Safety, not just service, is main job of flight attendants

"Can you believe that plane landed in the Hudson River and everybody got off with barely an injury?" asked my old flying partner when we met Wednesday for our monthly luncheon. "Anybody who refers to those flight attendants as 'glorified waitresses' deserves to be grounded for life, or at least stuck in a middle seat."

While safety has always been the No. 1 purpose of having flight attendants onboard, passengers have not always seen it that way. During the 70s and 80s, travelers often referred to us as 'glorified waitresses.' Of course, that became passe when the airlines virtually eliminated in-flight meals. Shortly after that, we were compared to the attendants on cross-country buses who sold tiny pillows to the riders. That also became passé when the airlines eliminated pillows.

But passengers often pooh-pooh the fact that flight attendants are highly-trained for emergency situations. And because in-flight service has been reduced to the bare bones, some fliers believe the number of flight attendants should also be reduced to the bare bones.

The government recognizes the value of flight attendants. And for safety reasons, the FAA requires a certain number of crew members on commercial aircraft. The minimum requirements vary based on the size of the aircraft, number of exits and the number of passengers. But most carriers fly with more than the government required number of crew members and the flight attendant unions all flight for increasing the numbers. Not because they're flapping their wings. But, because, in the unlikely event of an emergency, you're going to want more than the minimum required number of emergency trained experts. And flight attendants are finely tuned to react in emergency situations.

Every year, crew members attend a full day of emergency review. They cover everything from treating minor discomforts, such as clogged ears and airsickness, to sea and land survival in the event of a catastrophic crash. We practice CPR with a dummy and put out fires - literally - in a trash can. At the end of the day, you either pass the test with flying colors or you don't fly.

Career flight attendants, who have flown for 20 years or more, all have their own war stories. Mine are minimal - a few heart attacks, a couple of near-miss midair collisions and a couple of passengers who weren't playing with the proverbial full deck. But last week's crash on the Hudson reminded me of one particular, scary event.

Forty years ago we were bringing back soldiers on a charter flight from Vietnam. As we approached the landing field, our captain told us an indicator light showed our landing gear wouldn't lock in place. We should plan to make a belly landing on a foam-covered runway. Everyone followed procedures like clockwork. When we took our seats for landing, all passengers were seated in crash positions and we all knew exactly what to do after the aircraft landed. There was no panic. There was no fear. Fire trucks lined the airstrip. Fortunately, they never had to move. The landing gear locked in place and the plane landed normally.

Emergencies are rare, but when they happen, you hope the procedures are so ingrained you'll perform your duties robotically, like the flight attendants did on that USAir flight last week. And that's the real reason you have flight attendants onboard.

Gail Todd, a free-lance writer,worked as a flight attendant for more than 30years. She can be reached via e-mail at gailtodd@aol.com.