Gary Vacin
Sun Lakes Aero Club members and guests heard how a Sun Lakes woman’s life story progressed from wife and mother to radio talk show host to flight attendant flying on the world stage. Karen Fischer was guest speaker at the club’s January 15 gathering at the Sun Lakes Country Club Navajo Room. More than 80 persons attended.
Most of Fischer’s presentation centered on her experience as a talk show host in Illinois and her years as a flight attendant for several major airlines. As a talk show host from 1976 to 1986, she interviewed the likes of Larry King, Jerry Lewis, Buddy Ebsen, Jim Brady and other notables. She said she also filled in on KMOX radio in St. Louis on several occasions. She was personally acquainted with Brady, President Reagan’s press secretary, who was seriously injured in the Reagan assassination attempt in 1980. On hearing of Brady’s injury, she went to Brady’s mother’s house and spent the entire day with her.
Fischer said her experience in aviation started when she took a job as a customer service representative with Fed Ex in St. Louis. She was transferred to Hawaii and eventually accepted a job as a flight attendant trainee in Los Angeles. She explained that she enjoyed her career as a flight attendant because “I was 38,000 feet closer to the deity.” Fed Ex was eventually taken over by Flying Tiger Airlines. Fischer also worked for American Airlines and World Airlines.
Fischer is one of a number of speakers who have shared their stories at Sun Lakes Aero Club gatherings. Next speaker will be Tracey Wolsko, a passenger on the Miracle on the Hudson flight in 2013. Wolsko was scheduled to speak to the group in December, but was forced to cancel at the last minute because of illness.
For more information on the club, contact Cannon Hill at 509-539-7857, Gary Vacin at 480-298-7017 or visit the club’s website, www.saltlakesaeroclub.org.