History of Flight talk - Help required
Join Date: Oct 2006
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Hi,
I know you have a list, and now you are asking who to leave out.
And you have been told there are some you can't leave out!
I can see - very much so - why you want to put some women in. But the problem with "firsts" is that they all happened a long time ago!
I am thinking in respect of your first woman commercial pilot. She appears to have been a First officer. Perhaps Winnie Drinkwater was the first Captain a few years later. But all that was almost 100 years ago. Back then, and for a long time since, women were definately restricted in careers and jobs (my mother's pal was the first female resident in a certain Glasgow hospital in the 1950s, for instance)
Perhaps more appropriate is Lynn Barton, the BA captain. She started as a "first" with BA back in 1987 age 30 - so perhaps shows positive things like barriers are being broken down, and then leads onto Easyjet's female recruitment policy.... and even ours?
(For our 2017 bursaries we are guaranteeing female applicants an interview. So still choosing on merit, but trying to encourage as many as possible to apply)
ps. If you want a "first" to inspire, no-one - not even Richard Branson - has yet flown around the world in an autogyro!
I know you have a list, and now you are asking who to leave out.
And you have been told there are some you can't leave out!
I can see - very much so - why you want to put some women in. But the problem with "firsts" is that they all happened a long time ago!
I am thinking in respect of your first woman commercial pilot. She appears to have been a First officer. Perhaps Winnie Drinkwater was the first Captain a few years later. But all that was almost 100 years ago. Back then, and for a long time since, women were definately restricted in careers and jobs (my mother's pal was the first female resident in a certain Glasgow hospital in the 1950s, for instance)
Perhaps more appropriate is Lynn Barton, the BA captain. She started as a "first" with BA back in 1987 age 30 - so perhaps shows positive things like barriers are being broken down, and then leads onto Easyjet's female recruitment policy.... and even ours?
(For our 2017 bursaries we are guaranteeing female applicants an interview. So still choosing on merit, but trying to encourage as many as possible to apply)
ps. If you want a "first" to inspire, no-one - not even Richard Branson - has yet flown around the world in an autogyro!
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pps.
So, dump the first woman military pilot. It was 1914 in Russia, and nothing happened in the UK for 80 years! (except ATA, which was not RAF)
Ist female RAF pilot was not until 1990, 1st female red Arrow in 2009.
And maybe replace your 1st female commercial pilot?
In a way, you have a problem with your speech:
In their time, the only folk with money and facilities to try out this new fangled stuff were white men. So the Firsts were by white men! Can't rewrite history.
And, in effect, many of these women "firsts" were exceptional beings who could push their way to the forefront. But it is arguable whether they really changed perceptions or "shattered" the mould: it took our UK community 50-odd years for BA to recruit a female pilot, the RAF 80-odd years!
Unfortunately, we are not all exceptional, or well off, or lucky enough to know the right people... etc etc. Perhaps all we can aspire to do, and motivate those around us to do, is "just" become decent humans doing our best?
So, dump the first woman military pilot. It was 1914 in Russia, and nothing happened in the UK for 80 years! (except ATA, which was not RAF)
Ist female RAF pilot was not until 1990, 1st female red Arrow in 2009.
And maybe replace your 1st female commercial pilot?
In a way, you have a problem with your speech:
In their time, the only folk with money and facilities to try out this new fangled stuff were white men. So the Firsts were by white men! Can't rewrite history.
And, in effect, many of these women "firsts" were exceptional beings who could push their way to the forefront. But it is arguable whether they really changed perceptions or "shattered" the mould: it took our UK community 50-odd years for BA to recruit a female pilot, the RAF 80-odd years!
Unfortunately, we are not all exceptional, or well off, or lucky enough to know the right people... etc etc. Perhaps all we can aspire to do, and motivate those around us to do, is "just" become decent humans doing our best?
I still think you're daft to try to cram so much detail, and probably too little and understanding in, but in the spirit of what you're doing...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_Coleman
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._R._Braithwaite
(They're likely to have studied one of his books, and a very interesting quote on Wikipedia... "During World War II, he joined the Royal Air Force as a pilot – he would later describe this experience as one where he had felt no discrimination based on his skin colour or ethnicity. He went on to attend the University of Cambridge (1949), from which he earned a bachelor's degree and a doctorate in physics.")
G
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_Coleman
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._R._Braithwaite
(They're likely to have studied one of his books, and a very interesting quote on Wikipedia... "During World War II, he joined the Royal Air Force as a pilot – he would later describe this experience as one where he had felt no discrimination based on his skin colour or ethnicity. He went on to attend the University of Cambridge (1949), from which he earned a bachelor's degree and a doctorate in physics.")
G
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Leonardo just a whimsical sketcher with little idea of the detail requirements (his drawings replicate a kid's toy well known back then).
