The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight

The fight reaches its climax as stewardesses race to win support for a new union. With careers and futures on the line, Nell documents the high-stakes vote that will decide it all and the lasting legacy these women leave on labor rights and women’s work.

 

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/

 

 

 

SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS

United States

Mental Health

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – call or text 988, or chat online - https://988lifeline.org/ 
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) – education, support groups, and helpline: 1-800-950-6264 - https://www.nami.org/ 

LGBTQ+ Support / Homophobia

• The Trevor Project – crisis support for LGBTQ+ youth: call, text or chat via 988 – ‘press 3’- https://www.thetrevorproject.org/ 
• The LGBT National Help Center – peer support and hotline services - https://lgbthotline.org/ 

Sexual Harassment, Sexual Violence

• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) – hotline 1-800-656-HOPE; also online chat - https://rainn.org 

Eating Disorders

• NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association) – helpline chat, screening tool, and resources - https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/ 

United Kingdom

Mental Health 

• Samaritans – 24/7 phone support at 116 123 - https://www.samaritans.org/ 
• Mind – mental health information and support - https://www.mind.org.uk/ 

Sexual Harassment, Sexual Violence

• Rape Crisis England & Wales – national helpline and local support centres - https://247sexualabusesupport.org.uk/ 
• The Survivors Trust – specialist sexual violence support https://thesurvivorstrust.org/ 

LGBTQ+ Support

• Switchboard LGBT+ Helpline – support via phone, chat, email - https://switchboard.lgbt/ 
• https://lgbt.foundation/ 

Eating Disorders & Body Image

• BEAT Eating Disorders – helpline, online chat, and resources - https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/ 

Australia

Mental Health

• Lifeline Australia – 24/7 crisis support: 13 11 14 - https://www.lifeline.org.au/ 
• Beyond Blue – mental health support and helpline: 1300 22 4636 - https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ 

Sexual Harassment, Sexual Violence

• 1800RESPECT – national sexual assault, domestic & family violence counselling service: 1800 737 732 - https://1800respect.org.au/ 

Eating Disorders & Body Image

• Butterfly Foundation – helpline + online chat for eating disorders: 1800 33 4673 - https://butterfly.org.au/ 

LGBTQ+ Support

• QLife – phone and webchat support for LGBTQ+ people: 1800 184 527 - https://qlife.org.au/ 

Canada

Mental Health 

• Talk Suicide Canada – call or text 988 (nationwide) - https://988.ca/ 
• Crisis Services Canada – nationwide crisis support network - https://thelifelinecanada.ca/ 

LGBTQ+ Support

• LGBT YouthLine – text, chat, and phone support across Canada - https://www.youthline.ca/ 
• PFLAG Canada – national peer-support network - https://pflagcanada.ca/ 

Eating Disorders 

• NEDIC (National Eating Disorder Information Centre) – helpline and online chat https://nedic.ca/ 

Sexual Harassment, Sexual Violence 

• The Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres (CASAC) – directory of local crisis centres.
• Ending Violence Association of Canada – provincial crisis lines - https://endingviolencecanada.org/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Frustrated with their male-dominated union, a group of stewardesses consider a radical idea: forming their own union. Nell follows secret meetings, whispered alliances, and mounting risks as the women decide whether to stay loyal or gamble everything on independence.

 

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/

The archive you heard was the commercial “the Air Strip” from Braniff International. You also heard “Also Sprach Zarathustra” by Richard Strauss, performed by Lud and Schlatts Musical Emporium. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Provided by Classicals.de - https://www.classicals.de/strauss-zarathustra.

 

 

 

SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS

United States

Mental Health

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – call or text 988, or chat online - https://988lifeline.org/ 
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) – education, support groups, and helpline: 1-800-950-6264 - https://www.nami.org/ 

LGBTQ+ Support / Homophobia

• The Trevor Project – crisis support for LGBTQ+ youth: call, text or chat via 988 – ‘press 3’- https://www.thetrevorproject.org/ 
• The LGBT National Help Center – peer support and hotline services - https://lgbthotline.org/ 

United Kingdom

Mental Health 

• Samaritans – 24/7 phone support at 116 123 - https://www.samaritans.org/ 
• Mind – mental health information and support - https://www.mind.org.uk/ 

LGBTQ+ Support

• Switchboard LGBT+ Helpline – support via phone, chat, email - https://switchboard.lgbt/ 
• https://lgbt.foundation/ 

Australia

Mental Health

• Lifeline Australia – 24/7 crisis support: 13 11 14 - https://www.lifeline.org.au/ 
• Beyond Blue – mental health support and helpline: 1300 22 4636 - https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ 

LGBTQ+ Support

• QLife – phone and webchat support for LGBTQ+ people: 1800 184 527 - https://qlife.org.au/ 

Canada

Mental Health 

• Talk Suicide Canada – call or text 988 (nationwide) - https://988.ca/ 
• Crisis Services Canada – nationwide crisis support network - https://thelifelinecanada.ca/ 

LGBTQ+ Support

• LGBT YouthLine – text, chat, and phone support across Canada - https://www.youthline.ca/ 
• PFLAG Canada – national peer-support network - https://pflagcanada.ca/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 heard archive from an NBC special Report called The Teamsters Union Power, a clip from an ABC News story on Loving v Virginia and a CBS report celebrating the first ATM.

