Female ex-PPL hoping to get back in the skies
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Female ex-PPL hoping to get back in the skies
Lapsed lady PPL, early fifties, would love to find flying-friend(s) at Biggin Hill. I was very proud to get my licence in 1997 but it became increasingly difficult to find regular flying partners and I eventually stopped flying all together. I don't necessarily want to re-validate my licence, but I am keen to get back into the skies if only just for the sheer fun of it! Please contact me if you're an experienced pilot who would appreciate the company of a female ex-PPL.
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No such thing as an "ex-PPL". Your currency may have lapsed, but you still have your license and would only have to revalidate if you chose to reinstate your flying status. Any instructor should be able to give you the gen on what you'd need to do if you wanted to go that route.
Welcome back and have fun!!
Welcome back and have fun!!
Avoid imitations
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Female ex-PPL seeks experienced husband! Early 50 hours. Not had it since 1997. Anything welcome!
Is your case: "I'm a lady".........
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I note that Albinoni hasn't posted again - I'm not surprised.
A simple request for finding someone to fly with, so she can start flying again, and some of you assume she's man hunting!! (An arrogant attitude to say the least.)
It's perfectly reasonable for her to state she's female - she' just saying 'who' she is. If I wished to make a similar post I'd also state I'm female (and I'm very happily married).
Next time we have a thread about 'why don't more women fly', perhaps I should post a link to this thread?
Just treat her like another pilot for goodness sake!
A simple request for finding someone to fly with, so she can start flying again, and some of you assume she's man hunting!! (An arrogant attitude to say the least.)
It's perfectly reasonable for her to state she's female - she' just saying 'who' she is. If I wished to make a similar post I'd also state I'm female (and I'm very happily married).
Next time we have a thread about 'why don't more women fly', perhaps I should post a link to this thread?
Just treat her like another pilot for goodness sake!
Avoid imitations
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Hear, hear!
I hope the thread starter, Albinoni, receives some positive help by P.M.
I hope the thread starter, Albinoni, receives some positive help by P.M.
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Viola,
I'm female (and I'm very happily married).
That almost sounds like a reason to try and make you wander...!!
Come fly with me, come fly, lets fly away..... - in my best Frank Sinatra voice..... my word this Warsteiner beer is good tonight.....
I'm female (and I'm very happily married).
That almost sounds like a reason to try and make you wander...!!
Come fly with me, come fly, lets fly away..... - in my best Frank Sinatra voice..... my word this Warsteiner beer is good tonight.....
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I've been lucky in the men I meet when flying. 99 out of 100 treat me as 'just another pilot'.
Now and again you meet some big-headed twit who thinks you are there for his benefit.
It's really IRRITATING. (Yes, I'm shouting - it's intentional.)
Now and again you meet some big-headed twit who thinks you are there for his benefit.
It's really IRRITATING. (Yes, I'm shouting - it's intentional.)
Hovering AND talking
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Different viewpoints; if I was asking for a flying companion I wouldn't mention my gender anymore than I would mention my race, sexual orientation or profession because I'm just a pilot.
Cheers
Whirls
Cheers
Whirls
The Original Whirly
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Would I mention my gender, age etc in such a situation? Acceptable PC-ness (is there such a word) says 'No'. Experience, sadly, says yes. While I was a low hours PPL, I found that I preferred flying with other women, because the men tended to try to take over, or at least try to prove that they knew more than me...shared flying, or shared anything, seemed to be something they found hard. And the sexual innuendo etc was always there, or assumed by others, which doesn't help if you're a nervous and/or out of practice pilot who just wants to fly. As for age, I encountered ageism rather similarly, usually young men trying to lord it over me because they'd decided in advance I was an old fart who couldn't know anything.
Now, so that I can come out from behind the parapet, let me emphasise a couple of things. It's NOT universal. And it happens far less with experienced pilots, who've grown up, in that sense. And once you go commercial, it seems to vanish almost completely. And since I became an instructor of course...well, I guess no-one would dare!
I'm not trying to knock anyone, and I daresay my experience isn't universal. However, I do know, from talking to other women in aviation, that it's quite common. And yes, before anyone says it, maybe if we had thicker skins, behaved differently, gave as good as we got, etc etc, it wouldn't happen or wouldn't matter. But most low hours pilots have enough to concentrate on with the flying, without all that stuff.
So, seriously, if I was in Albinoni's position I'd come right out and say that I'd rather fly with a slightly older female pilot. Because it would be the case. Possibly unfortunate, but true.
Now why don't you leave her alone to find someone to fly with.
Now, so that I can come out from behind the parapet, let me emphasise a couple of things. It's NOT universal. And it happens far less with experienced pilots, who've grown up, in that sense. And once you go commercial, it seems to vanish almost completely. And since I became an instructor of course...well, I guess no-one would dare!
