People always seemed amused whenever Gretchen Ryan recounted anecdotes of her transformative experiences as an air hostess in days gone by. Many even suggested she write a book about it. So she did. These were the debauched days of flying in the 80s, when flying was sexy, hanky-panky abounded, smoking permitted, passengers wore suits, the cockpit never locked and cutlery made of steel. This was a time of excess, cleverly disguised as fun. This humorous, tongue-in-cheek memoir recalls both amusing incidents and tragedies on board as well as at various destinations around the world, including London, Hong Kong, Mauritius, Ilha do Sal and New York. Against the backdrop of this 'anything-goes' world of flying, for 10 years life was a kaleidoscope of fun and excitement. AUTHOR: Gretchen Ryan was born in South Africa and grew up in a rural farming community. After finishing school, she spent a year at The North-Western State University of Louisiana on a tennis scholarship before returning to South Africa where she completed a BA at the University of Pretoria. Straight after university she joined South African Airways as an air hostess. Ten years later she left the airline and went into the corporate world, culminating in owning her own events company before settling in the UK. She currently lives between Surrey and Cape Town. 40 b/w illustrations