The Pacific Northwest Corporate Flight Attendant Association’s (PNFAA) spring meeting is being held this week, and we have Portland on our minds. To get a closer look at what to expect from visiting Portland, we interviewed Liz Weigel, a corporate flight attendant, and member of PNFAA.
In addition to being a member of PNFAA, Liz is also active with the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), Pacific Rim Schedulers and Dispatchers Association (PRSDA), and volunteers at the annual Pacific Northwest Business Aviation Association’s (PNBAA) Charity Golf Event. Currently Seattle-based, Liz has three years of international and domestic travel as a contract corporate flight attendant and operates out of Boeing Field International Airport (BFI / KBFI), Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA / KSEA), Portland International Airport (PDX / KPDX) and Portland-Hillsboro Airport (HIO / KHIO).
Liz has trained at Beyond and Above, Sajet Solutions and Aircare FACTS, and has experience flying on GIV, G550, Hawker, Challenger 601, Global Express and BBJ aircraft. Before starting her career in business aviation, Liz Weigel earned her Master of Business Administration from the University of Nevada Reno and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Utah.
In discussing her career so far as a corporate flight attendant, Liz shared her most memorable flight. “My first flight was especially notable,” she said. “I was given 90 minutes notice. It was definitely ‘Go, Set, Ready!’ and was the best trip I have had! I didn’t have time to get nervous, and I was asked to continue for the next seven days of the trip.” Since then, Liz has been on many memorable trips, but some of her favorite places are right at home in the Pacific Northwest.
While visiting Oregon, some of Liz’s favorite places are the “Columbia River Gorge, a year-round recreational area offering the best of outdoor activities with breathtaking scenery. Superb dining opportunities and award winning wineries, like The Pines 1852, are along the Columbia River in Hood River, Oregon. The WAAAM Air Auto Museum is another favorite and has one of the largest collections of working antique airplanes and automobiles in the country.”
“Portland offers a wide selection of local craft beers, award winning wineries and artisanal spirits,” said Liz. “Farm-fresh northwest ingredients and completely unique dining experiences are the norm. Many restaurants are happy to accommodate vegetarian, vegan and special requests.”
Liz’s personal favorite for out of town visitors is Le Bistro Montage, hidden in the industrial district. She recommends the famous Gator Macaroni and having your leftovers wrapped into foil art creatures by the creative servers. Her other casual local favorites include:
For creative Pacific Northwest menus from up and coming chefs, Liz says to try:
If you are a corporate flight attendant visiting Portland for the first time, Liz has some tips to help you get the most out of your trip. “Portland has reliable public transportation,” she said. “You can easily travel by train, bus and light-rail. If traveling by car, gas is pumped for you by a station attendant. So keep your toes dry in your crew car and enjoy the luxury! Don’t forget Oregon has no state sales tax! Load up on your favorite cosmetics, technology and shopping items tax-free.” These are all very helpful tips, but perhaps the most important piece of information Liz shared is about the culture of Portland. “Remember ‘Keep Portland Weird’ is the citywide motto,” she said. “So expect the unexpected and appreciate the expressions of individuality. Moreover, if someone calls you ‘weird,’ say ‘thank you!’”
In addition to a passion for flying, Liz loves cars and is known as a “Gearhead.” She freelances for the Aston Martin Professional Drive Team for events across North America. It was during a collaborative Aston Martin and private aviation event that a polished corporate flight attendant approached her and asked, “Have you considered working as a corporate flight attendant? You could use your VIP skills to meet and exceed your client’s expectations on private jets.” This interaction inspired Liz to attend corporate flight attendant training and start flying.
For Liz, having a successful career means balancing a mix of “hard skills in many areas, including management, accounting, purchasing, culinary and safety. All of this, combined with extensive soft skills. The more skills on your tool belt of skills, the more prepared you are to have a successful corporate flight attendant career.” For a combination of unique VIP service experiences, personality and professionalism, contact Liz Weigel at elizabeth.weigel@gmail.com.
This article is part of a series of interviews we are conducting with corporate 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.
