Unusual flight attendant requirements
T he cabin crew industry has undergone a raft of changes in its history, from a dizzying array of uniforms to an evolution of the exact specifications applicants must meet. While traditionally considered a role for women, the first flight attendants were all male before the first "stewardess" was hired by America’s United Airlines in 1930 and soon female flight attendants, or "air hostesses", became the norm. A 1936 New York Times article described the ideal air hostess as "petite; weight 100 to 118 pounds; height 5 feet to 5 feet 4 inches; age 20 to 26 years. Add to that the rigid physical examination each must undergo four times every year, and you are assured of the bloom that goes...
