As a lady i feel compelled to write.
looking through this post I realise my story is quite similar to many of the girls.
I wanted to be a pilot, my school thought that was a silly idea many an hour spent in the careers office trying to persuade me that girls didn t fly jets. I had a fight on my hands and i can say they made me more detemined to do it.
My dad is a pilot and although he originally didn t htink girls should fly he soon changed his mind when his little girl said she wanted to do it.
I was lucky I went to training school and never once felt like I shouldn t be there by my course. It wasn t until I d nearly finished that I got negative comments by new trainees. Mainly male sponsered saying I shouldn t do it. All I was going to do is fly for a few years, marry get pregnant and then leave. I should "get out the way and let the men do their job" This only made me more determined again.
I found that the women tended to get a first time IR pass I don t know why but I m assuming like me they had to prove they were good. When I passed I was told I must give good h**d, as thats the only way I d pass. One of my instructors said that you can t be one of the lads you have to be one of the best.
I think the reason less women do it is through many reasons. One being, at my school it wasn t a career option and there was shock at the mention of it. Two is that it doesn t appeal to alot of girls and Three Top Gun didn t have female pilots in it. Since I ve got my CPL and IR i had many of my friends and girls at my old school become interested in the idea. I added another option at my old schools career list and proved you don t have to be super clever to do.