Meet Bette Nash, the woman who has spent 60 years making the skies a friendlier place as a flight attendant.
The 81-year-old has become a celebrity in her own right over the years, with passengers eager to have their photo taken with her, according to The Washington Post.
Take for instance a recent Thursday morning, when Nash encountered American Eagle flight attendant, Pavel Boress. He had long since known of the iconic flight attendant but never met her in person before that day, and asked to have a photo taken with her
"Everybody in the industry knows about Bette," he later said, per The Washington Post. "She's an inspiration."
Nash was 16 when she knew she wanted to be a flight attendant, CNN reported. She and her mother were waiting to board a flight when two pilots and a flight attendant walked past. From that moment she knew that was the job for her.
Nash has been a flight attendant since 1957.
As the most senior flight attendant in the U.S., she has earned the right to fly any route she wishes, the Daily Mail noted, but as a mother to a special needs child she has favored the shuttle route between Washington, D.C., and Boston so that she can be home in Manassa, Virginia, every night for her son.
The topic of retirement has come up before but Nash has dismissed this.
The mandatory retirement age for pilots in the industry, which is 65, does not apply to flight attendants, The Washington Post noted.
Nash is strong and capable enough to pass the annual FAA test requirements, The Daily Mail reported, and is determined to enjoy her job for as long as possible.
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