Skip to main content

Archives at The Museum of Flight


Diane K. Abbott Delta Airlines Flight Attendant Collection

 Collection
Identifier: 2024-10-14

Contents of the Collection

The Diane K. Abbott Delta Airlines Flight Attendant Collection primarily contains textual materials, such as training documents, policies and procedures, and internal correspondence that pertain to Abbott's 1987-2014 service as a flight attendant with Delta Air Lines. The collection has been divided into two series, Personal and Professional, and is arranged chronologically.

The Personal series is quite small and includes a daily planner and a notebook with a handful of reminders, clippings about jobs, and photocopies of inspirational quotes. Of note in this series are the materials related to Abbott's artistic endeavors, including brochures for workshops, art shows, and her artist biographical sketch. There is also an original 8x8-inch watercolor of flowers, likely done by Abbott. A small amount of ephemera is also present and includes a postcard for fictional airline, Starbrook Airlines (developed to help sell Belgian chocolate); a pen-and-ink drawing of an interior view of aircraft seats with duck passengers (artist name illegible); and a boarding pass for White Star Line's R.M.S. Titanic.

The bulk and strength of the collection are the training materials located in the Professional series. These include annual study guides for flight attendant requalification and recertification, aircraft specific trainings, such as for the Boeing Model 777; test review guides, and Abbott's study notes, many of which are written on the training materials and study guides but also includes loose sheets and three notebooks. Additional materials include internal correspondence, employee benefit information, bid scheduling documents, and in-flight policy and procedure memos and checklists. There is also a 2006-2007 Delta Air Lines style book for both male and female uniforms. Some materials are specific to Abbott as an employee and include an undated crew flight log, her Delta Air Lines business card, several Honor Roll memos for excellent service, and printouts of her schedule bids. An America West Airlines cockpit control study sheet is also included and has been annotated, possibly by Abbott.

Dates

  • Creation: 1983-2018

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research and is accessible in the Dahlberg Research Center by appointment. For more information contact us.

Conditions Governing Use

The Museum of Flight (TMOF) Archives is the owner of the physical materials in the archives and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from TMOF archives before any publication use. TMOF does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners. Consult repository for more details.

Biographical Note: Diane K. Abbott

Diane K. Abbott (1949-2022) was a flight attendant for 29 years and flew with Delta Airlines and Western Airlines.

Diane Karol Abbott was born on January 15, 1949 in Chicago, Illinois. At some point, she relocated to California. In 1972, she graduated from California State University, Chico with a BA in Fine Arts. That same year, she also attended flight attendant training school. Before Abbott became a flight attendant, she worked a variety of jobs, including as an artist, office manager, and receptionist.

In 1984, she began her flight attendant career with West Air/United Express out of Chico, California. In 1985 she joined Western Airlines. In 1986 she took a brief leave of absence from Western to help create the In-Flight Department for Royal West Airlines. In 1987 Delta Air lines acquired Western Airlines and Abbott transitioned with the merger into a Delta flight attendant. She remained with Delta until 2014, when a stroke ended her flight attendant career. As a flight attendant, she served on the Douglas DC-10, the Boeing Model 777, and Lockheed L-1011, among others.

On July 17, 1987, she married Bruce E. Shuey in Las Vegas, Nevada. In addition to her flight attendant career, Abbott was a well-known local artist in the Fresno and Paradise areas of California. She worked primarily in watercolor, acrylic, and collage with her art on display in local West Coast galleries. She also taught children's art classes at Paradise Elementary School and the Paradise Art Center. Abbott was a member of the San Joaquin Chapter of the Society of Western Artists and Artquest International. Diane K. Abbott passed away on December 8, 2022 in Fresno, California.

Biography derived from donor information, collection materials, and records on Ancestry.com.

Full Extent

1.35 Cubic Feet (2 5-inch letter size document boxes, 1 2-inch letter size document box, 1 oversize folder (35x47"))

Language

English

Accruals

No further accruals are expected.

Separated Materials

The following item have been separated from the archival component and are kept in the Library:

  • Delta Announcement Handbook Revision 4-12, 12/1/2012
  • Delta Benefits Manual, 1992
  • Delta Continuing Qualification Book 2018-2019
  • Delta CQ Study Guide, Version 2, 2012; Version 2.1, March 2014; and Version 3.0, 2013
  • Delta Flight Attendant Announcement Book, 4/1/2011, 7/1/2011, 9/10/2011
  • Delta Flight Attendant Work Rules Operations Summary, 2008
  • Delta In-Flight Announcements, 2007
  • Delta In-Flight Service Handbook, 1988
  • Delta In-Flight Service Handbook revision, 1999
  • Delta In Flight newsletters, March 1987, October 1989, February 1990
  • Evacuation Preparation Checklist, undated
  • Prelude Nokia Lumia 820 User Guide
  • Runway, The Design Issue, November 2015


Additional materials were separated. A 1994 Delta quarterly report is kept in Trade Literature and several items are housed in the Commercial Airlines collection, including Delta "do not disturb" stickers, SkyMiles credit card application materials and SkyMiles brochures. A number of items are kept in Objects storage, including two "puka pouches" and Delta flight attendant uniform pieces, such as serving aprons, black flats, a purse, blouses, pants, and jackets. Please inquire for additional details.

Subject

Title
Guide to the Diane K. Abbott Delta Airlines Flight Attendant Collection
Status
Completed Level 2
Author
Jenn Parent
Date
2025 July
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Edition statement
1st Edition

Repository Details

Part of the The Museum of Flight Archives Repository

Contact:
9404 East Marginal Way South
Seattle Washington 98108-4097
206-764-5874


The Museum of Flight | 9404 E. Marginal Way South | Seattle WA 98108-4097 | 206-764-5874
Contact us with a research request
curator@museumofflight.org