Pop quiz: what job used to require that applicants speak two languages, have a college degree and the political savvy of a career diplomat, be between 5’3” and 5’9” tall, between 105 and 140 pounds and under 26-years-old at the time of hire?

If you answered flight attendant (or stewardess, as they were called then) for Pan Am between 1966 and 1975, you’re correct!

In her new book, “Come Fly The World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am,” author Julia Cooke tells the real-life stories of former stewardesses who flew the friendly skies with Pan America World Airways and how they (sometimes unexpectedly) found themselves entwined in the making of history. 

Today on AirTalk, author Julia Cooke and former Pan Am flight attendant Tori Werner join Larry on AirTalk to discuss the book and look back on the jet age when Pan Am was at the height of its popularity.

Guests:

Julia Cooke, journalist, travel writer and author of  “Come Fly the World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am” (Houghton Mifflin, March 2021); she tweets @juliaccooke 

Tori Werner, former Pan Am stewardess and one of several featured in the book; she spent 20 years flying with the airline