I'm not trying to knock anyone, and I daresay my experience isn't universal. However, I do know, from talking to other women in aviation, that it's quite common. And yes, before anyone says it, maybe if we had thicker skins, behaved differently, gave as good as we got, etc etc, it wouldn't happen or wouldn't matter. But most low hours pilots have enough to concentrate on with the flying, without all that stuff.
So, seriously, if I was in Albinoni's position I'd come right out and say that I'd rather fly with a slightly older female pilot. Because it would be the case. Possibly unfortunate, but true.
Now why don't you leave her alone to find someone to fly with.
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You're probably right, Whirly, but it's a bit harsh to condemn an entire gender group just because of the comments of a couple of Adrian Moles above ....
Some of us do grow up eventually, honest ....
Some of us do grow up eventually, honest ....
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most of the totty pilots i have ever worked or flown with were equally as competant as any bloke driver, its all down to personality - if the instructor or person that sits next to you has a good personality and knows his job, it wouldnt matter if you had two heads the instruction and delivery of the lesson should be the same.
Having been in the wonderful position to have instructed all ages from 12 - 100 and all races and capabilities over a 20 year period, i am of the very personal opinion that some are born to instruct and will never give it up, and some are using it as a stepping stone to the wilder world of aviation, in which case you may have a slightly different take on how you view students.
I do firmly believe that the old PPL FI which is being mooted about as coming back would be a very positive thing - career instructors that do it for the love of flying and teaching and learning themselves, meeting new people and caring about the value and name of the company they work for.
The day that 4 new PPL FI's decide to set up their own school with new aircraft, nice facilities and gain a good repution is the day i look forward to...
Hopefully they will know how to teach sideslipping, roundout, and grass strip techniques as well as safe HPA procedures etc.... far, far more than is required in the syllabus but what makes a good school great....
Blue skies - time to get airborne ----- yeee haaaa! summers coming!!!
Having been in the wonderful position to have instructed all ages from 12 - 100 and all races and capabilities over a 20 year period, i am of the very personal opinion that some are born to instruct and will never give it up, and some are using it as a stepping stone to the wilder world of aviation, in which case you may have a slightly different take on how you view students.
I do firmly believe that the old PPL FI which is being mooted about as coming back would be a very positive thing - career instructors that do it for the love of flying and teaching and learning themselves, meeting new people and caring about the value and name of the company they work for.
The day that 4 new PPL FI's decide to set up their own school with new aircraft, nice facilities and gain a good repution is the day i look forward to...
Hopefully they will know how to teach sideslipping, roundout, and grass strip techniques as well as safe HPA procedures etc.... far, far more than is required in the syllabus but what makes a good school great....
Blue skies - time to get airborne ----- yeee haaaa! summers coming!!!
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I think it's a bit harsh to critise Albinoni for mentioning her gender.
She isn't looking for a pilot to fly her around. She's looking for a flying friend.
Say what you like about political correctness, but people tend to form friendships better with those that they have most in common with, and by and large, people tend to form friendships with those of their own sex. Therefore that information seems important.
I think political correctness is gone too far when someone can't volunteer information about their sex.
dp
She isn't looking for a pilot to fly her around. She's looking for a flying friend.
Say what you like about political correctness, but people tend to form friendships better with those that they have most in common with, and by and large, people tend to form friendships with those of their own sex. Therefore that information seems important.
I think political correctness is gone too far when someone can't volunteer information about their sex.
dp
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'totty pilots'???? 'equally as competant as any bloke driver'???? (Why mention it, we've been discussing attitudes not competance)
That's a patronising attitude, Jetscream.
I've never, ever had a bad instructor - whether hours building, career instructor, airline pilot. As it happens the instructors were men. They treated me as a sensible person who just wanted to learn to fly.
Most men I meet in flying treat me as a person who flies. That's all I ask.
Albinoni just wants someone to fly with. There aren't many women PPLs around and as Whirly says, as she's inexperienced she perhaps prefers to fly with a woman.
One flying school I knew tried to ensure the women students met up - perhaps so they could find 'flying buddies'. After the innuendo from some posters I can understand why! I've never thought twice about flying with 'sensible' men, but I can see that some grubby minded people will have thought the worst.
That's a patronising attitude, Jetscream.
I've never, ever had a bad instructor - whether hours building, career instructor, airline pilot. As it happens the instructors were men. They treated me as a sensible person who just wanted to learn to fly.
Most men I meet in flying treat me as a person who flies. That's all I ask.
Albinoni just wants someone to fly with. There aren't many women PPLs around and as Whirly says, as she's inexperienced she perhaps prefers to fly with a woman.
One flying school I knew tried to ensure the women students met up - perhaps so they could find 'flying buddies'. After the innuendo from some posters I can understand why! I've never thought twice about flying with 'sensible' men, but I can see that some grubby minded people will have thought the worst.
Last edited by Viola; 27th Jan 2008 at 09:48. Reason: spelling error