There are also photos of me on the internet on public sites but I'd be a tad miffed if someone posted one on this thread without asking
Welcome to the "internets." And 2010. It would've happened sooner, but it's hard to pass on photos by telegraph.
I don't think any were posted in a "pin-up" way. I get how that could be offensive in a "professional" forum.
Bigger picture, I think that this reveals a difference in gender attitudes about privacy and such. Expanding that to a ready room-type environment it brings up an issue that is an elephant in the room. Everyone loves the female pilots...why, she's just "one of the guys"...isn't she cool...she doesn't mind how we swear and tell dick jokes and fart in public...until the invisible line is crossed. SHE decides where the line is, not you, and you don't know where it is in advance.
There are lots of female pilots who will act as if they don't want special treatment, but are the last ones to turn down the profile article in the Marine Corps Times, for example.
I'm not anti-female or anti-feminist. I just think that the fact that there is a "female helicopter pilot" thread and that there's a debate here about posting photos shows that we still have issues going on. If someone started a thread that said,"post pictures of prominent helicopter pilots here..." would we still be talking about privacy issues? Maybe only in regards to the women? If I post a picture of Igor Sikorsky without asking his estate am I objectifying him? How's that different?
Sorry, Igor.