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BRANIFF 95th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION AND
BRANIFF AIRWAYS FOUNDATION
HALL OF FAME
INDUCTION CEREMONY
MEET BRANIFF AIRWAYS FOUNDATION
HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
MS. BETTY GREEN
ATCHISON
Braniff Airways Foundation has selected four remarkable inductees as the next recipients of the Braniff Airways Foundation Hall of Fame Award for 2023.
BRANIFF 95th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION AND 2023 HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY SEPTEMBER 16, 2023
The induction ceremony will be held on Saturday, September 16, 2023, beginning at 2PM in the Auditorium at Frontiers of Flight Museum at Dallas Love Field. The awards event will be hosted by Braniff Airways Foundation Officer Collin Ice and Board Member David Preziosi and will feature special guests and exciting entertainment. A special tribute video will be presented and an interview will be conducted to honor each inductee's lifetime of achievements and a special engraved plaque will be given to the inductee and/or their family from Braniff Airways Foundation's Board of Directors. Special entertainment from the United Dance Academy of Dallas will honor Braniff's 75th Anniversary of Service to Latin America.
Please mark your calendars for this Christmastime special event: On December 3, 2023, each of the recipients and their families will be honored in person at the annual Braniff Christmas Party, which will be held at Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas, Texas, beginning at 11AM.
MEET THE INDUCTEES
Over the coming weeks prior to the induction ceremony, we will feature a special “Meet the Inductee…” to personally and posthumously introduce each inductee and their families. Our third inductee featured this week is Ms. Betty Green Atchison. Enjoy the introduction below….
MEET INDUCTEE MS. BETTY GREEN ATCHISON
Betty Green Atchison (Formerly Betty Green Bateman)
Betty Louise Green born August 24, 1937
I am the only child of Charlotte Louise Myers and Richard Somers Green. My parents met in Miami Florida when both of their families were vacationing for the winter. They dated for two winters in Miami and married in Ashville, NC on November 29th ,1935.
In December 1935 they moved to one of the New Jersey farmhouses located in Pedricktown. While in New Jersey my dad and his friend from Drexel, NJ rebuilt a crashed two engine airplane so they could fly it and build up their multi- engine hours to apply to be a pilot with an airline. This was my introduction to the world of aviation.
My father, Richard Green, was hired by National Airline, out of Florida, He was flying co- pilot on National when he had a layover in New York. He went to American Airlines Hangar Office of C.R. Smith and asked if they were hiring. Evidentially, they had a good meeting as he was hired by C.R. C.R. told him to go back to Miami (gather up your wife and little girl and drive back to NY to start pilot training on a DC-3 in two days). He completed training and was based in New York. My education has been from New York, Teeneese, Texas, and Oklahoma as my dad always bid a base where he could fly better trips.
Betty Atchison’s Education located in American Airline Pilot Bases
1. New Jersey - Kindergarten
2. New York- First and second grade
3. Memphis, Tennessee – 3rd-5th grades
4. New York- 6th grade.
5. Falls Church, Virgina – 7th, 8th, 9th Washington D.C.
6. Dallas – 10th, 11th, 12th grade (Hillcrest)
7. SMU- 1st semester
8. University of Tulsa- finished January of 1959 BA
After graduation
January of 1959 was hired by Lone Star Gas as a Home Economist. I was responsible for 5 Locations that had kitchen and office space these included Garland, Richardson, Famers Branch, Carrollton, and Plano. Left the day I started with Braniff.
I interviewed with Braniff and was set up for flight attendant classes. I graduated in August of 1959. My time at Braniff lasted from August 1959, to December of 1989. 30 years were the best 30 years of service anyone could ever want.
I married Wayne Bateman and was fired 1 yr later. I started the case to be re-instated the day I was fired. It was a year later that I was re-instated without any backpay but with my seniority. In that year we went through all contract issues as directed by Judge Davidson of Dallas. Arbitration was completed by Judge Grey from Oklahoma City, and I returned to flying.
I have so many fond memories when I look back on 30 years of being a Braniff Flight Attendant, I only wish I had a camera with me on each flight. As time passes, the memories of the many trips and wonderful people make me proud to be a part of the Braniff family.
During my employment with the airline, I was both a flight attendant and the New Route International coordinator. Evelynn Eubanks and I would spend weeks preparing for the arrival of the first flight to each city. We coordinated with local governments, the airport and other governing agencies. During this time Braniff became an international carrier with flights to Amsterdam, London, Brussels, and Frankfort, Guam, Seoul, Singapore, Hong Kong.
These were truly magical times to be at Braniff. When in Singapore, Evelynn and I walked each morning to the Braniff office. One morning when the city bus pulled up, out popped a man with a basket on his head and a rug under his arm. He threw down the rug and sat the basket on top, then began to play his flute. The basket was opened and out came a cobra. Needless to say we used the back entrance from that time on.
The beginning at Braniff:
Jean Duncan was one of the several great ladies that taught my flight attendant classes at the Braniff Maintenance Base in Love Field. My class began in the summer of 1959 while staying at the Melrose Hotel. Jean was first a great instructor and later became a trusted friend. Jean quit teaching and returned to flying after Braniff started flying B747 flights to Hawaii. Jean and I flew together to Honolulu for many months after and visited all the great restaurants on that island. These are some of my most fond memories.
Operation Baby Lift:
I was on maternity leave during the time Braniff participated in Operation Baby Lift. Braniff was flying B747 to and from Honolulu, Hawaii. Anne Costen (base manager) called and asked me to bring my 2 teenage kids along with her daughter Cindy to fly to Honolulu that day. Pan American Airways flight attendants were bringing 12 orphan children to Honolulu from Hong Kong.
We met the Pan Am flight attendants who briefed us on the children, and we began our flight back to DFW. This was the beginning of Operation Baby Lift. Every domestic airline participated in the program. Babies were flown into California where Evelynn Eubanks of Braniff placed each child with an airline employee. During this time I was working from home coordinating with every domestic US airline. In the end the airlines provided free transportation for the children and accompanying airline employees.
Timeline:
AUGUST 1959-DECEMBER 1989 BRANIFF INTERNATIONAL AIRWAYS, DALLAS
Director of In-Flight Administration & Flight Attendant
· Flight Attendant
· Instructor - Wrote and taught initial and recurrent training manuals for each airplane.
· International Coordinator – set up arrival and departure paperwork, hotel and lodging, transportation.
· Base Manager DFW, MKC - managed up to sixteen supervisors and over 1200 Flight Attendants. I was also responsible for a budget of $54,000,000 - $64,000,000, depending on base and staff levels. Also served as Base Manager, Atlantic Military Operation
· Authored International Manual for Flight Attendants
· Contract Negotiator for Union
· Member of Four Man Board under direction of the National Mediation Board.
EDUCATION: University of Tulsa, Bachelor of Arts Degree and Southern Methodist University
Tarrant County Junior College, Real Estate Curriculum
FAMILY:
Son Richard Atchison, Wife Kristin, Grandchildren – Richard Jr., Andrew, Abigail, Jacob & Caleb
Son Scott Atchison, Wife Katherine, Granddaughter - Ava
A special Learn about Braniff event!
Braniff Airways Foundation Hall of Fame
www.braniffinternational.com
www.braniffboutique.com
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