say F*ck You? "I'll be right back." Anyway- whatever you do - don't BUY it-
-JP

[Angelflyer]

i have purchased several books related to flight attendants and airlines. This book has got to be one of my favorites. i remember reading it and how i would be up till 2a.m. reading it cause i couldn't put the book down. it's got tons of laughs.

[Earthling@ALB]

it's funny as all hell - i'm mid-way through it and i am in stiches...

[sushiseal]

I have both books; Plane Insanity and Around the World in a Bad Mood. I can relate to almost all the stories told by both authors, and I've lent it to all my non-FA friends as well, since it gives them a real eye-opening account of what life can be like in the airlines, minus the so-called "glamour" they seem to be fixated on. :smirk:

[SFOFlyboy]

I flew on Delta this past weekend and one of the FAs on my first flight got a big kick out of seeing me reading 'Plane Insanity' and considering I was finishing up reading it for the third time I gave her my copy to keep after the flight was over. The smile on her face said it all.

Her reaction gave me the extra added incentive to have something for the FAs on all of my remaining flights so I bought a whole bunch of chocolates in ATL and kept handing them out to FAs and gate agents as I boarded each flight during the rest of my trip. In return I got a constant warm and fuzzy feeling and brilliant smiles all around from the FAs.

They all wondered why I was doing this (perhaps they were expecting an upgrade demand) and I told them that it was simply a 'thank you' and appreciation for them doing their jobs and making the flights enjoyable.

This just became standard practice on my future flights as a pax. What a great way to make a friend on a flight.

[GB737]

I've read both books after reccommended by our very own Euroboy.
The books are both very very funny, and I've really enjoyed reading both of them and would highly reccommend reading them.
I especially liked in Around The World ... the descriptions of different pax and flight attendants.
The next stage is to go and see Rene Foss' screenplay of the book.
Just a quickie, do they still fly for their airlines "WAFTI" which could be ... and the one Elliot Hester works for.

[Nighthawk79]

I have another good book recomandation. It is extremly funny and so true:
"Why Henry hates flying" by Henry Mintzberg.

Here in germany it is published as: "Wie ich lernte das Fliegen zu hassen" at the Campus Verlag.

Cheers
Night
:pilot_2: :plane: :pilot:

[Studley]

Hester was in Dallas a few weeks ago, according to his website. I wish I could have gone to the book signing. I would have told him about our discussion here.

As far as I know, and as far as the website mentions it, he's still with his employer. I know which company he works for, but I won't mention it here. However, when you read some of the stories and references in the book, it's pretty obvious.

[GB737]

Hi Studley!
Could you give me a reference to the website?
I've finished it and really enjoyed reading it!

[Studley]

Here it is:

www.planeinsanity.com/ (http://www.planeinsanity.com/)

I just found another link. It is an update on Hester and what he's doing now. He's on LOA from his employer, and is traveling around the world.

The World Is His (http://www.sptimes.com/2003/01/26/Travel/The_world_is_his.shtml)

Also, I misread the website. He was in Dallas in 2002, not this year.

[rsvforlife]

Um YEAH!!! He obviously flew/flys for American.

[Studley]

As I mentioned earlier, it's obvious as to who he works for, when you read the refrences.

[kevi747]

I read that recently and it was very funny. However, I have to take exception to the fact that he consistantly reaffirmed that he was straight (at least 7 times that I can remember) and apparently so were all of his male coworkers. There was the story about the swarthy Hispanic guy who picked up all of the female F/A's on layovers. And the one about the debaucherous crew party complete with the junior male F/A from NY hitting on all of the women. Maybe because he's straight he hangs out more with other straight F/A's, and that's all he knows. But come on, where were all the homosexuals?

Oh yeah, I forgot. The only story he included about a gay person was the one about the guy who was late for pickup in LHR. The crew and hotel security went to his room to find him tied to the bed with a dildo sticking out of him and feces smeared all over the wall. What the hell?!? Come to think of it, maybe that was about a straight man and a really kinky woman who attacked him?

Does anyone else remember another gay story? Maybe I've just forgotten.

Oh well, I'm too damn sensitive! Otherwise I thought the onboard stories about crazy passengers and such were very funny and dead-on. I could relate to a lot of those. And his descriptions of pilots were great! I want to read that other book "Around the World in a Bad Mood" as well. It sounds pretty funny.

[Boeinguy]

A good book is 'Your Flight Questions Answered'. It's not a funny book or a story, just typical passenger questions with short, to the point, answers that are easy to understand. Not at all technical and covers weather, airplanes, luggage and so on. You can get the book cheap as used at places like amazon.

[flymeaway]

A good book is 'Your Flight Questions Answered'.



What's the author's name? I flew with a guy, a 737 FO, who had written a book - if that's not the name of it, then it's something very similar.

[SFOFlyboy]

Found on Amazon.com...

Your Flight Questions Answered: By a Jetliner Pilot, author John Cronin

[flymeaway]

Yup, sounds familiar enough...very nice guy, I should go buy his book. :smile_2:

[Bart_Eccles]

Has anyone read _Around the World in a Bad Mood_? I haven't yet...wondering what the reviews were!



Amazon.co.uk review:
An air stewardess often has a healthy sense of humour about her job - she has to! in this hilarious book, Rene Foss discusses every aspect of working at 39,000 feet - from the dumb questions the passengers ask - Is that your natural hair colour? Has anyone told you that you resemble Monica Lewinsky? Where are we? - to what a flight attendant might say on her job interview - "I'm hoping to find a job where I can deal with emotionally and physically abusive people who will blame me for everything that goes wrong in their lives." As Rene points out, both the ability to take abuse and to collect trash in confined areas are prime job requirements for working in the airline industry. You must also be a top-notch psychiatrist, policeman, banker, waitress, and babysitter. This clever and entertaining book - which also provides some real insight and information about the world of travel.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786890118/travelmania-21