Where have all the ladies gone??
Join Date: Jun 2003
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The whole of GA needs more women in it, to counterbalance the vast armies of anoraks debating Air Navigation Order Article 26 (1) (a) (f) (g) as it relates to the 500ft rule when flying at 499ft above the sea with a submarine 6" below the surface.
In almost any human activity, it is the social part of it which keeps many people hanging in there.
In almost any human activity, it is the social part of it which keeps many people hanging in there.
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There are those who have 1,000 hours experience and those who have 1 hour's experience a thousand times. I also feel that there is a danger that some people equate General Aviation with Amateur Aviation; private flying also encompasses those with commercial licences and many thousands of hours of varied military and civilian flying. There are those who appear to be completely intransigent to others' views and those who spout wisdom on subjects about which they know nothing. 
When I started flying 34 years ago, I was awestruck by the amount that there is to be learned. I made it my mission in life to learn as much as I could. One vital aspect of that was to make it a pleasant experience for those who might teach me, to do so. Without them, I would not progress far. "Those who might teach me" goes way beyond "instructors" and encompasses all kinds of pilots, maintainers and designers, and others like weather people and dispatchers and many more. If I annoy them, they won't share their wisdom. I loose! I am still awestruck by the amount that is there to be learned, and very dependant upon others to share with me, which is how I stumbled upon PPRuNe, I was looking for wisdom.
So I work really hard to simply demonstrate appreciation for those people (and there were many) who gave that little extra bit of time to tell me something, which would help me learn. Sometimes it was a hard and fast rule about how an aircraft is to be safely flown, other times it was a nugget of wisdom, which just taught me how to learn, live and get along better.
I was recounting just last week, to the son of a former Transport Canada staff member, now long retired, how I was a chance witness to his dad offer 20 minutes of completely worthwhile advice, to a new pilot would would be ferrying a float plane a long distance. This was well beyond his responsibility at the time. All of the wisdom was hard learned, keep yourself out of trouble type stuff. Through his generousity, I learned it too, and use it to this day. What dad shared that day, lives on to this day through me (and I hope the other pilot too), and will certainly be passed on. I certainly been a witness (okay, sometimes it was me) to a lot of really stupid stuff done in planes too, and I've learned equally well what not to do!
Although I "have" this kindly given, hard learned, wisdom from all over, it is not "mine", I am the custodian, and honour bound to pass it along in any way I can to help someone else. It is for that reason, I will offer it, as long as I don't get slagged too badly in the process.
But, I'm not done learning either! For me to sit here and tell people I know a lot of about aviation would be silly, I have a huge amount to learn. Does your average "instructor" know it all? I'm sure they're here learning too!
As I went along with PPRuNe, and read some of the more simple questions posted, I realized that I had a reasonable answer, which might help. This group of unknown people under the banner of "Professional", weren't all the wise old owls I had expected, but a true mixture of all kinds. How nice!
So I try to help if I can, ask if I should, and otherwise be either quiet, or nice to get along with. Hopefully, others can take at least one of those feelings away when they read my posts. Okay, I have slagged a few times, it can be hard to stand still during a riot!
As for
but speaking for myself, being a student pilot and now a newly qualified PPL I don't really know enough to be able to contribute much, so lurk more than post.
Speaking beyond my authority, I don't think that anyone is not welcomed here, it's just some behaviour which does not fit in well...
Pilot DAR
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The whole of GA needs more women in it
(joke!)I agree with you though, women bring a whole lot of class to what is otherwise a bunch of geeks in cloth flying helmets standing around drinking tea talking about "manifold pressure"
We need more of them....!
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Perhaps to buy some pink headsets??
Pink headsets, to answer the original question, are now regularly on sale.
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Was it at Gatwick the 47 landed and despite being told to turn right on the Alpha turned left towards another aircraft already on that taxi way.
The lady controller was already at her wits end after bad weather in Europe backing up all the slots and pilots getting irate with her for the delays. She gave the pilot a public dressing down.
You complete ****, I told you what to do, but you ignored me and now it will take me 20 minutes to sort out the chaos you have caused. You WILL do exactly what I tell you from now on, when I tell you and how I tell you - do you understand.
There was a long pause, before someone piped up - "was I married to you once".
You could only get away with that in such a male orientated business.
The lady controller was already at her wits end after bad weather in Europe backing up all the slots and pilots getting irate with her for the delays. She gave the pilot a public dressing down.
