Flying by the Seat of My Pants: Flight Attendant Adventures on a Wing and a Prayer (Paperback)

by Marsha Marks (Author) "As you read these stories you might ask, Are these true?..." (more)
Key Phrases: Mean Passenger, Los Angeles, First Class (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Take a look at life from behind the beverage cart.

“They asked me to be groomed, be kind, and show up on time; it was too much pressure.”
“It was like being a waitress, only I was hurtling through space and wound up in Paris.”
“I thought it would be funny to climb into the overhead bin. How did I know the President of the United States would be on the flight that day?”

Where flight attendant Marsha Marks goes, funny things happen, and she tells them all in this hilarious and insightful chronicle of her career as a naive flight attendant and a struggling author. From missed flights to missing uniforms, miracle babies to indecipherable southern accents, Flying by the Seat of My Pants is a laugh-out-loud reminder of what is important and what keeps us steady through the turbulence of life.

About the Author
Marsha Marks is a popular motivational speaker and author whose books include 101 Simple Lessons for Life and If I Ignore It, It Will Go Away…and Other Lies I Thought Were True. Her writing has appeared in publications including Writer’s Digest, Eternity, Moody Monthly, and The Christian Reader. She has appeared on numerous radio and television programs. Marsha makes her home in Savannah, Georgia, with her husband and daughter.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: WaterBrook Press (May 17, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578566991
• ISBN-13: 978-1578566990
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #220,652 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Terrific diversion in a digestible format, September 1, 2005

By	Jessica Lux (Rosamond, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This was a fun read, a compilation of short, unconnected essays on twenty years of working as a flight attendant. The stories are amusing, but there is something missing to make this book complete as a whole. Pick it up expecting a few minutes of pleasurable reading and laugh-out-loud antics and you won't be disappointed.

One hilarious story was about carrying passengers bags: [p 48] Every day passengers bring bags on board that they are unable to lift into the overhead bins. So they turn to me, and say "Will you life this for me? I don't want to hurt my back." I am tempted to say, "Oh, I _do_ want to hurt my back. Here, let me."

The bag essay continues as Marsha tells the story of the time she took a shoulder bag off an old lady's wheelchair, and it weighed close to 100 pounds. She inquired what was in the bagm and the lady revealed that it was filled with rocks from her daughter's house (near a quarry) that she was carrying home for her garden.

This is a fun, short read, and it reminded me how much flight attendants have to deal with on a daily basis. I'll certainly think twice about taking my irration at an airline out on a flight attendant working in the trenches.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A quick, diverting read, June 21, 2005

By	Debra Hamel (TwitterLit.com) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

In the 38 brief chapters of Flying by the Seat of My Pants Marsha Marks collects a series of vignettes connected to life as a flight attendant, the author's day job for more than twenty years. Beginning with the unusual circumstances in which she entered the profession, Marks writes about difficult passengers and ditsy fellow workers, her brushes with law enforcement and the secret service, cellulite and on-board fires--in short, the perks and problems of flying for a living. Most of the stories Marks tells are at least cute, but some are moving ("Meeting Erma Bombeck;" "Little Hannah Gray") or downright hilarious--in particular her tale of reciprocal vomiting in "The Most Embarrassing Thing"--and one is both vomit-inducing and funny at the same time ("The Mistaken Beverage"). In the end, like Erma Bombeck herself, Marks's idol and predecessor in the genre of humorous, homely essays, the author comes across as a very pleasant lady. Her book is a quick, diverting read--perfect, in fact, for taking along on your next flight.

Reviewed by Debra Hamel, author of Trying Neaira: The True Story of a Courtesan's Scandalous Life in Ancient Greece

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very entertaining book!, November 2, 2005

By	V. Keigley - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a young adult, I very much enjoyed this book. It is funny and really puts a smile on your face. You can tell that the author has put a lot into her book and isn't afraid to leave anything out about her experiences! If you are a frequent traveler, have been on an airplane, or considering being a Flight Attendant you must read this book! It was a wonderful read. Highly recommended to all. Enjoy! Thanks for a great book Marsha!