World Wings International, Inc.

Since becoming a member of the WWI Board of Directors in 2008 I wanted to find a way to preserve our personal histories as flight attendants with Pan Am.

In March 2012 a World Wings International/Pan Am History Questionnaire was created and forwarded to all World Wings members.  It's purpose was (and is) to save for future generations what Pan Am meant to us; the many opportunities we were afforded, what the world was like when we flew and how the experiences we had affected our lives.

A little background:  The original idea for this project began in the early 1990's when a group of World Wings members started an oral history project.  Taking oral histories was a difficult proposition then and today it isn't feasible due to the necessity, and cost, of having a professional studio handle the recording.  No longer are the old cassette tapes acceptable.  The times have changed.

The early 1990's World Wings International Oral History Questionnaire was used as a guide to discuss an individual's time with Pan Am for the tape recordings.  These questionnaires were preserved and there are many that date back to the 1940's and 1950's.  For the current project, the old questionnaire questions were modified.

The Questionnaires received prior to September 2012 have been delivered to the San Francisco Airport Museum and Library (a fully accredited museum) where they are being copied on acid free paper to preserve the Questionnaires and any photos, magazine or news articles that were included.  Other articles pertinent to the individuals experiences are also being copied.  The response has been wonderful and 481 returned their Questionnaire.  The San Francisco Museum and Library is excited to have have our histories and have asked that the project be continued so, the date for submission has been extended indefinitely. 

Please look under History of World Wings on the menu bar to access a Questionnaire which can be printed.  All former Pan Am flight attendants, female and male, retired or currently working for another airline, are welcome to complete the Questionnaire.

Our time with Pan Am will make fascinating reading for future generations. Responses to questions such as "Describe any flights that were particularly memorable" and "Who are some of the famous/remarkable/interesting people you met on your flights?" and "What significant events do you remember that occurred in the world, in a particular country or in Pan Am...and how were you affected by them?" had some of the most interesting comments.  Answers truly told the condition of our world as we experienced it, the fascinating people we met and how we were enriched and affected by our experiences and opportunities.

The Questionnaires will also be sent to the University of Miami Richter Library Archives for preservation along with other Pan Am and World Wings documents, uniforms and history.

Thank you to all who participated.  It is true...

                           "Pan Am brought us together.  World Wings keeps us together".

With best regards,

Jane Luna Euler
President