A NORTH Belfast woman has recalled her "wonderful experience" working as an air hostess for Aer Lingus in the 1960s.
Sheila Carlin (81) from the Antrim Road worked for the Irish flag carrier for four years before leaving her "dream job" to get married.
It was when she was working in the Civil Service that a work colleague first encouraged her to apply for a job with Aer Lingus.
"I had been working in the Civil Service and it was so boring," she recalled. "I saw an advert in the paper from Aer Lingus looking for an air hostess. My colleague told me to apply. I told her she was mad because I had never been on a plane in my life.
"After she tortured me, I filled in the forms eventually.
"I went for the first interview in Belfast and then got word for the final interview in Dublin Airport. It was a full day of interviews, discussion group exercises and language tests from 9.30am to 7pm.
"A few weeks later, I got word that I had been accepted. I started with Aer Lingus in 1963 at the age of 22."
Sheila joined Aer Lingus at an exciting time for the airline, just years after the company started its first transatlantic service and their first use of Boeing 720s and the larger Boeing 707 in 1964.
Sheila began as an air hostess on the European routes, before moving on to enjoy the perks of the transatlantic flights.
"I started off doing the European routes to all the main capital cities at that time. My language was French so I went to a lot of places in France," she added.
"I remember my first flight was on a little Fokker plane. There was only one air hostess – me – on it and about 27 passengers.
"I remember another flight with Brian Epstein on it, the manager of the Beatles. I remember meeting Elizabeth Taylor who was an absolutely lovely woman.
"I then got promoted to the transatlantic route to America. I was air hostess on flights all over America such as New York, Boston, Chicago and Montreal.
Sheila worked as an air hostess for Aer Lingus for four years in the 1960s
"When going to New York, for example, I would stay there and have five full days to myself. Aer Lingus paid for it all including expenses for every day. There was only about one flight a week then. I would have got a few days off before going out again."
Despite the strict rules, Sheila looks back on her time as an air hostess fondly but would not envy the job today.
"It was a really good experience. I really enjoyed myself. It was absolutely wonderful.
"There were very few from the North working for them at the time.
"There were different rules such as being at least five feet three inches in height and a certain weight. Your hair was also not allowed to touch your collar of the uniform.
"If you put on weight, you were grounded and given an office job for six weeks to lose it.
"Despite the strict rules, it was seemingly every girl’s dream. You sort of accepted the rules.
"The salary was very good money in those days, between 560 and 896 punts with expenses on top.
"I worked as an air hostess for four years. I left because I was getting married.
"I don’t really like flying now. I find it pretty boring now, sitting in one position. Perhaps I was just used to moving about on a plane!
"I don’t envy those doing the job now. It is totally different from when I worked as an air hostess. It is a very full-on job now."
