I was shocked when I saw this bit of news a few years ago:
British Airways' first female pilot has been selected to fly the first plane to land at Heathrow's new Terminal 5.
Capt. Lynn Barton, 51, became BA's first woman pilot in 1987.
Basically because it was a recently as 1987 when BA never had a female pilot!
I remember being at university in the late 70s and early 80s and - although I had quite a few friends very active in women's groups - never thought that a major airline didn't have female pilots.
The biggest hurdle is that few people wish to the first - they may wish like heck to be a (whatever) but if they would be the first (whatever) then it also throws up too many other hurdles. Such as: promotion prospects possible being poor because you will, obviously, be under greater scrutiny and you will have to disrupt the existing long-established hierarchy.
So I was really pleased the other week on one of my rare commercial flights to find the flight deck was all-female.
But the clear career paths now available - there were even getting near an even number of female pilots as male pilots in the Bush Pilots series - the big question is why still so few women in aviation.
Even in sport flying, about 3or 4% of the British Microlight Aircraft Association members are female.
Maybe it is the very male smell in the toilets!
Whatever, I wish you all the luck with your research.
Aviation would be a far better place with at least 50 per cent more pilots - which is what we would have if we had more female students, to start with.