Airbus Girl nice to have some facts in this thread, for a change...
Have noted that during the last decade the gender gap in aviation has closed somewhat, which is really encouraging. Especially the younger generation men are getting more comfortable about sharing their work environment with women.
Guess that as the number of female pilots is increasing, there will be all kinds present: Also the very few who habitually resort to tears for "problem-solving". Why, in another 20 yrs one doing that would be told brusquely to pull herself together and continue, or better yet may have learned this by ample exposure to the male environment. Guys responding to tears in the old-fashioned way also show that they have a few miles to go... Evolution takes time, dear gentlemen. Stay tuned.
In the earlier ages (60-70'ies) maybe the conduct of female pilots had to be strictly professional in order to get them somewhere or maybe other types of women were attracted to flying than today's (actual interest in aviation, not just "another job"). Believe that most of us more easily notice/remember a gal goofing on a sim-check etc than when a guy does, because they are few so they draw attention.
I remember the days when men had all kinds of hilarious reasons for women not being suitable for flying positions. (One old airline captain assured me that the only skirt he'd ever see in his cockpit would be the stew serving them coffee
) Then, after gals had been around for a while and I reminded the guys of their previous statements, those very ones had gotten used to the phenomenon and could no longer see "the problem". Nice.
Men are somewhat primitive beings. I do enjoy/envy that as expressed in old PC lingo: WYSIWYG. Wish more women were able to adopt some of that attitude, thus simplify their acts a wee bit for the benefit of all. MOST women could use some more ambition plus sharper elbows, and tone down their nurturing instinct. (Of course, in here I'm only addressing the typical extremes of either gender, who are most visible.) Believe any unbiased pilots will accept female colleagues (or coloured) if they can perform the task at hand.
Bamse01 Check the grammar, it shows that I was referring to an airline in America, not AA. Think it was on the West Coast, late 70'ies. If I ever retrieve the clip (probably in a box of memorabilia in the basement), I'll scan it. Believe Alaska Airlines pioneered by getting their first female pilot around the mid-70'ies. Don't know which one was first.
Teddy R you're right that the "glass ceiling" is definitely a sad fact. Not so much about ill-will, more due to the genders having different codes of speech and conduct. This alienation will improve slowly but surely, as modern kids are allowed to share the same environments and grow used to each other. There's hope.
Basil thanks for giving us a female bosun on a tall ship. Impressive. Wonder if she would have got there 30-40 yrs ago
Any other examples out there?
Rananim Do believe your story about those female pax: Men tend to lean back and reckon the airline vouch for the competence of their pilots. Alas there were sooo many better female pilots than Amelia in those early days! (Guess you have to die to make the headlines forever after.) Check Beryl Markham and others who made it on their own by actual virtue, then lived to ripe old age.
Flystudent "quotas" are indeed a sore spot. Must admit though, that even if they seem unfair to some and often are enforced in a clumsy way, they do serve a purpose. Women are not a minority (about 50% of the population). Africans are not a minority on their own continent. Most 3rd world (?) airlines have programmes to get their natives into the cockpit. Of course, white western males have been in command of the aviation business since the very start, so that most of us are led to believe they're the only species who can fly an aircraft. Give the rest equal time to catch up, then take stock!
Maxalt Won't write off your "information" completely, although it may be somewhat distorted after being processed via your personal filter. We all know that men are known to use any means to obtain their goals, never mind whose job they take, so whose legs are you trying to pull? Better luck in the previous century, dear.
Keep up the good work, an' spill your guts, guys & gals!
