The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight
In the golden age of air travel, flying was sold as glamorous, luxurious, and effortlessly chic. But for the young women working the aisles at 30,000 feet, the reality was very different. When Patt Gibbs joined American Airlines in the 1960s, she was trained to be slim, smiling, and subservient. Stewardesses like her were weighed like luggage, forced to retire at 32 years old, banned from marriage, and expected to endure sexual harassment with grace. One extra pound, one birthday too many, or one wedding ring and your wings were clipped. But when Patt walks into a union meeting on a whim, everything changes. The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight tells the story of the stewardesses who refused to be grounded. From secret meetings to landmark discrimination cases to high-stakes union votes, these women challenged America’s biggest airlines and the sexism baked into the industry itself. A powerful sisterhood began to form across cabin aisles and crew lounges. They weren’t just fighting for better contracts. They were fighting for control of their own lives. The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is produced by Novel for iHeartPodcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/. You can listen to new episodes of The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight completely ad-free and 1 week early with an iHeart True Crime+ subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episodes
As stewardesses push for dignity at work, everyday encounters expose how deeply power and sexism run in the airline industry. From union politics to moments of personal reckoning, Nell traces how one stewardess is forced to confront the cost of following the rules and the courage required to break them.
The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/
You hea...
In the 1960s, marriage could cost a stewardess her job. As a result, United Airlines flight attendant Celeste Brodigan lives a double life, hiding her husband from management. When the truth is discovered, the airline begins watching her every move until Celeste stands up for herself and her marriage, sparking a wider rebellion across the industry.
The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more ...
In 1950s America, airlines refused to hire Black women as stewardesses. When Patricia Banks Edmiston is repeatedly rejected, she refuses to stay silent. By calling in civil rights leaders and taking on Capital Airlines, Patricia launches a landmark discrimination case that reshapes the skies and the industry.
The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visithttps://novel.audio/
...In the 1960s, stewardesses were forced to retire at 32, no matter their skill or experience. When Patt Gibbs and her colleagues publicly challenge the age rule, they confront a culture that values women only while they look young. The fight turns personal when a beloved mentor is quietly pushed aside.
The archive you heard included the commercial “the Air Strip” from Braniff International and a 1963 television address b...
Behind the cocktails and movie stars, stewardesses’ jobs depended on staying under strict weight limits. When Patt Gibbs is suspended for gaining a few pounds, a company doctor hands her diet pills with potentially dangerous consequences. As women push their bodies to extremes, Patt begins to fight back and discovers how costly defiance can be.
You heard archive from the documentary The Rise of Labor from the CIA collections...
In the golden age of flying, air travel looked glamorous, but for the women working onboard, it was tightly controlled. Nell McShane Wulfhart takes us inside American Airlines’ “Charm Farm” where young stewardesses, like Patt Gibbs, were trained to be thin, obedient, and perfectly groomed. But everything changes after Patt impulsively attends a union meeting.
The archive you heard was the 1967 commercial “P...
In the golden age of air travel, flying was sold as glamorous, luxurious, and effortlessly chic. But for the young women working the aisles at 30,000 feet, the reality was very different. The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight tells the story of the stewardesses who refused to be grounded. From secret meetings to landmark discrimination cases to high-stakes union votes, these women challenged America’s biggest airlines and the sexi...
Why did it take law enforcement so long to pay proper attention to Derek Alldred’s pattern of fraud against women all over the country?
In bonus episode four, Anna takes a deep dive into the investigation that finally brought Derek down, and the shortcomings of the many that came before.
In this four part mini-series, we take a deep dive into our archive of never before heard interviews, to take a closer look at t...
When Derek Alldred was finally convicted in 2017, it was far from his first run-in with the law.
In fact, more than a decade earlier, he found himself in the crosshairs of one determined California fire investigator, named Tom Oldag, who suspected him of a very different kind of fraud.
In bonus episode three, Anna takes a deep dive into one strand of Derek Alldred’s colourful criminal history. Featuring real archi...
Confronting your bestie’s terrible boyfriend about his toxic behaviour can be tempting, but is it always the best course of action? How do you strike a balance between protecting your friend from becoming isolated, and being honest with them about your fears?
In bonus episode two, Anna talks to social worker - Jen Lawrence - to learn more about the red flags of romance scammer behaviour, and what you can do about them.
...
In the years leading up to Derek’s conviction, his victims sometimes came forward to the media about their experiences.
But when they did so, the reaction from the public wasn’t always sympathetic.
In bonus episode one, Anna takes a closer look at the stigma that surrounds romance fraud with journalist Rachel Monroe, who covered Derek’s sentencing for The Atlantic back in 2018.
In this four...
Girlfriends from all over the country finally converge on a house in Texas.
And they meet a woman who’s been waiting on answers from Derek Alldred, for decades.
If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show, our charity partners NO MORE have available resources at https://www.nomore.org.
To learn more about romance scams, and to access specialised support, visit https://fightcybercrime.org/
Special Agent Mike discovers Dorie isn’t the only woman Derek Alldred’s been seeing in Texas.
Will Tracie agree to help the girlfriends bring him down once and for all?
If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show, our charity partners NO MORE have available resources at https://www.nomore.org.
To learn more about romance scams, and to access specialised support, visit https://fightcybercrime.org/&n...
Dorie is at home in Texas scrolling through photos on her iPad, when she makes a shocking discovery about the guy she’s been dating.
When the truth comes out about who he really is, she resolves to do something about it.
If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show, our charity partners NO MORE have available resources at https://www.nomore.org.
Lisa finally touches down in Minnesota, and learns her friends know more than they’ve been letting on about the real identity of her unusual boyfriend.
If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show, our charity partners NO MORE have available resources at https://www.nomore.org.
To learn more about romance scams, and to access specialised support, visit https://fightcybercrime.org/
Lisa, a hockey loving nurse from St Paul, Minnesota, has just begun dating a new guy who seems to have it all.
But her close-knit group of friends have begun to suspect something dodgy is going on.
If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show, our charity partners NO MORE have available resources at https://www.nomore.org.
To learn more about romance scams, and to access specialised support, visit https://fight...
Wendy is a single mom with a busy job, looking for love on Maui, Hawaii.
Then, she begins dating a con artist. By accident at first.
And then, before long - out of sheer curiosity and with the help of her protective older sister - on purpose.
If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show, our charity partners NO MORE have available resources at https://www.nomore.org.
When a group of women from all over the country realise they all dated the same prolific romance scammer they vow to bring him to justice.
In this brand new season of global number 1 hit podcast, The Girlfriends, Anna Sinfield meets a group of funny, feisty, determined women who all had the misfortune of dating a mysterious man named Derek Alldred.
Trust Me Babe is a story about the protective forces of gossip, gut inst...
Sharing your story, whether that’s on social media or through the news can be pretty daunting. But putting a spotlight on your community is essential to drawing attention to the causes you care about. So in this episode, Khadijah speaks to journalist Tamara Cherry about how trauma informed reporting can give survivors and advocates the opportunity to tell their stories in an ethical way.
Emmet Till’s murder sparked a 70 year movement, in this episode Khadijah speaks to a woman whose family has been fighting to preserve his legacy about what it takes to launch a movement and how you can mobilise your community to enact change.
US resources for Violence and Sexual Assault: https://rainn.org/
International resources for Violence and Sexual Assault: https://nomoredirectory.org/ ...
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