In the golden age of flying, air travel looked glamorous, but for the women working onboard, it was tightly controlled. Nell McShane Wulfhart takes us inside American Airlines’ “Charm Farm” where young stewardesses, like Patt Gibbs, were trained to be thin, obedient, and perfectly groomed. But everything changes after Patt impulsively attends a union meeting.

 

The archive you heard was the 1967 commercial “Presenting the Losers” by Eastern Air Lines.

 

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. 

For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/

 

You can listen to new episodes of The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight completely ad-free and 1 week early with an iHeart True Crime+ subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts.

 

 

 

SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS

United States

Mental Health
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – call or text 988, or chat online - https://988lifeline.org/ 
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) – education, support groups, and helpline: 1-800-950-6264 - https://www.nami.org/ 

United Kingdom

Mental Health 
Samaritans – 24/7 phone support at 116 123 - https://www.samaritans.org/ 
Mind – mental health information and support - https://www.mind.org.uk/ 

Australia

Mental Health
Lifeline Australia – 24/7 crisis support: 13 11 14 - https://www.lifeline.org.au/ 
Beyond Blue – mental health support and helpline: 1300 22 4636 - https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ 

Canada

Mental Health 
Talk Suicide Canada – call or text 988 (nationwide) - https://988.ca/ 
Crisis Services Canada – nationwide crisis support network - https://thelifelinecanada.ca/ 

In the golden age of flying, air travel looked glamorous, but for the women working onboard, it was tightly controlled. Nell McShane Wulfhart takes us inside American Airlines&rsquo; &ldquo;Charm Farm&rdquo; where young stewardesses, like Patt Gibbs, were trained to be thin, obedient, and perfectly groomed. But everything changes after Patt impulsively attends a union meeting.
&nbsp;
The archive you heard was the 1967 commercial &ldquo;Presenting the Losers&rdquo; by Eastern Air Lines.
&nbsp;
The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts.&nbsp;
For more from Novel, visit <a href="https://novel.audio/">https://novel.audio/</a>
&nbsp;
You can listen to new episodes of The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight completely ad-free and 1 week early with an iHeart True Crime+ subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS
United States
Mental Health
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">988 Suicide &amp; Crisis Lifeline &ndash; call or text 988, or chat online - <a href="https://988lifeline.org/">https://988lifeline.org/</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) &ndash; education, support groups, and helpline: 1-800-950-6264 - <a href="https://www.nami.org/">https://www.nami.org/</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
United Kingdom
Mental Health&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Samaritans &ndash; 24/7 phone support at 116 123 - <a href="https://www.samaritans.org/">https://www.samaritans.org/</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">Mind &ndash; mental health information and support - <a href="https://www.mind.org.uk/">https://www.mind.org.uk/</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Australia
Mental Health
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Lifeline Australia &ndash; 24/7 crisis support: 13 11 14 - <a href="https://www.lifeline.org.au/">https://www.lifeline.org.au/</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">Beyond Blue &ndash; mental health support and helpline: 1300 22 4636 - <a href="https://www.beyondblue.org.au/">https://www.beyondblue.org.au/</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Canada
Mental Health&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Talk Suicide Canada &ndash; call or text 988 (nationwide) - <a href="https://988.ca/">https://988.ca/</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">Crisis Services Canada &ndash; nationwide crisis support network - <a href="https://thelifelinecanada.ca/">https://thelifelinecanada.ca/</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

In the golden age of air travel, flying was sold as glamorous, luxurious, and effortlessly chic. But for the young women working the aisles at 30,000 feet, the reality was very different. When Patt Gibbs joined American Airlines in the 1960s, she was trained to be slim, smiling, and subservient. Stewardesses like her were weighed like luggage, forced to retire at 32 years old, banned from marriage, and expected to endure sexual harassment with grace. One extra pound, one birthday too many, or one wedding ring and your wings were clipped. But when Patt walks into a union meeting on a whim, everything changes. The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight tells the story of the stewardesses who refused to be grounded. From secret meetings to landmark discrimination cases to high-stakes union votes, these women challenged America’s biggest airlines and the sexism baked into the industry itself. A powerful sisterhood began to form across cabin aisles and crew lounges. They weren’t just fighting for better contracts. They were fighting for control of their own lives.

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is produced by Novel for iHeartPodcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/. 