Somewhat harsh and oversimple.
“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”
You said you were looking to inspire pilots. Well the quote from Leonardo shows his soul was in the correct place. All the guff about the first lady this and the first bloke that..... that's just who did what. Inspiring people is about the Why.
And if you introduce Orville & Wright you'll have to expect the odd Australian history student trying to contradict you.
Icarus might have been a myth about a dreamer, but isn't it dreams that inspire? Flight is a magical experience.
The list you have is a history of aviation and personnel. IMHO to make it inspiring it needs a story, both for pilot & engineers.
If you consider the very start in early 1900's it is astonishing that there were fighter planes in WW1. Things went slowly then, but WW2 generated huge advances. And within 60 years there was Chuck Yeager & X2. The rate of progress, before computers, was astonishing and unprecedented. The engineers made it to the moon and back using slide-rules. Amazing.
Somewhat harsh and oversimple.
“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”
You said you were looking to inspire pilots. Well the quote from Leonardo shows his soul was in the correct place. All the guff about the first lady this and the first bloke that..... that's just who did what. Inspiring people is about the Why.
And if you introduce Orville & Wright you'll have to expect the odd Australian history student trying to contradict you.
Icarus might have been a myth about a dreamer, but isn't it dreams that inspire? Flight is a magical experience.
The list you have is a history of aviation and personnel. IMHO to make it inspiring it needs a story, both for pilot & engineers.
If you consider the very start in early 1900's it is astonishing that there were fighter planes in WW1. Things went slowly then, but WW2 generated huge advances. And within 60 years there was Chuck Yeager & X2. The rate of progress, before computers, was astonishing and unprecedented. The engineers made it to the moon and back using slide-rules. Amazing.
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I've a small experience of speaking to 'young people' about sailing and flying. I think Rat5 is on the right track. a lisitng of dates and people they have never heard of is about as much fun as listening to their parents on the dangers of, well nearly anything. Their attention span is short. You have to catch it or they will spend the whole duration of your talk texting their mates.
What has made people want to do this? So Icarus and Leonardo are part of that. Your own experience of toddling around the Scottish islands neatly illustrates dreams becoming a reality for more ordinary people. The Paul Allen and Virgin stuff tells you those dreams are just reaching higher.
You can add in the 'first' stuff, dates and people only if you have their attention and are perhaps answering their questions
Best of luck!
What has made people want to do this? So Icarus and Leonardo are part of that. Your own experience of toddling around the Scottish islands neatly illustrates dreams becoming a reality for more ordinary people. The Paul Allen and Virgin stuff tells you those dreams are just reaching higher.
You can add in the 'first' stuff, dates and people only if you have their attention and are perhaps answering their questions
Best of luck!
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Join Date: Apr 2003
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Ok, not seeing some of the issues so lets take an example which is connected to why I was asked to do this;
Some young people have a less than ideal home life, but are still intelligent and do better than expected in early school;
I want to be a pilot.
Girls do not fly aircraft dear, but if you work really hard on your makeup and look pretty you may get to serve the drinks, which is a good job.
Well actually the first female airline pilot was in 1927 and it is common now – some airlines actually prefer to employ women.
You get the general idea...
Rod1
Some young people have a less than ideal home life, but are still intelligent and do better than expected in early school;
I want to be a pilot.
Girls do not fly aircraft dear, but if you work really hard on your makeup and look pretty you may get to serve the drinks, which is a good job.
Well actually the first female airline pilot was in 1927 and it is common now – some airlines actually prefer to employ women.
You get the general idea...
Rod1
Very laudable Rod, and power to your elbow, but it still reads to me that your emphasis should be on what can be done now and in those children's personal futures - not what happened in 1927, 1903, or 1945.
G
G
Join Date: Jul 2005
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Opinions, enthusiasm and encouragement from old, wise and crinkly people looking at the past and imagining the future might help persuade parents and teachers, but I believe that real success comes from young people talking to young people. Right now EasyJet seem to be "on a roll" with attracting some very talented young people onto the flight deck. It would be interesting to know what motivated them, and how much better a 26 year old Captain would be in the classroom with a group of 12 year olds.
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Terry - agreed. I am often booked for STEM talks (particularly to girls) but before accepting I always remind the teacher/organiser that those in the audience weren't even born when I started university and give them the opportunity to consider a younger STEM Ambassador who may be more relatable to the young people...
Having said that, when I was a teenager I definitely felt inspired by some "old, wise and crinkly people" and still do now!
Having said that, when I was a teenager I definitely felt inspired by some "old, wise and crinkly people" and still do now!
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The "Leading Edge" ( the young people ) of The Air League are doing an equally good job of motivating young people, as well as trying hard to bring various organisations together in order to deliver consistent message to young people. However there is much work to be done.........
