Fly By: A Life Aloft

For a flight attendant, every flight brings its own specific challenges. Dinah Barron-Hess vividly remembers the time that she ran into her childhood bully flying in first class. What do you say to someone who made your life miserable in fourth grade and now doesn’t even recognize you?

Other amazing adventures include flying with her beloved cat (not recommended when you are also working the flight), dealing with a thief and a bomb threat, and satisfying a bevy of often demanding, drunk, and kooky customers.

One of Barron-Hess’s most incredible flights included a once-in-a-lifetime meeting with actor Cary Grant. The encounter didn’t end there. She had one magical date with him in New York City and is now sharing every detail with you!

Handsome actors and weird passengers aside, Barron-Hess also looks at how the airline industry has changed since 9/11. She considers the seventies, eighties, and nineties to be the halcyon days of air travel. Now, since her airline crashed into one of the towers, everything has changed. Barron-Hess mourns the loss of the glamour of the good old days and celebrates the amazing work flight attendants still do on every single trip.