The first female flight attendant serving Uncle Ho
Half a century has passed, but every time she recalls that business trip, flight attendant Phi Phuong is still as excited as if she had just received the task of serving the special "passenger" Ho Chi Minh.
JOURNEY IN UNCLE HO'S FOOTSTEPS
Sitting across from us, the once beautiful flight attendant now had wrinkles on her face and her hair was turning gray. Ms. Nguyen Phi Phuong slowly said: “After working at the Aviation Department for four months, on November 2, 1960, I was informed by my superiors: Comrade Phi Phuong and the other comrades in the IL 14 flight crew with the registration number VN-C482 were going to serve Uncle Ho on a business trip to China. At that time, our country's aviation industry only served the Government or delegations on business trips at home and abroad, and there were no services yet.”
Mrs. Phuong on the flight with Uncle Ho (November 2, 1960)
Early in the morning of November 2, 1960, the plane carrying Uncle Ho took off from Gia Lam airport, Hanoi, flew to Nanning to refuel, then flew to Wuhan to refuel and have lunch before flying to Beijing. The IL 14 plane had two turboprop engines, a range of about 1,700km, a speed of 450km/h, and a ceiling of 6,500m. Therefore, it took nearly 10 hours to fly from Hanoi to Beijing.
UNFORGETTABLE MEMORIES
When the plane took off, Mrs. Phuong was called back by Uncle Ho to sit next to her. Uncle Ho asked her about her family and work. "Until now, I can never forget what Uncle Ho said, 'You have to work and study at the same time, learn a foreign language, learning is lifelong, I still have to study now'," she said. During her four years as a flight attendant, Phi Phuong flew with Uncle Ho many times on business trips at home and abroad. She often read newspapers to Uncle Ho, including information about the front line in the South.
Mrs. Phuong today
During her business trip to Beijing, Phuong made coffee for Uncle Ho every morning. Although the host country served him very attentively, Uncle Ho still liked sour soup with snakehead fish, so she showed off her cooking skills. Every meal, she sat next to him and had him serve her food.
The Air Defense - Air Force Service and the Vietnam Military History Museum have completed the restoration and put this historic aircraft on display on the occasion of the 122nd anniversary of Uncle Ho's birthday (May 19, 2012). Ms. Phuong recalled: "The passenger compartment of the aircraft has two rows of seats usually reserved for the working delegation, next to Uncle Ho's bed with curtains, next to the bed is a small table for Uncle Ho to work. The bed at the back of the aircraft is for the flight attendants and crew members to rest."
According to CATP-M
