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Welcome aboard.
You’ve stepped into my cabin.
No upgrades, no business class, no velvet ropes.
Just stories—some already shared, some still taxiing at the gate.
Find a seat. The crew seat’s free.
Fasten your seatbelt.
We’re cleared for takeoff.
FastenYourSeatBelt is a home for the stories that never made it into the in-flight magazine
—
The mishaps, the magic, the quiet truths from 35 years of flying.
Created by Purnima Sadhana, a former Indian Airlines air hostess,
this isn’t just a blog.
It’s a habit —
of remembering, retelling, and revealing what really happens behind the galley curtain.
If you’ve ever flown, waited, waved, or simply wondered —
there’s a seat here for you here.
The Overhead Bin
Photos, roster sheets, crew badges, love letters, boarding passes...
This is the random stash of memories we didn’t know where else to put.
Just like real aviation life: nothing ever fits perfectly, but somehow it works.
Galley Notes
Things said. Unsaid. Overheard. Remembered.
GALLEY notes
Whispers from the aisle. Things said, unsaid, overheard, and quietly remembered —
between service rounds, seatbelt signs, and lifetimes in uniform.
"A lady packed parathas and asked if we had pickle onboard. I said, ‘We are the pickle.’”
They said, “You're so lucky to fly for free.”
And I wanted to say —
“Show me one thing in this life that came without a cost.”
"The lavatory has seen love stories, crying babies, broken heels, and breakdowns.
It’s also where I once took 30 seconds to cry in peace.
Then wiped my face, fixed my pallu, and walked out smiling."
“I once paged ‘Captain Sweetheart’ instead of ‘Captain Sinha’. Never lived that one down.”
Some memories stay with you.
These are a few of mine. Got one of yours?
You can share yours by filling out the form below.