well I usually object to this type of topic coming into play but there seems to be a rational and genuine discussion forming here!
I empathise with a lot of the seemingly sweeping statements being bandied about. having lived in close proximity to an international airport since the age of 4 and being fascinated by anything skywards I always used to look at the aircraft and think ' that must be a great job, but I couldn't do it!' This wasn't due to my belief that I wouldn't have the ability or aptitude, I just believed that for some reason somewhere I, just me, singled out in the crowd of people, would not be able/allowed to fly.
At the age of 14 I was in the Air Training Corps, still with the afforementioned belief, and I was pushed towards a trial flying lesson. As soon as I got into the C152 I knew I could do it, and that was that. I might as well have signed up with the £60,000 worth of training fees there and then.
Having never been particularly girlie I wanted to join the RAF, but mark 2 eyeballs let me down on that one. The decision was made for me, I wanted to fly and the only other option was civilian. After finishing my A Levels in June 1999 I started an ab initio integrated JAA course in the September (age 18).
I was one of approximately 15 girls in a college of approximately 500. Due to unforseen setbacks I found my self on more than 1 course where I was the only girl in a class of 15, not only that but I was the youngest person in the college for over a year. I fought prejudice because of my age and my gender, but I passed all the ground exams first time.
Having completed my training in December 2001 I am still trying to find flying work, just like countless others, male and female. I would hate to think I get that dream job just because I am female, and do not condone any such actions. I work in a predominately male industry and I get on and do the same job as the men. Both sexes have their strengths and weaknesses (as has been pointed out countless times before) but by working together we make the best of both worlds.
I love flying and I get great pleasure out of introducing people of all ages to aviation. It just made me realise for the first time the other day that I am a rarity (21 year old female with a frozen ATPL) when I was talking to someone who was just booking his CPL course and the date of birth was 1976. Not that old, but older, and it made me realise that I had only met or spoken to 3 other women in over 5 months who were looking at learning to fly.
As I said at the beginning of the post, I do not agree that there should be women only type organisations or clubs in this industry that is repeatedly being referred to as 'a small world', instead we should join together in the good old fashioned spirit of what was once referred to me as 'the two winged master race' (please take that reference in the jovial sense in which it was made!)