 

 

 

SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS

United States

Mental Health

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – call or text 988, or chat online - https://988lifeline.org/ 
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) – education, support groups, and helpline: 1-800-950-6264 - https://www.nami.org/ 

United Kingdom

Mental Health 

• Samaritans – 24/7 phone support at 116 123 - https://www.samaritans.org/ 
• Mind – mental health information and support - https://www.mind.org.uk/ 

Australia

Mental Health

• Lifeline Australia – 24/7 crisis support: 13 11 14 - https://www.lifeline.org.au/ 
• Beyond Blue – mental health support and helpline: 1300 22 4636 - https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ 

Canada

Mental Health 

• Talk Suicide Canada – call or text 988 (nationwide) - https://988.ca/ 
• Crisis Services Canada – nationwide crisis support network - https://thelifelinecanada.ca/ 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/

You heard archive including chanting from the documentary The March by James Blue, a news clip from AP on the Civil Rights Act Of 1964, The National Airlines Commercial: "Fly Me", and a clip from NBC’s Hunter Brinkley Report.

 

 

 

SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS

United States

Mental Health

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – call or text 988, or chat online - https://988lifeline.org/ 
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) – education, support groups, and helpline: 1-800-950-6264 - https://www.nami.org/ 

Sexual Harassment, Sexual Violence

• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) – hotline 1-800-656-HOPE; also online chat - https://rainn.org 

Pregnancy, Reproductive Health, Abortion Support

• All-Options Talkline – non-directive support around pregnancy, parenting, abortion, adoption: 1-888-493-0092 - https://www.all-options.org/find-support/talkline/ 

Planned Parenthood – medical and counselling services across the US - https://www.plannedparenthood.org/ 

United Kingdom

Mental Health 

• Samaritans – 24/7 phone support at 116 123 - https://www.samaritans.org/ 
• Mind – mental health information and support - https://www.mind.org.uk/ 

Sexual Harassment, Sexual Violence

• Rape Crisis England & Wales – national helpline and local support centres - https://247sexualabusesupport.org.uk/ 
• The Survivors Trust – specialist sexual violence support https://thesurvivorstrust.org/ 

Pregnancy, Reproductive Health, Abortion Support

• BPAS (British Pregnancy Advisory Service) – abortion and reproductive counselling - https://www.bpas.org/ 

NHS Sexual Health Services – local clinics and counselling - https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/sexual-health-services/ 

Australia

Mental Health

• Lifeline Australia – 24/7 crisis support: 13 11 14 - https://www.lifeline.org.au/ 
• Beyond Blue – mental health support and helpline: 1300 22 4636 - https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ 

Sexual Harassment, Sexual Violence

• 1800RESPECT – national sexual assault, domestic & family violence counselling service: 1800 737 732 - https://1800respect.org.au/ 

Reproductive Health / Pregnancy Support

• Marie Stopes Australia – abortion and reproductive health services + counselling - https://www.msiaustralia.org.au/ 

Canada

Mental Health 

• Talk Suicide Canada – call or text 988 (nationwide) - https://988.ca/ 
• Crisis Services Canada – nationwide crisis support network - https://thelifelinecanada.ca/ 

Reproductive Health / Pregnancy Support

Action Canada for Sexual Health & Rights – sexual health information, abortion access line - https://www.actioncanadashr.org/ 

Sexual Harassment, Sexual Violence 

• The Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres (CASAC) – directory of local crisis centres.
• Ending Violence Association of Canada – provincial crisis lines - https://endingviolencecanada.org/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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, visit https://novel.audio/

 

 

 

SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS

United States

Mental Health

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – call or text 988, or chat online - https://988lifeline.org/ 
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) – education, support groups, and helpline: 1-800-950-6264 - https://www.nami.org/ 

Sexual Harassment, Sexual Violence

• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) – hotline 1-800-656-HOPE; also online chat - https://rainn.org 

United Kingdom

Mental Health 

• Samaritans – 24/7 phone support at 116 123 - https://www.samaritans.org/ 
• Mind – mental health information and support - https://www.mind.org.uk/ 