You complete ****, I told you what to do, but you ignored me and now it will take me 20 minutes to sort out the chaos you have caused. You WILL do exactly what I tell you from now on, when I tell you and how I tell you - do you understand.
There was a long pause, before someone piped up - "was I married to you once".
You could only get away with that in such a male orientated business.
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Generally I am a lurker of these forums, I will post if I feel my post could be useful but generally I am just here to read and learn. Pprune is pretty similar to a flying club in that there are a mixed amount of individuals from various backgrounds, with different experience levels and knowledge. You do however find that every so often arguements spout from people with differences in opinion or someone reeling off opinion as fact, which then also ends in an argument. The way people are sometimes approached when they are undoubtedly misinformed can be quite rude and unprofessional and so perhaps it's a combination of the same old topics, arguments and rudeness that occur quite frequently that make the 'sages' of Pprune give up and leave.
Speaking of the ladies of aviation I believe they could have migrated to New Zealand as not a day goes by where I don't hear around 4 - 5 different women on the airwaves... many more than what I used to hear on UK radio. I say get your asses over here, fly over a beautiful country and meet some female pilots.
Speaking of the ladies of aviation I believe they could have migrated to New Zealand as not a day goes by where I don't hear around 4 - 5 different women on the airwaves... many more than what I used to hear on UK radio. I say get your asses over here, fly over a beautiful country and meet some female pilots.
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Hi all pruners
We are still here lurking! From a personal point of view it can be hard to join in a thread as sometimes they are not relevant to me/us. I try to make a point/comment/suggestion, but only if I think that it is relevant as sometimes I see that threads go off on tangents/people start to get stroppy with one another. After all this website is supposed to be for pleasure/advice and not stress.
Oh yes ... we don't all want to wear pink headsets
mine is a lovely blue noise-attenuating one from 'Pilot'!
best regards, PC
We are still here lurking! From a personal point of view it can be hard to join in a thread as sometimes they are not relevant to me/us. I try to make a point/comment/suggestion, but only if I think that it is relevant as sometimes I see that threads go off on tangents/people start to get stroppy with one another. After all this website is supposed to be for pleasure/advice and not stress
. Oh yes ... we don't all want to wear pink headsets
mine is a lovely blue noise-attenuating one from 'Pilot'!best regards, PC
Hovering AND talking
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Oh yes ... we don't all want to wear pink headsets
Cheers
Whirls
Oh Shazbat!
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Lady Whirls 2,
Thank goodnes you cleared that up, I was worried for a moment that someone had spotted a marketing opportunity for headset covers (not unlike mobile phone or BlueBerry covers).
I was getting quite worried that someone would be getting me the "Mr Blobby" spotted covers for mine, but I can sleep easily once more...
Thank goodnes you cleared that up, I was worried for a moment that someone had spotted a marketing opportunity for headset covers (not unlike mobile phone or BlueBerry covers).
I was getting quite worried that someone would be getting me the "Mr Blobby" spotted covers for mine, but I can sleep easily once more...
But the original owner of the said pink headset is alive and well and nowadays presents a radio show on the UK's smallest commercial radio station in her own unique way - as those who know her would expect!
I still have text with her now and then.
Back to lady pilots. When I was in the RAF, I found them more 'polarised' than their male counterparts. A few, very few indeed, were a bit 'girly girly' and didn't like getting their hands grubby doing the pre-flight, but the overwhelming majority were keen to do well. If I told a bloke he'd had an 'average' trip, he'd think "Great, off to the pub tonight!". Whereas a lady pilot would think "I can do better than that - I'll work on it tonight!".
I teased one of my lady students once - if I gave her a simulated engine failure at 1000 ft, she'd sort out a pretty good PFL. Same thing at 10000 ft and she'd spend 9000 ft choosing fields! So I told her "I know it's not in the female psyche - it's like expecting you to go into a shop and come out with the first pair of shoes which fits. Which I know from even my limited experience is almost asking the impossible of you! But honestly, any field which fits will be absolutely fine!!"
Lady pilots should definitely look at joining the BWPA - see British Women Pilots' Association - Home .
I still have text with her now and then.
Back to lady pilots. When I was in the RAF, I found them more 'polarised' than their male counterparts. A few, very few indeed, were a bit 'girly girly' and didn't like getting their hands grubby doing the pre-flight, but the overwhelming majority were keen to do well. If I told a bloke he'd had an 'average' trip, he'd think "Great, off to the pub tonight!". Whereas a lady pilot would think "I can do better than that - I'll work on it tonight!".
