It May Be A Firing Offense In The Cockpit, But Not In The Cabin

Remember those Southwest Airlines pilots we told you about last weekend (ANN: "Flyin' Natural," April 26, 2003), the ones who were fired because they were flying virtually naked? Well, what's good for the goose isn't necessarily good for the gander. It apparently depends on your seat assignment.

Naked To Cancun

"A nudist never met a stranger," said Donna Daniels, co-owner of the Houston-based Castaways  and an in-the-buff traveler on Saturday's flight. ``These are professionals who lead very stressful lives and are ready to let it all go. They are adventurers and risk takers. They don't even want clothes as a constraint, " she said in an interview with The Miami Herald.

The charter was heading for Cancun when it took off over the weekend. Most of the passengers will spend a week at the El Dorado Resort and Spa for "nude week."

Once the chartered Boeing 727 got up to cruising altitude, the 87 passengers bared all. The crew - including those in the cockpit - however, remained clothed.

"How exciting. We're making history," said New Orleans resident Bob Hannaford in a Herald interview. Hannaford was joined on the flight by his wife Tess. ``This will be really interesting. We once drove across the country in an RV naked. But this tops that."

Well, yeah.

New Way To Feel Safe?

Think about it. If you're naked, where will you hide a weapon? Ms. Daniels says, this could be a whole new trend in commercial aviation. "After 9/11, I didn't have any cancellations," she said. "Even after war broke out, we didn't have any cancellations on this trip. People feel safe on a flight like this."

FMI: www.castawaystravel.com