Female Aircrew, British Forces
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Female Aircrew, British Forces
A recent newspaper article sang the praises of female involvement in our forces, and gushed about the immense contribution the have made, and went on to cite a number of fields in which they have made it, piloting being one.
Can anyone provide statistics about just how many operational female pilots we really do have in our forces, what they fly, and perhaps more importantly which areas they have not established in? Any idea how the success rate/ie the chop rate of girls stacks up against the boys, and even better if they get chopped in significantly different areas?
I rather suspect the reality will fall somewhat short of the hype, am I wrong?
ps, just healthy interest in the state of our forces and the integration of the ladies, I've no axe to grind at all. As a civvy driver (now) I see the girls doing fine in our job, are they finding it harder in the military?
[ 16 July 2001: Message edited by: Agaricus bisporus ]
Can anyone provide statistics about just how many operational female pilots we really do have in our forces, what they fly, and perhaps more importantly which areas they have not established in? Any idea how the success rate/ie the chop rate of girls stacks up against the boys, and even better if they get chopped in significantly different areas?
I rather suspect the reality will fall somewhat short of the hype, am I wrong?
ps, just healthy interest in the state of our forces and the integration of the ladies, I've no axe to grind at all. As a civvy driver (now) I see the girls doing fine in our job, are they finding it harder in the military?
[ 16 July 2001: Message edited by: Agaricus bisporus ]
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We have girls now? 
wow times have changed. Nah I dont believe it, their dresses would get caught up in all the controls.
PS Do you work for a foreign military intelligence agency, trying to undermine the fine blokes who protect the Country?
Regards N Genfire
PPS they do a great job (for me anyway)
wow times have changed. Nah I dont believe it, their dresses would get caught up in all the controls.
PS Do you work for a foreign military intelligence agency, trying to undermine the fine blokes who protect the Country?
Regards N Genfire
PPS they do a great job (for me anyway)
are they finding it harder in the military
[ 16 July 2001: Message edited by: Ham Phisted ]
Lady VC10 pilots are doing just fine, thank you. We've also got a few VC10 lady navs and 1 (?) air eng who are also doing just fine, thanks. The ALMs and air stewards have been doing fine for decades, of course. In fact whether our colleagues on the flight deck or in the cabin are male or female crew members is something no-one even bothers to think much about any more - we've all grown up out of the 'lady aircrew are a novelty' era.
[ 16 July 2001: Message edited by: BEagle ]
[ 16 July 2001: Message edited by: BEagle ]
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I would guess that as so little was said about female aircrew (one way or the other)that the general consensus must be that they are doing alright (this is an aviators forum after all). From my experience that is the case - those that don't crack it, like their male counterparts, are, quite bluntly, chopped. [Non PC, but I'm old school!]
The Daily Male (!) must be getting short on news!
TL
The Daily Male (!) must be getting short on news!
TL
Unfortunately for me, I went through BFT during a period when the RAF had just started their desperate attempt to get a 'girlie' to receive her 'Wings'.
Refused to participate in biased photo-shoots and the such like because I was led to believe that we were not in competition for places!! I found out, from watching colleagues with dangling genitalia, that that was all a complete load of genitalia and many friends were 'chopped'with just a sniff of Flex, whilst the 'girlies' couldn't get enough, oooh urghhh!
There are some completely 'below average' male pilots in the RAF, and I would hope, by now, some fantastic female pilots......why can't we just be 'pilots'?? The RAF were so sexist (against males) that if one wanted to resort to litigation........
Then again, what do I care, I've never had the honour of being on the same flying course as one sans dangly bits:-)
Refused to participate in biased photo-shoots and the such like because I was led to believe that we were not in competition for places!! I found out, from watching colleagues with dangling genitalia, that that was all a complete load of genitalia and many friends were 'chopped'with just a sniff of Flex, whilst the 'girlies' couldn't get enough, oooh urghhh!
There are some completely 'below average' male pilots in the RAF, and I would hope, by now, some fantastic female pilots......why can't we just be 'pilots'?? The RAF were so sexist (against males) that if one wanted to resort to litigation........
Then again, what do I care, I've never had the honour of being on the same flying course as one sans dangly bits:-)
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Agree with BEagle completely. Flew with female aircrew on my first tour 14 years ago. Taught females as a QFI 10 years ago. Now, as a multi-engine captain I've had females in every position on the aircraft (ooer). I too wish that people would get over the "Are women as good as men at flying?" syndrome. Shock news! They are.
As long as they can get their large bottoms into a G suit, or squeeze their breasts into a LSJ, pack their dodgy perms into a helmet and don't wear hogsnarlingly overpowering perfume on the flight deck, there is no difference between the slotted types and those of the external genitalia variety.
Keep it up girls. After all, there is nothing cushy about the Women's Royal Auxiliary Ballon Corps
Luv Reichman
As long as they can get their large bottoms into a G suit, or squeeze their breasts into a LSJ, pack their dodgy perms into a helmet and don't wear hogsnarlingly overpowering perfume on the flight deck, there is no difference between the slotted types and those of the external genitalia variety.