You can listen to new episodes of The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight completely ad-free and 1 week early with an iHeart True Crime+ subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the golden age of air travel, flying was sold as glamorous, luxurious, and effortlessly chic. But for the young women working the aisles at 30,000 feet, the reality was very different. When Patt Gibbs joined American Airlines in the 1960s, she was trained to be slim, smiling, and subservient. Stewardesses like her were weighed like luggage, forced to retire at 32 years old, banned from marriage, and expected to endure sexual harassment with grace. One extra pound, one birthday too many, or one wedding ring and your wings were clipped. But when Patt walks into a union meeting on a whim, everything changes. The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight tells the story of the stewardesses who refused to be grounded. From secret meetings to landmark discrimination cases to high-stakes union votes, these women challenged America&rsquo;s biggest airlines and the sexism baked into the industry itself. A powerful sisterhood began to form across cabin aisles and crew lounges. They weren&rsquo;t just fighting for better contracts. They were fighting for control of their own lives.
The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is produced by Novel for iHeartPodcasts. For more from Novel, visit <a href="https://novel.audio/" data-airgap-id="47">https://novel.audio/</a>.&nbsp;
You can listen to new episodes of The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight completely ad-free and 1 week early with an iHeart True Crime+ subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts.
See <a href="http://omnystudio.com/listener" data-airgap-id="48">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight

When Niko Quinn saw her favourite cousin murdered in broad daylight, her life turned upside down. She went looking for justice, but instead uncovered a dark scandal at the heart of her community: A police detective had spent decades targeting, threatening and sexually abusing black women across Kansas City Kansas.

 

Detective Roger Golubski used the power of his badge to launch a reign of terror. He acted as if he was above the law, until Niko, and an incredible group of women, came together to take him down.

 

The Girlfriends: Untouchable tells the story of a courageous sisterhood who exposed the dark underworld of a corrupt police officer, and brought their city’s horrifying truths to light. Because when the women of Kansas City Kansas realised the police weren’t coming to save them from their abuser, they stepped up to save themselves.

 

US resources for Violence and Sexual Assault: https://rainn.org/   

International resources for Violence and Sexual Assault: https://nomoredirectory.org/   

US Suicide & Crisis Helpline: https://988lifeline.org/  

International Suicide & Crisis Helplines: https://blog.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines/ 

 

The Girlfriends: Untouchable is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/. 

 

You can listen to new episodes of The Girlfriends: Untouchable completely ad-free and 1 week early with an iHeart True Crime+ subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts.

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

*** 

In Season 1, it’s 1995 and Carole Fisher is a high-flying divorcee looking for love in Las Vegas. It’s slim pickings in the medical community she works in. But then Bob comes to town. Bob Bierenbaum is a plastic surgeon who flies planes and speaks several languages. Her mom loves that he’s Jewish - but there’s something off about him. He’s perfect on paper but he’s quick to anger and he never talks about his ex-wife. Who, it turns out, is missing and presumed dead. After Carole and Bob break up, she tells her friend Mindy all about Bob’s wife and his bizarre behavior. You see, Mindy dated Bob too, in fact a lot of women in Vegas dated Bob and they all have their own strange stories to tell. Before too long they form a club dedicated to bitching about Bob, eating noodles and figuring out what happened to his wife, Gail. In this riveting nine part series, Carole Fisher uncovers the truth of Gail Katz’s death, the systems that failed her and all the girlfriends that brought her justice.

In Season 2, The Girlfriends are back to investigate one part of the story that’s still a mystery. During the investigation into Gail’s case, a torso washed up on Staten Island and was misidentified as Gail. Nobody knows her name or what happened to her after she was ruled out from the case. The amateur lady's detective club have a new mission: to uncover the identity of this woman and finally find Our Lost Sister.

In Season 3, Anna Sinfield investigates the story of Kelly Harnett, a woman who was found guilty of murder but has always maintained her innocence. Locked up for over a decade, Kelly transformed herself into a jailhouse lawyer and became a beacon of hope for the women alongside her. Throughout the series, Anna asks: What does it really mean to be a victim or a villain? And what happens when the line between the two...starts to blur?

