What’s better than getting an inside point-of-view on a location from a corporate flight attendant? Gaining that insight from two highly-skilled corporate flight attendants! Today we are featuring Emily A. Casson, a corporate flight attendant with 10 years of experience flying on a variety of aircraft including the G200, G3, G4, G450, G550, Challenger 604 and Challenger 605.
Emily is a graduate of Aircare FACTS Training and FlightSafety International who is based out of Addison Airport (KADS) and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (KDFW). She is an active National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) member and attends their conventions. A highlight of her corporate aviation career has been flying a former Chief of Staff / Air Force General.
In addition to being a corporate flight attendant, Emily is a hobby chef with a passion for the culinary arts and is planning to further her skills by attending culinary school. When it comes to cooking, Emily enjoys “blending fresh vegetables that are bright and light, and pairing them with any type of char-grilled meat. Right now though, I can’t get enough of Smoked Gouda Risotto. When made properly the recipes to use it in are endless!” Her specialty is a homemade lasagna with freshly harvested herbs.
Since Emily is based in Dallas, we wanted to get her insight into the food scene. She loves to enjoy barbecue and steak while at home in Dallas and that is evident in her top picks for dining out. When selecting her favorite restaurants, she prefers Bob’s Steak and Chop House, Nobu Dallas, The Capital Grille and Fogo de Chao.
For flight crew members looking for entertainment while in Dallas, Emily says to visit “the Stock Yards in Fort Worth. Everybody wants to see a real cowboy on a horse going down the streets. They offer the Cattle Drive during the day and there are several rodeos to attend, as well. The Stock Yards offer something for all ages. Plus, there are a few quaint boutiques for the ladies. I have found the most gorgeous fine-silver thumb rings and other unique pieces of jewelry there!”
When spending time away from home, Emily has a few favorite destinations across the United States. “I adore San Jose, California,” she said. “I love the selection of restaurants, and the terrain of this part of the country is absolutely beautiful. Going to the other coast, I enjoy West Palm Beach and all of the shopping opportunities available! I’d have to say my most favorite place to go is Glenwood Springs, Colorado. We typically fly into Rifle, and the crew stays in Glenwood Springs. The hot springs are right next to the hotel and the town is the most quaint I’ve ever visited! I would love to move there someday!”
Being a creative culinarian, Emily has been able to use her skills in-flight to excel in the face of a catering challenge. “I had a challenging flight when I did not receive dessert and I had about 9 pax onboard. I carry my own culinary bag and some grocery staples as a backup, so I simply pulled out my cookie sheet, baked wonderful cookies in the oven and melted chocolate I found onboard. I then piped warm chocolate, using a makeshift piping bag from a baggie, onto the plate and over the cookies. My pax never knew the difference and even commented on the warm cookies with chocolate!”
Emily has an interesting take on the skills a successful corporate flight attendant should possess. “I believe a successful FA would employ skills learned as a project manager,” she said. “You are constantly checking status updates (pilots/passengers), aligning expectations, assessing risk and damage control, if necessary – all with a smile on your face and carrying yourself with a confident demeanor! Learning to read body language is a must. Within two seconds of greeting your pax (if you’re unfamiliar with them) you should take cues from them and know immediately how to manage their expectations. Keep your eyes and ears open. Don’t be a nuisance, but be available. Learning to read proper body language and to give proper body language is a skill that will definitely serve you well.”
Additionally, she shared some great advice for anyone looking to take the first step in their career as a corporate flight attendant. “I would suggest anyone starting out with becoming a flight attendant should secure a position in customer service at a local FBO. Learn how it works. Absorb everything around you. Ask a lot of questions. Join roundtable discussions or other local aviation associations that meet monthly. Corporate / private aviation is a very small community and it’s important you are visible and known by others in your base. Above all else, always be solution-oriented and never bad-mouth anyone. Ever!” That sounds like terrific advice to get a new career off the ground! If you’d like to contact Emily Casson about this article or if you need a flight attendant in Dallas, you can reach her at emilyacasson@hotmail.com.
This article is part of a series of interviews we are conducting with contract cabin crew members; individuals who are not employed by Air Culinaire Worldwide. If you would like to be considered for an interview, which is posted on our blog and all of our social media accounts, please contact socialmedia@airculinaire.com.
