En route Manila to Hong Kong at night in an Air Nauru 737-200 circa 1977 Maybe 50 passengers aboard and four shy Pacific islander air hostesses. Terrible storms rent the sky - savage side ways gusts hit the 737 with hammer blows (horizontal vortices between storm clouds which I was trying to steer between). Screams from some passengers and I couldn't blame them, either. Copilot a bit white between the gills and me putting on a stern face but in reality real tensed up inside. Broke through the storms into clear night air leaving a maelstrom behind us. Even a Cathay 747 had sent out a Mayday that he was in violent turbulence.
Captain (self) desperately needs a leak and hands over to copilot.
Donning my captain's hat - disappears into front loo, to reappear in a minute to walk down length of cabin to smile confidently to frightened pax and give them the confidence of seeing this 5 ft 4 ins of handsome captain with four gold stripes nodding and smiling to each one of them. In those days the captain toured the cabin.
Feel six feet tall as I see their now relaxed faces. Arrive at second last row to smile down at little old English lady who beckons me over to whisper something in my ear.
I bend down to reassure her that she is in safe hands and she says in a loud whisper, heard by all around including shy hostesses, "Captain - I hope you don't mind me saying so, but your flies are undone!". My embarrassment knew no bounds made worse by the muffled giggling of the youngest hostess.