I teased one of my lady students once - if I gave her a simulated engine failure at 1000 ft, she'd sort out a pretty good PFL. Same thing at 10000 ft and she'd spend 9000 ft choosing fields! So I told her "I know it's not in the female psyche - it's like expecting you to go into a shop and come out with the first pair of shoes which fits. Which I know from even my limited experience is almost asking the impossible of you! But honestly, any field which fits will be absolutely fine!!"
Lady pilots should definitely look at joining the BWPA - see British Women Pilots' Association - Home .
Hovering AND talking
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Same thing at 10000 ft and she'd spend 9000 ft choosing fields!
I thought that was just me
It's a matter of wanting it to be right, by which I mean pretty damned perfect (from the instructor's point of view at least). Now, should I aim for the field that next to the pub or the one that's nearer the road?And I certainly was not happy at being called "an average pilot"
Cheers
Whirls
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and we can all use our pink headsets flying for this airline!
Cherryflava: New airline for ladies only
Cherryflava: New airline for ladies only
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Pink is IN
I've got an inkling now of why my new headset in its pink edged ex-skate bag got such a ribald reception,and I thought it was 'cos I didn't buy from the club shop! 
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Same thing at 10000 ft and she'd spend 9000 ft choosing fields!
In fact, when I did have an engine failure at 1100' I was very grateful it was not higher, perversely, some might say.
Yes, we are still here and lurking, just waiting for the right moment to contribute usefully. Or not, just like everyone else
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Its not only the ladies. I am a recent browser of this forum and one other forum.I recently posted on the other forum ,information that I considered helpfull.
It is obvious that the regulars consider themselves superior and quickly berated my post, so I stopped posting.
They were quick to point out that they all flew superships and could therefore walk on water .
It was apparent from other posts that some of them are claiming to be experienced pilots with 250 hrs (etc).
Not one of them enquired as to my experience (35yrs 178 types well over 5000 hrs on light aircraft) and I found the experience intimidating.
Later one person posted suggesting that the organiser of a fly-in last Saturday at Tibenham was out of order becase they had advertised it on the LAA website but had not advertised it on "their forum".
Well guess what..it was a LAA Forum fly-in and therefor the obvious place to advertise it was on the LAA forum!
Whats more it was me that organised it! Perhaps if they were a little more welcoming to new people I may have mentioned it on that forum!(as I have done on here for the next one 21st March LT Rissington).
It is obvious that the regulars consider themselves superior and quickly berated my post, so I stopped posting.
They were quick to point out that they all flew superships and could therefore walk on water .
It was apparent from other posts that some of them are claiming to be experienced pilots with 250 hrs (etc).
Not one of them enquired as to my experience (35yrs 178 types well over 5000 hrs on light aircraft) and I found the experience intimidating.
Later one person posted suggesting that the organiser of a fly-in last Saturday at Tibenham was out of order becase they had advertised it on the LAA website but had not advertised it on "their forum".
Well guess what..it was a LAA Forum fly-in and therefor the obvious place to advertise it was on the LAA forum!
Whats more it was me that organised it! Perhaps if they were a little more welcoming to new people I may have mentioned it on that forum!(as I have done on here for the next one 21st March LT Rissington).
Oh, I am still here, but tend to keep my fingers off the keyboard until I have something I consider worth posting.
If TheGorilla would like to visit me, I could if I thought it appropriate refrain from taking a shower for a few days, but would like to see what he has to offer before I decide
BTW, perhaps some male pilot can enlighten me here.......Apart from taking an in-flight weewee while still strapped in, in what way does a penis help in flying an aerodyne?
Ducking, running for cover
If TheGorilla would like to visit me, I could if I thought it appropriate refrain from taking a shower for a few days, but would like to see what he has to offer before I decide
BTW, perhaps some male pilot can enlighten me here.......Apart from taking an in-flight weewee while still strapped in, in what way does a penis help in flying an aerodyne?
Ducking, running for cover
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Originally Posted by Piper.Classique
BTW, perhaps some male pilot can enlighten me here.......Apart from taking an in-flight weewee while still strapped in, in what way does a penis help in flying an aerodyne?
Now I've got to wipe the coffee off my keyboard......