The Girlfriends is produced by Novel for iHeartPodcasts. For more from Novel visit Novel.Audio

When Niko Quinn saw her favourite cousin murdered in broad daylight, her life turned upside down. She went looking for justice, but instead uncovered a dark scandal at the heart of her community: A police detective had spent decades targeting, threatening and sexually abusing black women across Kansas City Kansas.
&nbsp;
Detective Roger Golubski used the power of his badge to launch a reign of terror. He acted as if he was above the law, until Niko, and an incredible group of women, came together to take him down.
&nbsp;
The Girlfriends: Untouchable tells the story of a courageous sisterhood who exposed the dark underworld of a corrupt police officer, and brought their city&rsquo;s horrifying truths to light. Because when the women of Kansas City Kansas realised the police weren&rsquo;t coming to save them from their abuser, they stepped up to save themselves.
&nbsp;
US resources for Violence and Sexual Assault: <a href="https://rainn.org/">https://rainn.org/</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
International resources for Violence and Sexual Assault: <a href="https://nomoredirectory.org/">https://nomoredirectory.org/</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
US Suicide &amp; Crisis Helpline: <a href="https://988lifeline.org/">https://988lifeline.org/</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
International Suicide &amp; Crisis Helplines: <a href="https://blog.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines/">https://blog.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines/</a>&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The Girlfriends: Untouchable is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit <a href="https://novel.audio/">https://novel.audio/</a>.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
You can listen to new episodes of The Girlfriends: Untouchable completely ad-free and 1 week early with an iHeart True Crime+ subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts.
&nbsp;
See <a href="http://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.
***&nbsp;
In Season 1, it&rsquo;s 1995 and Carole Fisher is a high-flying divorcee looking for love in Las Vegas. It&rsquo;s slim pickings in the medical community she works in. But then Bob comes to town. Bob Bierenbaum is a plastic surgeon who flies planes and speaks several languages. Her mom loves that he&rsquo;s Jewish - but there&rsquo;s something off about him. He&rsquo;s perfect on paper but he&rsquo;s quick to anger and he never talks about his ex-wife. Who, it turns out, is missing and presumed dead. After Carole and Bob break up, she tells her friend Mindy all about Bob&rsquo;s wife and his bizarre behavior. You see, Mindy dated Bob too, in fact a lot of women in Vegas dated Bob and they all have their own strange stories to tell. Before too long they form a club dedicated to bitching about Bob, eating noodles and figuring out what happened to his wife, Gail. In this riveting nine part series, Carole Fisher uncovers the truth of Gail Katz&rsquo;s death, the systems that failed her and all the girlfriends that brought her justice.
In Season 2, The Girlfriends are back to investigate one part of the story that&rsquo;s still a mystery. During the investigation into Gail&rsquo;s case, a torso washed up on Staten Island and was misidentified as Gail. Nobody knows her name or what happened to her after she was ruled out from the case. The amateur lady's detective club have a new mission: to uncover the identity of this woman and finally find Our Lost Sister.
In Season 3, Anna Sinfield investigates the story of Kelly Harnett, a woman who was found guilty of murder but has always maintained her innocence. Locked up for over a decade, Kelly transformed herself into a jailhouse lawyer and became a beacon of hope for the women alongside her. Throughout the series, Anna asks: What does it really mean to be a victim or a villain? And what happens when the line between the two...starts to blur?
The Girlfriends is produced by Novel for iHeartPodcasts.&nbsp;For more from Novel visit&nbsp;<a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnovel.audio%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CNateTobin2%40iheartmedia.com%7C497d9dbd748a4a45fa5d08dd6bc3166f%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C638785207822450296%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=XDVXzNUnH5v38U37q0a8585CsvW5jiTakMCsKZaTnV4%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-outlook-id="c6e2adb4-91a0-4b4c-a163-1a05ff7cbfa6">Novel.Audio</a>

The Girlfriends

In the golden age of flying, air travel looked glamorous, but for the women working onboard, it was tightly controlled. Nell McShane Wulfhart takes us inside American Airlines’ “Charm Farm” where young stewardesses, like Patt Gibbs, were trained to be thin, obedient, and perfectly groomed. But everything changes after Patt impulsively attends a union meeting. The archive you heard was the 1967 commercial “Presenting the Losers” by Eastern Air Lines. The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts.   For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/  You can listen to new episodes of The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight completely ad-free and 1 week early with an iHeart True Crime+ subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts.

The Girlfriends S6/E1: On Air

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/53859bce-a297-4bd3-8b38-b4aa00d0c838/transcript