Getting naked in the air

naked-air-022
Originally uploaded by Banamine.

Is flying better in the buff?


There's a case to be made for it, in this era of security fears. If passengers and crew got naked when they stepped on a plane, we wouldn't ever have to worry about armed hijackers.


I don't seem to be alone in thinking about nude flights. A couple of episodes in the past two weeks have called new attention to nudity on planes ” and, in my opinion, the possible benefits of being bare in the air.


Castaway Travel in Spring, Texas sold more than 80 seats on a charter jet that flew Saturday from Miami to Cancun. The agency dubbed the charter "Naked-Air." Their slogan: "Fly nakedÖfly nudeÖ.fly in the buff."Talk about traveling light! passengers were allowed to take off all their clothes. The pilots& flight attendants nude. For safety's sake, no coffee, tea or any other flesh-destroying hot beverages were served. Thankfully, passengers followed proper nude etiquette by sitting on towels when undressed.The nude flight comes only a week after USA TODAY disclosed that a Southwest Airlines pilot and co-pilot, embracing the Naked-Air credo long before the Saturday's flight, were fired in April for "inappropriate behavior." They're accused of doffing their uniforms in the cockpit and flying fully or nearly nude.Like, where were they going to pin their little gold wings? On a thick mat of chest hair? It's no wonder passengers are told not to congregate near the cockpit door. They might try to peek in.But what if they did? Those pilots have nothing to be ashamed of. Some suggest that nudity on planes is an idea whose time has come."If I were a passenger on a flight, and they said the pilots were flying nude, I would say ëGo for it!'," says Carolyn Hawkins, spokeswoman for the American Association for Nude Recreation. "It would tell me they want to be very free and relaxed when they are flying the plane."Southwest is, after all, the airline that advertises that it wants people to feel "free to move about the country."Naked passengers and crew would make terrorist fears a thing of the past. Who would ever take a nude hijacker seriously? There's no place to conceal a concealed weapon anyway. And airport security lines would evaporate, as passengers skipped through metal detectors in their birthday suits.Air rage? When people literally let down their pants, they figuratively let down their hair. Suddenly, the aircraft cabin becomes a more relaxed place. About the only complaint passengers might have is keeping those restrictive seat belts fastened."One good thing about being with a bunch of nude people is you know the person from within," Hawkins says. "You wouldn't be able to tell whether your fellow passenger is rich or is poor. You would, however, be able to tell if they had their gall bladder removed."Getting naked on planes isn't a new thing. The Mile High Club, the fraternity of airborne lovemakers, still gets a steady stream of new recruits, judging from the tales recounted on the milehighclub.com Web site. Whether it's the backseat of a Cessna 172 or the lavatory of a Boeing 757, these swingers have never had any inhibitions about shedding their togs for a few moments of unbridled lust.Sure, I recognize that the more inhibited might take some time to get used to the idea of flying nude. Until then, airlines can help people relax by screening comedies in flight. I'd recommend The Naked Gun.