Mil/civvy aviatrixes(aviatreex?)
Just getting started on the rant now...this is fun...
Lotsa good posts here, incl. (presumably deliberate) outrageous ones. Having reviewed such:
1) Upper body strength : n/a, n/r. Be honest- are you in shape ? My feeling is in corpore sana, mens sana (mangled Latin,it's been a while). But I knew a lot of very competent 'slugs' on the squadrons ; lardbutts/jiggly upper thoraxes didn't appear to interfere with the job. As to getting downed and ability to perform E & E, that's a personal choice, just as female aircrew accepting consequences of such. As regards handling morts,ever heard of MASH nurses/doctors?
2) As was eloquently pointed out previously, we are the free world- discrimination here makes us no better than 'paternalistic' cultures viz Islam etcetera.
3)Ability is prime and sole consideration. As a 'colonial' I was recipient of a fair amount of discrimination going thru training machine (by the way it's bhundu/bundu not bondu)- didn't speak right etcetera. There were, and surely still are a few guys on the squadron who could barely cut it- how did they get thru? Has there always been a quota for incompetent male doofae as well?
F.I.D.O.