The story of Hospitaller Nata with call sign “Krylata”

Nata, with call sign is “Krylata,” worked as a flight attendant for Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) for eight years.

She says that her ability to handle stress comes from those years. She even used to jokingly include it in her job CVs.

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As Nata says:

My friend “Kvitochka,” laughs and asks: “Is there any profession you haven't worked in?” “I've worked in accounting, in HR, and as a cook at a children's camp. But the longest I worked was as a flight attendant at UIA. By the time I left, I had become a senior flight attendant.”

“Krylata” joined Hospitallers in the summer of 2024, although she had already been a friend of Hospitallers and an active volunteer since the summer of 2022, including helping to rebuild the Kyiv base.

“My call sign isn't actually connected to my work in aviation, but to the fact that I have wings. I have a large tattoo of wings on my back. I got it back in 2017.”

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During her time with Hospitallers, “Krylata” has already completed more than 20 rotations. She works across all stages of evacuation, but feels most useful at stabilization points and in medevacs that transport the wounded to hospitals.

“For me, Hospitallers is an opportunity to be useful and to do something meaningful. I like working at stabilization points and transporting the wounded to hospitals the most. I recently also found out that we have medical evacuation aircraft.”

“The scariest experience for me was during my first rotation in the Kherson region. It sounds funny now, but water is my fear. There was a situation where we had to drive our vehicle onto a ferry and cross the river that way. It was all happening at night. It was dark, our headlights were off, and we were wearing full protective gear. I realized that if something happened, escaping from the vehicle while wearing all that equipment would be almost impossible.”

Her work has been recognized with the “For Saving Lives” and “For Exemplary Service” awards, a Certificate of Merit from the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

“Most often, I work as the senior member of the crew, and of course, the crew's safety comes first for me. The lives of the crew, and then the lives of the wounded.I'm usually the person who keeps asking the doctors questions during rotations: ‘Can we give them something to eat? Something to drink?’ We provide a change of clothes and slippers to make waiting for evacuation more comfortable. I'll do everything I can for the wounded person's comfort, but only after the crew is safe.”

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“I have another thought. When astronauts return from the ISS, they spend some time living in a rehabilitation and readaptation center. They gradually get used to everyday life again.I understand that most of us need something similar, because after long rotations, switching back to civilian life becomes increasingly difficult. So, after victory, I would like to work in a place like that.”

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