DC3 story from years gone by
I remember this as a story in Australian Aviation years ago so credit where credit's due and all that.
Apparently DC3's had a hydraulic pump handle in the space behind the cockpit that was redundant unless the pipes were configured (for emergency gear down maybe?) anyway this flight attendant on her first shift was sent to the cockpit and was surprised to see her co-worker busy pumping the handle for all it was worth. She was then directed to continue the pumping (I don't remember what the supposed function of the pump was, perhaps supplying hydraulic power or as a standby generator??) and was nearly dropping from exhaustion when the crew took pity on her and told her it was a setup. She was not amused as she had put in a superhuman effort into ensuring that the plane kept flying through her efforts alone.