I do hope that this will be taken in the right spirit (bodes well doesn't it...), but my recollection is that the first time I encountered female pilots or instructors, I was surprised, but only because they were/are such a rarity. Similar to bird spotters travelling hundreds of miles to see a lesser spotted dingle dangle, it doesn't make the individual in question any better or worse in any category, just a rarity, which warrants attention.
I'm also surprised as flying is one of those subjects that attracts males because of the kudos, gadgets and boasting opportunities it presents. Most of the women I know aren't interested in gadgets, boasting in the pub and being the big 'I am'. I can feel this slipping away from me now, but despite the fact that flying doesn't have to be about
any of those things, it generally becomes it with such a massive male input and influence, hence my initial surprises (not at the fact that they were there, but that there were any at all, where I had previously seen none).
Do I need to put 'sorry' at the end of this? I hope not, because an honest opinion is only that.
