Earn your wings.

Walking briskly across the tarmac in 35° C weather the flight attendant can only smile as she thinks about the cold weather back home. At this temperature, along with the humidity, nothing but air conditioning can counteract the heat. Travelling across the globe working on a charter business jet this almost tropical stop is short but others aren't far away.

"It's a pretty nice way to see the world," explains Libby Walters, flight attendant with Sunwest Home Aviation, about working aboard the 12-seat Falcon 900 jet. "It's like a home away from home. Once you fly that way it's hard to go back to cattle class." Working for a smaller airline means Walter's roles are similar to those of flight attendants on larger commercial planes but on a different scale.

"The flying public can be difficult at times," she said, empathising with her commercial airline counterparts. "We don't see that because we don't have the volume or the cross-section of people they do. We fly mostly VPs or boards of directors. For the most part my day is pleasant." Just how pleasurable a flight can be depends on Walters performing her duties well.

For a typical flight departing Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. and returning later that evening her work begins at least one day prior. On Monday she will have contacted a couple of catering companies ensuring a breakfast meal is ready for departure and another hot meal is ordered for the flight home. With those details in order, Tuesday's work begins about one-and-a-half hours before departure.

"I'll be at the airport by 6 a.m. and make sure the plane is ready to go, the coffee is made and the catering is there," Walters said. With everything in place she'll deal with any questions passengers have while boarding and then begin her in-flight duties once the plane takes flight. "Your air routine is 'are they fed and watered and comfortable?'"

Arriving at the desired destination, Walters' work doesn't end. She will make sure meals and any other required items are ready for the flight home. The group booking the plane will give Sunwest an estimated time of departure but depending on how things transpire, that time may be earlier or later. "We'll wait around the airport 'til they want to depart," Walters said. "We've got to be ready to leave when they're ready to go. They never have to wait. That's the bottom line."

Most airports have flight crew lounges allowing Walters and the pilots to relax and watch movies or play pool. If they know they'll have some time to wait, often a crew vehicle can be arranged and Walters and others will have time to see some local sites and stop off for lunch.

These perks come as a bonus to Walters who first began her flight attendant career with another airline about a year-and-a-half ago. Her pilot-husband mentioned an airline was looking to hire a part-time flight attendant. "I was working on the ski hill part-time and they needed somebody to fly part-time," Walters said of using her network of family and friends to find this new career. "I applied and they hired me. I was in the right place at the right time."

After being hired Walters underwent a week of intensive training and wrote exams to become certified by Transport Canada. She also had to ensure she had first aid skills and had completed a flight safety course. With that under her belt she's now flown to places such as Spain, Italy, South America and all over the U.S.

Currently flying 10 to 15 days a month, Walters said flight attendants for smaller airlines can count on being busy and using a multitude of skills. "You have to be reasonably laid back," she said. "When you work, you work hard. Normally, if you've got a full load it's a busy flight. (And) it doesn't matter if you don't feel well or have a headache, you have to know this is the deal and you can't call in sick." She said those who are outgoing, able to be assertive if needed and those able to think on their feet and adapt to various situations will do well at the career.

But, she admits, working for a smaller airline means the number of job opportunities are limited, especially in Canada with its small population. "It's like a lot of things," Walters said. "A lot of times you have to be in the right place at the right time. It's not prevalent. Positions are few and far between."