First woman pilot.

[RiskyRossco]

This day in history, 1910. Baroness de Laroche of Paris becomes the first licensed female pilot. Apparently.
Less than 100 years have passed and I wonder what the ratio of men-to-women pilots/aircrew is today.

If any women pilots care to share, what inspired you to don a headset and soar with the other birds?
;)

[fernytickles]

Seeing as how you ask, the glamorous early starts, the big watches and the oil :ok:

Actually, it was a combination of seeing the movie Air America and a strong belief that we only have this one chance at life, so regretting never having tried something when lying on your deathbed is too late.

No regrets so far :)

[breakscrew]

Research shows that women make up approx 3% of aircrew in the UK (but rising) both mil and civ, and about 8% of all aircrew in the US, but much less than 3% anywhere else in the world.
Couldn't tell you what made my daughter take up flying; maybe some of my enthusiasm rubbed off..... :hmm:

[Localiser Green]

CAA data shows that at 31/03/2004:

3.0% of ATPL (A) holders were female
6.1% of CPL (A) holders were female
6.2% of PPL (A) holders were female

However there is a big difference when you look at age groups, with 6.0% of ATPL (A) holders aged 35 or younger being female, twice the overall average. Less than 1% of ATPL (A) holders aged 50 or over are female.

Nearly 1 in 10 (9.7%) of PPL (A) holders under 25 are female.

[RiskyRossco]

Well, you live and learn.
Cheers for the sitrep, peeps. I wuz truly int'rest'd. :ok:

[barit1]

Marginally related -

During WWII there was a American womens' noncombat group called WASP (Womens' AirForce Service Pilots), of which much has been written and one or two videos produced. Their web site is http://www.wasp-wwii.org/

My father was a flight instructor (AT-6 Texans mostly) in this program.
Dad passed on two years ago, having maintained his CPL and medical for seven full decades of flying (from age 20 to 90). Is that some kind of record?

[Genghis the Engineer]

Brits will I'm sure be aware of this, but the UK had a similar group called the Air Transport Auxilliary

G

[Capt. Tango]

I have been very lucky and have flown with 6 female F/O's and 2 female Captains..... on A320/737/757's... All brilliant....

[RiskyRossco]

Have three episodes of "Reach For The Skies" on VHS, one on GA. Used as a profile was a 747 capt called Lyn Ricklemeyer or Stickelmeyer, or s/thing-Meyer/Meier.
The show was produced in the late 80s so she's probably retired or instructing s/where by now.
My question is: does anybody have any memories of a FO or left-seat with similar name? I've been curious where her career went from there.

Cheers. This might do better on another forum, I know but it fits with the theme.
:O

[Nardi Riviera]

Here she is (and many others): http://www.airodyssey.net/articles/women.html

Localizer Green, thank you very much for those numbers. Gives a better perspective.

Edit:
I'll throw in a good one while we're at it: http://www.boeing.com/commercial/news/feature/pilots.html

[RiskyRossco]

Well, thank you beaucoup, Nardi.
:ok:
That was certainly a timewarp! I didn't know Lynn was CC initally.

[AerBabe]

I watched Top Gun at a young, impressionable, age and decided to join the RAF. Unfortunately, I then realised I couldn't join as a pilot for medical reasons. I dropped lots of hints about trial lessons for my birthday, but no-one did anything about it. So, on my 22nd, I paid for myself to go up. I was hooked and it was just a matter of saving up enough money to go back and get my PPL.

[sucksqueezeBANGstop]

I started flying after my best mate died, and like ferny I decided to get on with it as life is short and we only get one take.

But it was on the cards since I was a little 'un. Live under many military flight corridors and from the age of about eight I could tell the difference between a Tornado GR1/F3 and an F111, which I think is quite impressive! :) Have always been obsessed with the sky and flying so it was a natural progression.

At my two flying clubs there are about 10 or so women, which probably isn't a lot, but seems to be more than you find at most places. And none of us tire of the 'parking' jokes :rolleyes: