First woman to command an RAF FJ sqn
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TTN,
Regt cpl I served with is now a 757 captain.
Shy Torque,
I hope that what I wrote didn't, and wouldn't be construed as detracting from Nikki's or anyone's achievements - she got there based on her skills and personal and professional qualities - not because or despite of her gender, and in a meritocracy, that's how it should be.
Edit: Having just had a coffee I concede that the two separate strands of my post above might appear contradictory and mark me as a hypocrite of the highest order!
There was a bloke flying the Skybus out of Lands End who had been a tube driver and had taken a hefty cut in salary to get into aviation - quite apart from the huge chunk of money to fund his ATPL. Still thought he had made the right move though.
Shy Torque,
How could you not mention gender when that's the reason for the topic?
Edit: Having just had a coffee I concede that the two separate strands of my post above might appear contradictory and mark me as a hypocrite of the highest order!
Last edited by Al R; 10th Jan 2015 at 07:16.
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Well Done
About time too! Well done, Wg Cdr Thomas. I am old enough to still remember the old WRAF ranks of Flt Off Sqn Off etc etc and the discussion of why women could NEVER fly our aircraft. I won't elaborate but I'm sure you can imagine the daft and baseless objections.
I have worked with and commanded many outstanding women who, in the early days, were deliberately held back from promotion and command appointments due to their gender. The change has been too long coming. I'm sure our young CAS had a big hand in it too.
I'm sure older Pruners will recall "Auntie" Joan Hopkins (Air Cdre GD FC) (RIP). A first rate officer in, what was then, a man's world. She took 'em all on and beat them. We have at least two female 2*s now as well. At last a Service with balls (well, you know what I mean).
Now we need a female pilot fast jet sqn cdr. The first female pilot sqn cdr was OC 84 Sqn (helos in Akr), Nicki Smith, I think.
I have worked with and commanded many outstanding women who, in the early days, were deliberately held back from promotion and command appointments due to their gender. The change has been too long coming. I'm sure our young CAS had a big hand in it too.
I'm sure older Pruners will recall "Auntie" Joan Hopkins (Air Cdre GD FC) (RIP). A first rate officer in, what was then, a man's world. She took 'em all on and beat them. We have at least two female 2*s now as well. At last a Service with balls (well, you know what I mean).
Now we need a female pilot fast jet sqn cdr. The first female pilot sqn cdr was OC 84 Sqn (helos in Akr), Nicki Smith, I think.
The current Mrs O-D did a tour in what was then the Directorate WRAF in MOD. She and one of her colleagues struggled long and hard against the 'entrenched' view of some of the senior female officers who were reluctant for females to fly etc. Mrs O-D became very - and I do mean VERY - unpopular with said 'brass' no pun intended, to the extent that it effectively ended her career.
She now delights in seeing these obvious examples of females breaking the mould but looks forward to the day when, as many comment here, it will be so routine as to be no longer noteworthy. The temptation to cut the newspaper clipping and send it to the DWRAF of the time is almost overpowering!!
Old duffer
She now delights in seeing these obvious examples of females breaking the mould but looks forward to the day when, as many comment here, it will be so routine as to be no longer noteworthy. The temptation to cut the newspaper clipping and send it to the DWRAF of the time is almost overpowering!!
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You thought the British meeja headlines were bad.....
Standard Digital News - Kenya : Meet Iraqi's first woman RAF bomber commander
Standard Digital News - Kenya : Meet Iraqi's first woman RAF bomber commander
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Congrats indeed Wg Cdr Thomas.
However, just standing by for a black, lesbian, handicapped, scribbly, bishop to become a FJ Sqn Cdr
Guess this will get deleted
P.S. The new Bishop is from my parish back home. Met her at mother's funeral. Very nice lady but definitely not FJ material!
However, just standing by for a black, lesbian, handicapped, scribbly, bishop to become a FJ Sqn Cdr
Guess this will get deleted
P.S. The new Bishop is from my parish back home. Met her at mother's funeral. Very nice lady but definitely not FJ material!
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
Don't know about FJs, but at one time the airline I worked for had more female pilots than any other in UK, (perhaps in the world?). In my experience there was no such thing as a mediocre one. They were either very, very good (the vast majority), or terrible. I think all those who are still flying are now jet captains, including at least one on 747s
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Congratulations to Nikki Thomas on her achievement!
Meet the new Arizona US Congressional Representative Martha McSally:
WASHINGTON — Arizona Rep. Martha McSally, the first female fighter pilot to fly a combat mission and command a fighter squadron during her 26 years in the Air Force. McSally — who wears a small charm on a gold chain around her neck of the A-10 "Warthog" she once flew — could be an influential voice, given her military background. The retired Air Force colonel also has landed seats on the influential Armed Services and Homeland Security committees.
Let's hope so…
Meet the new Arizona US Congressional Representative Martha McSally:
WASHINGTON — Arizona Rep. Martha McSally, the first female fighter pilot to fly a combat mission and command a fighter squadron during her 26 years in the Air Force. McSally — who wears a small charm on a gold chain around her neck of the A-10 "Warthog" she once flew — could be an influential voice, given her military background. The retired Air Force colonel also has landed seats on the influential Armed Services and Homeland Security committees.
Let's hope so…
Exascot,
Congratulations, to casual sexism, you can now add casual racism, casual homophobia, discrimination towards the disabled AND Secretarial officers, all in one post.
Well done.
Congratulations, to casual sexism, you can now add casual racism, casual homophobia, discrimination towards the disabled AND Secretarial officers, all in one post.
Well done.
Congratulations, to casual sexism, you can now add casual racism, casual homophobia, discrimination towards the disabled AND Secretarial officers, all in one post.
Congratulations, to casual sexism, you can now add casual racism, casual homophobia, discrimination towards the disabled AND Secretarial officers, all in one post.
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pr00ne . I am delighted that this lady has this post. I am certainty not sexist. I had on my crew one of the first lady navigators, she was gorgeous 
I forgot to mention that thank God the Wg Cdr isn't French
Hope that you are following this Nikki. I trust that you are not French?
I forgot to mention that thank God the Wg Cdr isn't French
Hope that you are following this Nikki. I trust that you are not French?
Re navs/WSO's - I see from her photo in today's Times that Wg Cdr Thomas is wearing a Nav brevet. I'm long out of the game and thought all FJ navs were WSO's, so is which brevet you wear a matter of choice? Be glad to be told.
PS - Mrs TTN said "Doesn't she look smart?" - and I agreed!
(Any chance of this thread NOT degenerating into a silly Jet Blast type name-calling exercise? Detracts from the main news)
PS - Mrs TTN said "Doesn't she look smart?" - and I agreed!
(Any chance of this thread NOT degenerating into a silly Jet Blast type name-calling exercise? Detracts from the main news
)
Ttn - if you qualified in the days of the navigator, you retain the Nav brevet. If you qualified when WSO became the standard, then you wear the WSO brevet.
Simples.
Simples.
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I would like to add my congratulations to Nikki on gaining command of a FJ Sqn. I would, however, point out that the Dominie was both a jet and quite fast. Therefore Wg Cdr Suraya Marshall as OC 55(R) Sqn was the first female OC of a fj Sqn. I would also add that she was the first female real QWI (Air Defence).
As JAJ states the Navs and WSOs wear the brevet that they gained. I do recall that at the into of WSOs the AFB tried to encourage Navs to wear the WSO brevet. It was even rumoured that non compliance may affect careers, a bit like wearing the wrong wooly pully!
As JAJ states the Navs and WSOs wear the brevet that they gained. I do recall that at the into of WSOs the AFB tried to encourage Navs to wear the WSO brevet. It was even rumoured that non compliance may affect careers, a bit like wearing the wrong wooly pully!