The crew manager droned on ... 'You are now ready to become a crew member in an enviable and very unique job that not only will take you to places you could only dream of, but you will see funny, sad, surprising, unbelievable, incredible, stupid and fascinating things of life in your travels.'

Brian Leary's amusing, touching and sometimes shocking tales show just how prescient the crew manager was.

"This truly was an emergency. If we did not get these kids into the air-conditioned aircraft immediately and give them fluids and medication, we were going to lose them. Each of us carried a shoebox with the precious contents, and led the children who could walk into the aircraft, like pied pipers."