IT’S hard to imagine it: pilots smoking in the cockpit, flirting with air hostesses and flying their planes like cowboys with absolutely no regard for the comfort or safety of their passengers.
Back in the ’80s, SAA was the “ultimate boys’ club”, says Robert Schapiro – and he should know because as a co-pilot he saw it all. And often it wasn’t just the pilots who were behaving badly but the passengers as well.
In this extract from his new memoir, Secrets from the Cockpit: Pilots Behaving Badly and Other Flying Stories, he lifts the lid on some of the crazy antics he witnessed.
CHICKEN OR BEEF?
It wasn’t unusual for pilots and cabin staff to gain 10 kilograms or more in their first year of working for SAA. It may come as a shock to today’s travelers but airline food used to be surprisingly good – even in economy class.
First-class food, though, was in a league of its own. Canapés, appetizers such as caviar and foie gras, soups, main courses such as lobster and fillet steak, lavish desserts, and rich cheese and fruit trays were of fine-restaurant quality.
Meats such as rare roast beef, game or duck would be carved to order onboard; nothing was pre-packed.
ãã®èšäºã¯ YOU South Africa ã® 22 July 2021 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã ?  ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
ãã®èšäºã¯ YOU South Africa ã® 22 July 2021 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã? ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
BALLON IN THE BAG
Manchester City midfielder Rodrigo Hernandez Cascante says his Ballon d'Or win is a victory for Spanish football
IT WAS ALL A LIE
A new doccie exposes the Grey's Anatomy writer who fabricated her life story
'I WILL NEVER GIVE UP'
After her husband, anticorruption activist Alexei Navalny, was poisoned and murdered by the Kremlin, she became the public face of Russia's opposition. In this candid interview Yulia Navalnaya opens up about life on the run, her perilous family life and why she's continuing her husband's fight to save their country
AGREE TO DISAGREE
Trevor Noah on how his childhood squabbles with his mother inspired his delightful new book
PAUSE THE CLOCK
Researchers have discovered that the ageing process spikes at 44 and 60. Here's what you can do to slow it down
MPOOMY ON TOP
We chat to SA's most popular female podcaster about love, loss and her booming success
MY BROTHER IS NOT TO BLAME
Tinus Drotské says his sibling, ex Bok NÇka, is the victim in the brawl with a neighbour that landed up in court
MATT THE RECLUSE
A year after his friend's tragic death, the actor continues to shun the spotlight
A LEAP OF FAITH
After her husband tried to kill her by tampering with her parachute she thought she'd never trust a man again-but now she's found love
THEY'RE MY KIDS!
This West Coast woman treats her monkeys as iftheyre humans and animal activists are not happy about it