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MIKE MCINTYRE \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
Joanne Prescott and David and Sandy Herfst are the cabin crew this season for the Winnipeg Jets, while Kevin Polonuk ensure\u2019s the entire operation runs smoothly, doing the literal heavy lifting of packing the club\u2019s equipment before every flight. From left: (front row) Joanne Prescott, Kevin Polonuk, (back row) Sandy Herfst, David Herfst.<\/p>\n
The Free Press sat down with the organization\u2019s dedicated flight crew this week for a unique peek behind the curtain \u2014 talking tricks of the trade, the chaotic post-game race from rink to airport, loading 2,500 kilograms of hockey gear in the blink of an eye, charter cuisine, card games at 35,000 feet, and the family atmosphere that develops over time.<\/p>\n
The plane can be a place of raucous celebration. Or of quiet reflection. Truth be told, there\u2019s been far more of the latter this season given what\u2019s happened on the ice.<\/p>\n
Regardless of the result, the aircraft often becomes a sanctuary for a pro athlete \u2014 a space to bond with teammates, binge a Netflix series, or escape a scoring slump for a few hours.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou talk about safe places where you can kind of hang out and be yourself. The dressing room is one, but the plane is another,\u201d said Jets captain Adam Lowry.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou talk about safe places where you can kind of hang out and be yourself. The dressing room is one, but the plane is another.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s where Air Canada and its JETZ program \u2014 a coincidence in name, given it launched a decade before the Jets 2.0 were born \u2014 comes in.<\/p>\n
All seven Canadian teams use the service, as do four American clubs: Buffalo, Colorado, Dallas and Seattle. They share four modified A320s that have had all economy seating removed, leaving just 70 business-class seats, and even a pair of card tables at the very back.<\/p>\n
The aircraft are shuffled around North America like puzzle pieces, lining up with each team\u2019s schedule. Occasionally, planes from the main fleet are pulled into emergency service to lighten the load, such as a wild day last week when all 11 client teams were on the road simultaneously.<\/p>\n
The pilots change constantly. The cabin crew does not. Three Air Canada flight attendants who undergo a rigorous screening and qualification process are assigned to each hockey team for the entire season.<\/p>\n
In that sense, they become an extension of the team, spending 90 to 120 days together from September through April \u2014 and potentially into May or June if they can get hot at playoff time. Many come back every second year as part of a contracted rotation to avoid burnout.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be able to build a relationship with the staff on the plane and to have them every trip, it\u2019s great,\u201d said Lowry.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey do such a good job of taking care of us. Just making sure you\u2019re comfortable and making sure you have everything you need. They\u2019ve always got big smiles on their face. There\u2019s a lot of things that go on behind the scenes that make an NHL operation. I think they\u2019re one of the pieces that goes unnoticed or unrecognized.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was love at first flight for David and Sandy Herfst. The married couple met in 1998 while working for a now-defunct airline and have been travelling the world together ever since.<\/p>\n
David joined JETZ when it launched in 2001, first working with the Toronto Maple Leafs and then the Montreal Canadiens. But when the NHL returned to Winnipeg in 2011, the hometown boy jumped at the chance to watch the new team spread its wings.<\/p>\n
Sandy joined him in 2013, and they\u2019ve now spent every second season ensuring Jets players, coaches, management, broadcasters and support staff are buckled in and aware of the emergency exits.<\/p>\n
In reality, their role entails far more than safety demonstrations.<\/p>\n
They arrive at the plane three hours before departure, preparing roughly 70 meals \u2014 they always order extras for the travelling party of about 50. They often pick up the food themselves, though some restaurants deliver.<\/p>\n
They have three or four reliable spots in all 32 NHL cities, usually consulting with the Jets ahead of time<\/p>\n
\u201cIn general they want a beef, a chicken and a fish option. And a salad,\u201d said Sandy.<\/p>\n
They have a set budget, which means lobster and caviar is not on the menu. But the food is high-quality, with extra-large protein portions to reflect the needs of athletes.<\/p>\n
Getting the food right requires finesse.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of tricks we employ when we\u2019re ordering food,\u201d said David. Under-cooking pasta so it can be finished in the galley. Blanching vegetables. Getting steaks cooked only rare, then bringing them up to medium using the convection oven.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had restaurants flat-out say we\u2019re not interested, and that\u2019s simply because we\u2019re taking their product and moving it off-site, so now they have no quality control,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Food poisoning is the worst fear. Montreal went through it once \u2014 not on a JETZ flight \u2014 and now everything is plastic-wrapped, checked, double-checked.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t JOHN WOODS \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES<\/p>\n Winnipeg Jets captain Adam Lowry said the crew takes such good care of the team, and out of all the things that go on behind the scenes in an NHL operation, \u2018they\u2019re one of the pieces that goes unnoticed or unrecognized.\u2019<\/p>\n Forget bags of tiny pretzels \u2014 dessert often includes fresh-baked cookies and ice cream, and every player\u2019s birthday is marked with a cupcake waiting at their seat.<\/p>\n Despite their unique vantage point, the couple were never huge hockey fans.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I have learned to appreciate what it takes to become an NHL player,\u201d said Sandy. \u201cThe sacrifices they make for their career. And what goes into it. It\u2019s special. Those guys are all special.\u201d<\/p>\n Their relationships extend beyond players to their families, especially during the annual mom and dad trips. They felt the loss last spring when Mark Scheifele\u2019s dad, Brad, passed away from cancer.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was a beautiful man,\u201d said Sandy.<\/p>\n She\u2019s enjoyed watching players like Lowry and Scheifele grow from fresh-faced kids into grizzled veterans, particularly on a Jets team that\u2019s kept so much of its core intact.