Daughters? Sons?
 

I have heard it said in professional medical circles that in fact the the genetic make-up of an average pilot pre-disposes him to produce daughters. I can't quite remember all the reasons, something to do with the testosterone balance etc etc - certainly it sounded reasonably sensible at the time. I think it had to do with the most Darwinian likelihood of passing on the best genes, but yet another 'senior moment' prevents me from telling you why!
The specific conversation was aimed at Military or ex-Military pilots, though we all agreed at the time that was only because that was our grouping during that debate.
Two mates were ex RAF, and had produced two and three daughters respectively, I am ex Fleet Air Arm , I've got one of each, a further ex Navy mate has two daughters, another ex Navy mate two daughters, one son. One further ex RAF mate had three daughters and one son, another had one daughter, and if memory serves me right, just to complicate the entire thing, a further ex RN mate had four sons.

Maybe it has something to do with the type of women most pilots marry??? (Not to mention how many marriages they embark on!)

I think it mostly applies to military pilots and aerobatic pilots. It was suggested that it was in fact due to pulling G on a daily basis. I never heard it applied to airline pilots. I remember speaking to an ex Tornado F3 pilot. He said he only had a son after he took up airline flying.

Maybe we could make this the first ever study of the subject for modern airliner pilots.

Mr Moderator, is it possible to organise a poll where pilots can click and fill in how many 'of each' they have.

you would need to word the question to make it relevant e.g. how many boys/girls have you had after completing more than 500 hours TT. (no point in recording children born before you had a PPL!! Maybe there are other stipulations like that which could go into it??

It would be more interesting than filling in a survey on which of our sponsors we visit!!!!!

Just to add some confusion, a significant percentage of men (10, 20% ?) are not able to have boys, and it has nothing to do with flying.

This has been scientifically studied and published (sorry I'm unable to give any reference right now). Apparently it's linked to your type of clothing: tight pants lead to warmer temperature and drastic reduction in the production of Y chromosoms.

By the way, I also have kids: only girls !

2 girls, but little flying.

Have you seen this.


: Aviat Space Environ Med. 1976 Aug;47(8):889-92. Related Articles, Links


Sex ratio in offspring of pilots: a contribution to stress research.

Goerres HP, Gerbert K.

An old rumor - lately substantiated by statistical examinations from England - to the effect that pilots of high-performance military aircraft are "girl-fathers", could be reduced to absurdity through a comprehensive questionnaire investigation in the German Federal Armed Forces.Spermiogenesis does not seem to be disturbed by professional-specific influences (Radar radiation, G-forces etc.), as implied by the questionnaire findings. In times of high flying and personal stress (first 1000 flying hours) military jet pilots are even "boy-fathers". As soon as flying becomes a routine matter (after the 1000th flying hour) and thus less stressful, jet and helicopter pilots even become "girl-fathers". The pilots of military transport aircraft show no deviation from the control group of the male population of the Federal Republic of Germany with respect to the sex ratio of children procreated by them. The intention of this somewhat curious study was established by considerations that pilots would be entitled to protection and/or compensation for damages incurred in cases where their procreative capacity had been detrimentally affected by activities in the line of duty




Like the bit about flying becoming less stressful after 1000 hours ! Can't wait.

My family seems to support the theory: a son when I was on a ground tour and a daughter as soon as I went back to flying. But, if I read this thread correctly, things seem to be the other way round in the southern hemisphere. Coriolis?!

I am considering doing a large scale formal research into this are, as I find it rather interesting. The major problem that I see is to ensure that the offsprings are not those of milkmen, rather than the pilot themselves :E

ginger hair outcome measure validity is the key

Once read a theory somewhere that it is due to the fact that we sit on our arses all day.

The bowlacks need to be at a cooler temp than the body to function correctly, thats why they are external to our bods. You know the effect temp variation has on them - hot and they swing like a old Brahman bull, cold an they are up around your throat somewhere!!

Anyway, we pilots have deviated from what mother nature intended. We spend long hours sitting in a confined space, the poor old testes are overcooked and the result is an adundence of girl sperm as the little boy swimmers just cant hack the hot environment.

The answer - open your legs, aim the vent and let your boys swing free every chance you get!

On a more serious note, following the above theory, one would assume long haul pilots would have more of a tendancy toward female offspring than shorthaul etc. Interesting.. What about office workers seated at a desk for long hours??

36 years longhaul and three sons.

Airclues

Well there goes my theory blown out of the water. I'll stick to what I know in future......!

My husband was RAAF; first fixed wing then rotary, and we had 3 daughters. Among the pilots at the time it was expected that they'd have girls, and it seemed to be mostly right.

The rumour at the time was that it was the nomex flying suits and heat related side effects or some such thing.

Tropics.

Moderate "G".

Low level ops.

Son.

May help with your thesis.

Surely we should start to see an increase in the number of women in the world then due to the fact that we all place radiation devices in our pockets otherwise known as mobile phones then? :oh:

I think the real reason is that the female chromozone sperm live longer than the male (male 24 hrs vs. female 72hrs). The male ones are faster so are more likely to reach the egg if intercourse is just after ovulation. However, pilots are not around every day of the week for intercourse ( I'm away on average 3 nights per week) therefore if you have sex 2-3 days before ovulation, the only sperm alive to reach the egg will result in a girl.

The fertlization window from ovulation to implantation is only 24 hours long.

Think the theories mentioned earlier are "urban myths" and red herrings.

Justin

Just come back onto pprune to find this thread.....I asked the same question some time ago (but I can't find the thread anymore) just as my wife was pregnant with (as it turned out) our second daughter. Someone posted a link to a Scandinavian research paper that found a definite disposition to female children in fighter pilots, but no link either way in airline pilots.

In the intersts of science I am prepared to compromise myself by offering my body for research. I suggest that I sleep with a control group of 500 air hostesses and try impregnate them all and we can see what % the boy girl ratio is. As it is a scientific study I would be granted complete anonimity....of course. Anybody prepared to make the necessary arrangements for me?

25 years of flying and two sons. Trying to convince my wife for a third which will hopefully be a daughter! No luck as yet though.