Keep it up girls. After all, there is nothing cushy about the Women's Royal Auxiliary Ballon Corps
Luv Reichman
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NG, OC Ops informs me that you will find SOPs for female ident in the Sqn Precis. For ease of ref they are the lumpy jumpered things that don't like the cold or the wet.
BTW, if you bothered to check your email once in a blue joke you might learn more about what to do with 'em.
BTW, if you bothered to check your email once in a blue joke you might learn more about what to do with 'em.
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I went through BFTS and METS with quite a few females. Some were very very accomplished aviators a few were poor. There was only one who continually played the girlie card - in fact she played it all the way through IOT - but she was alone. The particular female who was on my course mixed it with the best of us, and because she didn't look like Angelina Jolie, she couldn't have played the girlie card to any affect anyway. There was just one incident at METS when I asked why she was on a particular radial in bound to WAL - she snapped back " Cause I am!!!" Any way she has now left the Air Force as the happy mother of 2 little snappers.
I believe that there is no man's job in the RAF that a woman can't do - it's just that men do it better! Only kidding Anne-Marie.
I believe that there is no man's job in the RAF that a woman can't do - it's just that men do it better! Only kidding Anne-Marie.
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We seem to be missing out (in this resepct) in the RN - maybe something to do with going to sea for 6 months at a time.
So far in the Lynx world we have had 3 female Observers and no Pilots. One of the girlies has already retired to have sprogs.
Don't know what the state of play is in the Pinging community (don't really care about Pingers anyway...). :o
So far in the Lynx world we have had 3 female Observers and no Pilots. One of the girlies has already retired to have sprogs.
Don't know what the state of play is in the Pinging community (don't really care about Pingers anyway...). :o
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First female junglie almost finished 848 - RN this time!! (love ya Tilda but you're still a crab! 
)
A welcome addition to the front line as is any pilot or aircrew not going to the airlines to bore themselves to death!
)A welcome addition to the front line as is any pilot or aircrew not going to the airlines to bore themselves to death!
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BEagle - have to say the ladies with the VC10 have brought a different style of slipper to the Big Brize Memorial Home. Sure it wasn't Matron on a jolly sitting on the flight deck?!?
Love you all.
Love you all.
Avoid imitations
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Jockspice,
Glad to hear Tilda is doing well - please tell her PW (ex EMUAS) sends his regards!
Glad to hear Tilda is doing well - please tell her PW (ex EMUAS) sends his regards!
Just a numbered other
Jock,
Does this mean you'll be looking for two pee trees in Norway next year, ladies and gents?
Still, at least there'll be someone to cook the compo!
Joke - honest
Just remember, don't cook with the yellow snow!
Does this mean you'll be looking for two pee trees in Norway next year, ladies and gents?
Still, at least there'll be someone to cook the compo!
Joke - honest
Just remember, don't cook with the yellow snow!
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Well, thats a start I suppose. Of a dozen or more posts only 2 have even tried to answer the original question, and both were Navy...
So far we have no Lynx pilots, three Os and one Junglie nearly thru the course, which hardly seems a big input over the years even for little fleets like those.
Well just how many female pinger aircrew are there? Any at all?
Much more interesting, how many Seajet pilots, and how many RAF fast jet girlie pilots? How many heve there been in the past? Many? Any?
I am not surprised that there are some in the VC10 fleet - that correlates much more closely to the civvy world where the girls have a proven track record. But what about Hercs, and the Army is so far silent too.
Come on guys, lets have some numbers please! No one is saying that they cant do it, I am interested in how many, or how few, DO do it.
So far we have no Lynx pilots, three Os and one Junglie nearly thru the course, which hardly seems a big input over the years even for little fleets like those.
Well just how many female pinger aircrew are there? Any at all?
Much more interesting, how many Seajet pilots, and how many RAF fast jet girlie pilots? How many heve there been in the past? Many? Any?
I am not surprised that there are some in the VC10 fleet - that correlates much more closely to the civvy world where the girls have a proven track record. But what about Hercs, and the Army is so far silent too.
Come on guys, lets have some numbers please! No one is saying that they cant do it, I am interested in how many, or how few, DO do it.
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On the Herc we have at least 4 female Captains and 4 female Co-pilots on the K and the J model. I imagine no-one has answered your question from Lyneham, because we're long past the stage of making a deal about it. One female Captain has now left the service after serving to her 38/16 point.
Probably more of a surprise if you don't have a female crew member, than if you do.
Probably more of a surprise if you don't have a female crew member, than if you do.
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BA we have had a few girlies on the Gazelle & Lynx, some good some not so good. Met one who was a bit of a TV star in her own right a few years back, damn fine handler and a superb gurrrrl. We have even had an ex-nurse with absolutely no operational experience make it to the Blue Egos, so it just goes to show the army isn't as biased against the lumpy jumpered things as the Guardian would like to make out.
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hi guys just to add my bit ,flown on many ac with fmail crew,i one case i was the only bloke! (im an fe ) very noval and pleasent!however the point is we all have sop"s and sim checks and they dont discriminate.in the ac if your doin it right i dont mater.i have flown with s**t hot femail pilots and c**p blokes and some reasonable gays! but that belongs to another forum! the only objetion i have is florale curtians on the flight deck