View Full Version : Pilot Deborah Lawrie: world's oldest female commercial pilot
cooperplace
8th Mar 2020, 06:35
She's celebrating 50 years of flying:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-08/worlds-oldest-female-commercial-pilot-enjoys-50-years-in-the-sky/11760248
Congratulations to her.
machtuk
8th Mar 2020, 11:15
I sometimes refuelled the AN planes she flew I also flew with her many years latter, I have a different view of her!
olderairhead
8th Mar 2020, 13:02
Ah Debra, yes I remember her well. Intake frozen pending court case, I aged out. (age limit in those days) Glad she had a career. F****d mine. 👍
CaptCloudbuster
8th Mar 2020, 13:25
What an inspiration to us all:D
Petropavlovsk
8th Mar 2020, 13:38
Congratulations; a job well done!
Ah Debra, yes I remember her well. Intake frozen pending court case, I aged out. (age limit in those days) Glad she had a career. F****d mine. 👍
Not her fault buddy, she didn’t choose to freeze the course. Maybe you should have had some guts like she did and taken them to court for age discrimination.
Get over it.
I spent many hours flying with Deb, enjoyed every one of them.
Sunfish
8th Mar 2020, 21:34
She had a nice MG.
Checklist Charlie
8th Mar 2020, 21:43
Methinks maybe the headline should have referred to ATPL not just Commercial.
My original logbook would show Deb did my initial twin training in Twin Comanche VH-MED at MB during the early/mid 70's.
Deb's contributions to aviation safety management are not insignificant either.
CC.
harrryw
9th Mar 2020, 09:16
As SLF I had no worries flying in her plane as a passenger, she worked hard for what she got and must have been good or she would not have been there. I am not so sure about today,s appointments. As far as the lock out was concerned she did stand for her and other pilots rights which is more than some did.
Super Cecil
9th Mar 2020, 10:13
Senja Robey, had a good innings flying. Was still flying older than that?
WillieTheWimp
9th Mar 2020, 21:22
What is a commercail pilot..?
pithblot
10th Mar 2020, 02:38
What is a commercail pilot..?
WTW,
That’s the $64,000 question for every ATPL holder who doesn’t work for Quantas, sorry Qantas.
”Didja eva wanna be a commercial pilot?”
BTW
Good on ya Deb!
cooperplace
15th Mar 2020, 00:51
What is a commercail pilot..?
Sorry for my typo. Unfortunately the forum doesn't allow edits as far as I'm aware, to thread titles.
At risk of being shot down in flames, I ask myself if women might make better pilots than men. Reasons: no testosterone poisoning, possibly better attention to detail. I hasten to add that I'm a recreational pilot only, and I've seen pilots with too much testosterone. My comments don't apply to pilots in commercial aviation.
Spulling mistook fixed
Senior Pilot
PoppaJo
15th Mar 2020, 01:10
Sorry for my typo. Unfortunately the forum doesn't allow edits as far as I'm aware, to thread titles.
At risk of being shot down in flames, I ask myself if women might make better pilots than men. Reasons: no testosterone poisoning, possibly better attention to detail. I hasten to add that I'm a recreational pilot only, and I've seen pilots with too much testosterone. My comments don't apply to pilots in commercial aviation.
It all stems back to attitude and training really.
I fly with male and females aged between 20 to 60. I’m slightly more alarmed in the growing laziness in those at the bottom of the age scale, Male and Female alike. I don’t have much confidence in these people when they get commands and the stuff gets messy.
It stands out when I fly with the young 2 striper, male or female one day, then the ex bush prop guy or girl the next day. Both have the same hours on the type, but the attitude/ability between both can be quite disturbing at times. One group listens to me, the other does not. I get snappy with one, and not to the other!
But to your point, the egotistical Male that exists in GA has been alive and well for a while now. Insta Pilots I think they are called now right?
cooperplace
15th Mar 2020, 08:57
It all stems back to attitude and training really.
But to your point, the egotistical Male that exists in GA has been alive and well for a while now. Insta Pilots I think they are called now right?
Hi PJ,
I'm sure you're 100% correct re attitude and training. I've come across a few, sometimes quite old and high hours GA pilots, male, who think they are cool and do radio calls in such a deep voice that no-one can understand. When the snatch of speech suggests they're in a part of the circuit where you know they're not, it can be scary. Or they don't bother with calls at all. On the other hand, I've encountered female GA and chopper pilots who who are clear, calm, methodical, thoughtful, prepared. But of course it's a small sample, and as I said, nothing to do with commercial.
In any case, congrats to Deborah. I'm happy to see female pilots up front when I'm a passenger.