<\/p>\n One of their favourite memories involves Dustin Byfuglien, who thought he\u2019d cracked a mystery years ago. They hadn\u2019t advertised their relationship but were clearly giving off subtle signs.<\/p>\n One day, Byfuglien confronted them, revealing a theory the players had developed.<\/p>\n \u201cThey all thought we were having an affair,\u201d Sandy said, laughing. \u201cThey knew we were married \u2014 just not to each other.\u201d<\/p>\n A career highlight remains the night the Jets beat Nashville in Game 7 of the 2018 second round \u2014 a dramatic road win that led to quite the flight home.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was incredible. It was so much fun,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Still, boundaries matter. No photos. No videos.<\/p>\n \u201cI respect their privacy and their quiet time. And, of course, we want them to feel comfortable around us,\u201d said Sandy.<\/p>\n According to Lowry, they pass with flying colours.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve had Dave and Sandy now, I think this is my sixth time out of 12 years. You get to know them and you\u2019re always excited to see them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re super lucky to have both crews. I still talk to the crew we had last year. You develop those relationships, those jokes and that banter. They become part of the team.\u201d<\/p>\n Joanne Prescott jokingly refers to herself as Dave and Sandy\u2019s daughter \u2014 even though she\u2019s close to the same age. Given how close they work together, they truly have become family.<\/p>\n A 30-year Air Canada employee, the Winnipegger is now in her third tour with the Jets. She admits she\u2019s a lifelong sports nut, watching Jets 1.0 games as a kid and playing ringette growing up.<\/p>\n Does she ever get starstruck?<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a cool experience. But a professional line is drawn,\u201d she said. \u201cEven though you get to see behind-the-scenes, my role and responsibility is as a crew member. And what happens on the plane stays there. It has to stay there.\u201d<\/p>\n With her kids now in university, she has more flexibility to embrace the chaotic lifestyle. She estimates she spent just four nights in her own bed in November.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been a bit like Groundhog Day,\u201d she said of the relentless schedule.<\/p>\n One of the perks is getting a bit of downtime on the road to play tourist in cities they might not otherwise visit, especially on off days when there\u2019s no flight to prepare for. Whether it\u2019s going to a Madonna concert in Pittsburgh or a Dodgers game in Los Angeles, Prescott is always up for an adventure.<\/p>\n \u201cWe chose this life, and you have to have fun doing it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t MIKE MCINTYRE \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n The Winnipeg Jets\u2019 dedicated flight crew. From left: David Herfst, Sandy Herfst, Joanne Prescott, Kevin Polonuk.<\/p>\n \u201cWe chose this life, and you have to have fun doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n Prescott said she gets a kick out of how superstitious some players are. Whether it\u2019s eating the same type of food or wearing the same clothing when things are going well, she\u2019s seen it all.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a usual pecking order when it comes to the seating chart: Coaches and management sit at the front. Broadcasters behind them. Trainers in the middle. Younger players further back. Veterans in their familiar perches at the rear.<\/p>\n Some wear the result of a particular game on their faces, while others show no visible signs.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can never look at a game the same way once you get to know the players,\u201d said Prescott.<\/p>\n The crew can\u2019t do anything about what happens between the whistles, but they\u2019d like to think they play at least a tiny role.<\/p>\n And when they can beat the clock and land ahead of schedule \u2014 as they did this past Friday night going from Raleigh to Nashville \u2014 they can jokingly take credit when good things happen such as the Jets win over the Predators in Music City.<\/p>\n \u201cWe did it!\u201d said Prescott. \u201cIt\u2019s because we got them there 10 minutes early!\u201d<\/p>\n Last \u2014 but far from least \u2014 is Kevin Polonuk.<\/p>\n He is the operations rep for the Jets\u2013JETZ partnership and an Air Canada aircraft maintenance engineer since 1993. Unlike the flight attendants, he doesn\u2019t rotate out, and this is now his seventh season with his hometown team.<\/p>\n Polonuk ensures the entire operation runs smoothly, working closely with Jets director of team operations Chris Kreviazuk to map out every detail.<\/p>\n What nights are they flying out immediately after a game? When do they stay over \u2014 such as Wednesday in Montreal, with the Jets choosing to maximize rest during a stretch of six games in nine nights?<\/p>\n What hotels are booked? How does equipment move from A to B? And what happens when an emergency hits, such as earlier this month in Los Angeles, when the Jets took off for San Jose, reached the Pacific Ocean, and had to turn back due to a mechanical issue? Polonuk scrambled to secure another aircraft and transfer everything over.<\/p>\n Polonuk also does the literal heavy lifting, stacking 2,500 kilograms of team equipment into the belly of the plane before every flight with help from a handful of airport employees and Jets equipment personnel. Personal bags and staff luggage get loaded into the forward cargo.<\/p>\n \u201cOn a good day, we can get it all loaded in 12 minutes. Maybe 10.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s kind of like Tetris. If you don\u2019t get it right, it won\u2019t all fit,\u201d said Polonuk. \u201cSo we\u2019ve got an order everything goes in. On a good day, we can get it all loaded in 12 minutes. Maybe 10.\u201d<\/p>\n The Jets always aim to be wheels up exactly four hours after puck drop, which is quite remarkable given all that is involved. That leaves a window of about 90 minutes from final buzzer at the rink to rolling down the runway at the airport with everything \u2014 and everyone \u2014 on board.<\/p>\n Every second matters, especially when dealing with creatures-of-habit such as pro athletes.<\/p>\n Polonuk is a huge fan of the Jets and hockey in general. He is doing what he loves \u2014 and loves what he\u2019s doing.<\/p>\n \u201cNot many people have an opportunity to do something like this for a living,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are very, very fortunate.\u201d<\/p>\n winnipegfreepress.com\/mikemcintyre<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Mike McIntyre Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Mike produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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