Sexual Harassment, Sexual Violence

• Rape Crisis England & Wales – national helpline and local support centres - https://247sexualabusesupport.org.uk/ 
• The Survivors Trust – specialist sexual violence support https://thesurvivorstrust.org/ 

Australia

Mental Health

• Lifeline Australia – 24/7 crisis support: 13 11 14 - https://www.lifeline.org.au/ 
• Beyond Blue – mental health support and helpline: 1300 22 4636 - https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ 

Sexual Harassment, Sexual Violence

• 1800RESPECT – national sexual assault, domestic & family violence counselling service: 1800 737 732 - https://1800respect.org.au/ 

Canada

Mental Health 

• Talk Suicide Canada – call or text 988 (nationwide) - https://988.ca/ 
• Crisis Services Canada – nationwide crisis support network - https://thelifelinecanada.ca/ 

Sexual Harassment, Sexual Violence 

• The Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres (CASAC) – directory of local crisis centres.
• Ending Violence Association of Canada – provincial crisis lines - https://endingviolencecanada.org/ 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 by President John F. Kennedy on civil rights from John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.

 

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. 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.

 

 

 

SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS

United States

Mental Health

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – call or text 988, or chat online - https://988lifeline.org/ 
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) – education, support groups, and helpline: 1-800-950-6264 - https://www.nami.org/ 

United Kingdom

Mental Health 

• Samaritans – 24/7 phone support at 116 123 - https://www.samaritans.org/ 
• Mind – mental health information and support - https://www.mind.org.uk/ 

Australia

Mental Health

• Lifeline Australia – 24/7 crisis support: 13 11 14 - https://www.lifeline.org.au/ 
• Beyond Blue – mental health support and helpline: 1300 22 4636 - https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ 

Canada

Mental Health 

• Talk Suicide Canada – call or text 988 (nationwide) - https://988.ca/ 
• Crisis Services Canada – nationwide crisis support network - https://thelifelinecanada.ca/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 of the U.S. National Archives.

 

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. 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.

 

 

 

SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS

United States

Mental Health

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – call or text 988, or chat online - https://988lifeline.org/ 
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) – education, support groups, and helpline: 1-800-950-6264 - https://www.nami.org/ 

Eating Disorders

• NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association) – helpline chat, screening tool, and resources - https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/ 

United Kingdom

Mental Health 

• Samaritans – 24/7 phone support at 116 123 - https://www.samaritans.org/ 
• Mind – mental health information and support - https://www.mind.org.uk/ 

Eating Disorders & Body Image

• BEAT Eating Disorders – helpline, online chat, and resources - https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/ 

Australia

Mental Health

• Lifeline Australia – 24/7 crisis support: 13 11 14 - https://www.lifeline.org.au/ 
• Beyond Blue – mental health support and helpline: 1300 22 4636 - https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ 

Eating Disorders & Body Image

• Butterfly Foundation – helpline + online chat for eating disorders: 1800 33 4673 - https://butterfly.org.au/ 

Canada

Mental Health 

• Talk Suicide Canada – call or text 988 (nationwide) - https://988.ca/ 
• Crisis Services Canada – nationwide crisis support network - https://thelifelinecanada.ca/ 

Eating Disorders 

• NEDIC (National Eating Disorder Information Centre) – helpline and online chat https://nedic.ca/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 “Presenting the Losers” by Eastern Air Lines.

 

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. 

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.

 

 

 

SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS

United States

Mental Health

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – call or text 988, or chat online - https://988lifeline.org/ 
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) – education, support groups, and helpline: 1-800-950-6264 - https://www.nami.org/ 

United Kingdom

Mental Health 

• Samaritans – 24/7 phone support at 116 123 - https://www.samaritans.org/ 
• Mind – mental health information and support - https://www.mind.org.uk/ 

Australia

Mental Health

• Lifeline Australia – 24/7 crisis support: 13 11 14 - https://www.lifeline.org.au/ 
• Beyond Blue – mental health support and helpline: 1300 22 4636 - https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ 

Canada

Mental Health 

• Talk Suicide Canada – call or text 988 (nationwide) - https://988.ca/ 
• Crisis Services Canada – nationwide crisis support network - https://thelifelinecanada.ca/ 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 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.

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Re-listen to the best of The Girlfriends: Spotlight:

When Nadya Tolokonnikova saw her country Russia change under President Vladimir Putin’s authoritarian regime, she knew she had to do something. 

She started the iconic ski-mask-wearing art protest collective Pussy Riot. On February 21st, 2012, they performed their anti-Putin protest song, Punk Prayer, in a Moscow church, launching Nadya into overnight activist fame… and a prison labour camp.

 

The Girlfriends: Spotlight is produced by Novel for iHeartPodcasts.

For more from Novel visit Novel.Audio

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.