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Holding up half the sky

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-16 09:14

Wang Zhubao, 71, has a lot in common with people her age. She's amiable, hardworking and frugal. However, her distinct grace and worldliness makes her stand out among all the rest.

As one of New China's first flight attendants, Wang not only witnessed, but participated in the development of China's civil aviation industry.

During Wang's first year of high school in the fall of 1955, her teacher nominated her for recruitment. She was soon to become one of the first 18 air stewardesses in New China.

In those days, the uniform was simple: plain suits and no makeup. The average height and frame was more petite, with most standing at a height of around 1.65m, unlike today's model-alike stewardesses.

"With my parents' consent, I joined a team of 18 hostesses. I felt really honored by being given such an opportunity at such a young age. I was so curious about what it would be like, flying through clouds and fog," she recounted.

When Wang was hired, she became part of the country's first flight attendant team.

"My father agreed to let me work as a stewardess because he believed that it would be an education more valuable than the one I was receiving at school. He was right, " Wang said.

Russian language, in-flight service skills, and foreign affairs were included in their training.

"Besides routine in-flight service, we were also required to know basic medical skills, geography, history and meteorological knowledge so that we were always prepared to deal with any emergency," Wang told China Daily.

Then after two months of intensive training came Wang's first in-flight test.

Wang described the trial flight as "extremely nerve-wracking," since most of the 18 girls were feeling anxious and nauseous from strong turbulence.

Her official maiden flight came in July 1956 on a small Soviet 18-seat plane completing a two-hour trip from Beijing to Shanghai.

As the only hostess on the plane, the then 18-year-old Wang served the passengers with great care, but recalled that her heart was pounding she was so nervous.

"I looked at each of the passengers as a distinguished guest. They all wore formal attire and had superb manners. I tried my best to avoid embarrassing myself in front of them by spilling their drink on their nice suit or something," she said.

At that time, only three kinds of drinks were served on the plane: water, orange punch and tea, all in glass cups.

"I was required to carry a tray with 15 cups. I remember that it was incredibly heavy, making it difficult to carry it down the aisle without spilling them," she added.

"The passengers were mainly government officials and rich merchants dressed in fine suits. I remember one lady wearing a stunning dress. She looked like an actress," Wang recalls, adding that even if ordinary people then knew about the option, rarely could they have afforded a plane ticket.

Between 1957 and 1967, Wang served as a stewardess on Premier Zhou Enlai's special charted plane, flying with Zhou and his cabinet to dozens of domestic cities, as well as to Cambodia and Vietnam.

Zhou's easy-going personality and devotion to his work left a deep impression on her. "Ever time we landed, Premier Zhou always gave a handshake to every member of our crew, thanking us for our service and encouraging us to keep it up."

In 1980, Wang led a group of young Chinese stewardesses to Japan for training from Nippon Airways. Learning how to apply makeup was the most exciting aspect for Wang. However, the most unforgettable experience was training for emergencies in a simulation cabin.

"For the longest time I had been dreaming of the day when our training facilities would match those of other countries," says Wang.

During the early 1990s, Wang's dream finally came true when the China Civil Aviation Bureau imported the first simulated cabin for training flight attendants.

Since then, the development of China's aviation industry as experienced a rapid development, of civil aviation businesses in addition to the opening of international and domestic airlines, flight attendants have become a very respected, if not a prestigious job, in society.

Now, becoming a flight attendant is a dream job for many, who view it as a very glamorous way of traveling to new and exciting destinations. For Wang, the occupation means more responsibility than its glamorous appearance leads people to believe.

"It's a tough job," she says, "but the spirit of genuine service for every domestic and foreign passenger will never change," she says.