I have had the pleasure to run into a number of ladies flying in different parts of the world. Here are a few, and will see if I have any pics to add later.

Renae - From Sth Africa now flying in Whistler, BC

There was a kiwi pilot who had the distinction of flying BK117 into top of hill removing the skids.

Sarah Bowen - Owner of Helitorque website and instructor. Great pilot and great lady.

Brenda (cant rem last name) flew Blackhawks with US Customs out of Miami.

Rosemary Innes Jones - used to fly here in NZ, very accomplished pilot.

Kandy Fleming - EC135 EMS pilot in the United States.

Jessica Freeman - Cool gal flying Blackhawks in Korea.

Lori - Flying Blackhawks in the United States.

Bridgette and Billie Joe Kies - Flying at Barossa Helicopters in Sth Australia.

Johanna - Flying EC135 on Marine Pilot work and instructing at Chopperline.


Will post more when I remember.

Ned

ShyTe, you mean this one .... just the sort of Chopper Girl Hell Man is after eh?


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...cherClose2.jpghttp://www.pprune.org/[IMG]http://i1...cherClose2.jpg

Cheers

Whirls

http://i704.photobucket.com/albums/w...ismemorial.jpg

Jen Harris, Marine CH-46E pilot shot down by a MANPAD in OIF.

Hey - Don't forget that one off the Gaviscon advert ! ;)

( Couldn't find a pic or video of the TV ad though - - anyone ? )

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1.../Coconutty.jpg

You go Whirls......

Coconutty

I must be mad, but if it makes you happy.......

http://www.visit4info.com/siteconten...5091630PIC.jpg

So much fascination with lady pilots. Is that because there are 33 million more males than females in the world and somebody's feeling rather frustrated :confused: Maybe some of the posters here should move to some of the former countries of the USSR, such as Latvia, where there are 1.19 females per male, rather than sounding as if they come from UAE where there are 2.14 males per female :rolleyes:.

There are, thankfully more ladies joining the helicopter flying fraternity and some have been members for very many years. Let's face it, one of the world's largest helicopter companies CHC has a lady as President of its International division - ok, ok, she's not a pilot. Perhaps they're more liberated in the Scandinavian countries such as Norway where both CHC and Bristow have ladies as their training managers. There have been ladies on the North Sea flying offshore for many years with the likes of Wendy Winnard,Mo Jones and several others as early pioneers.

There are several lady helicopter pilots now flying in Nigeria. Wale Mak must be very proud of his daughter who is a pilot for Aero and PAAN has the Chloe and husband team in Escravos, with Tanya on the 332, and Meg and Bimbo on the S76. I won't demean their professional status by mentioning their looks - their professionalism says all that needs to be said about them.

Our female helicopter pilots are special - many of them have had to struggle harder than men to get into the business, have had to overcome (and still do) a huge amount of prejudice to have got to where they are and yet are still judged too often by their looks than their abilities. I salute you all, may your numbers grow such that one day you'll be the ones asking not, "is he a good pilot", but "has he got a cute butt" or "I'll bet he's got a great six-pack" :E:ok:

Did a tour flight in Hawaii years ago in an AS350 with Robin who was an ex U.S. Army WO pilot - Ft. Rucker training etc. Superb pilot, and, oh yes, wonderful to look at - I was in love within 3 minutes. :ok:

Seems to me that this is partly (mostly?) because there are so few female helo pilots, and they combine in one individual two of the most important things in a male helo pilot's life: helicopters and the attraction of the opposite sex. The ultimate combination for many.

Speaking of women running helicopter companies...
http://i704.photobucket.com/albums/w...lynntilton.jpg

The (in)famous Lynn Tilton of MD Helicopters.

I guess the attraction to female pilots is the whole tomboy thing--who did you like in "The Facts of Life?" Blair or Jo? Are you a Mary-Anne or Ginger kind of guy, in other words?

Ned you didn't want to add Rose McRae? She wrote a good book once too.

Isn't there an International Club for female helicopter pilots? Whirly-Girl Home Page -- Women Helicopter Pilots

If so, why can't we talk about the fact that women fly as well as guys do?
There are calendars of well built firemen, and that is not thought of as sexist!

Yes I know, a big difference is that the fireman possess for the photos and knows where it is going, but this is not a porn site and these are not porn photos that we are talking about.

I know two male pilots who appeared in Cleo's most Eligible Batchelors list. Are they wrong for doing that.

What is wrong with saying "She's cute! Oh and she flies as well. Cool!" This is not expressing surprise that an attractive person also has a skill or ability, this is expressing admiration. We who fly, know what it took to get here. Most times we can feel for someone elses journey, male or female.

I have a good looking teenage daughter, and I know that some will look at her beauty as an excuse for sexualising her, their problem. But at the end of the day, I still have an intelligent and good looking daughter.

I believe that society has progressed from the days of 'She has looks and therefore no brains'. I don't see how any of Hell Mans posts are suggesting that is the way he thinks/posts.

How many of the women whose photos have been posted here, have given their permission?

The delightfully gorgeous and uuterly sexy Thomas Coupling who started this thread asked about numbers of female pilots and why the profession doesn't attract more. He did not ask for photos or names.

CY Heli ... the two women who have responded to this thread latterly have disagreed with Hellman (and, ipso facto, you). Why does their opinion not matter and why do you think you know better about what is acceptable than they?

Cheers

Whirls

maybe one of you sexist pigs should start a separate 'Chopper Totty' thread...however, I for one, won't be viewing ;););)

Oh god whirls, don't make him any more bigheaded than he is already!!!:ok:

Just to clarify ... for whirls ... the Wendy Lawrence pic is in the public domain (posted in Wikipedia and so noted) and is a NASA PR photo to boot. Not very many helicopter pilots get to be astronauts (she flew H-46's in the US Navy) so to those of us in that fraternity she's a big deal.

I belong to a society which is recognized as being among the leading cultures to exercise gender equality. It is not something that will take another generation because we grew up with a strong commitment to values of equality.

Having said that and while I am against reducing women to 'sex objects' (in the broadest sense); on this thread my greatest concern is not for those who have posted images of women in aviation but the biting and sometimes offensive comments of those 'defending' women's dignity.

Very disappointing :( and, in my view, an over-reaction to something which I believe may have been quite innocent.

YBB
http://www.icelandexpress.is/is/uplo...h-flag-67x.jpg

Typical bunch of helicopter pilots....talking about purdy double barrels!:E

That's the trouble with you Sassy dahling ... you've just got one thing on your mind .... side-by-side or over-and-under. :}

Cheers

Whirls

Whirls, sorry to upset you, not my intent, as I too also have an opinion which I was simply expressing.

I accept that two women have posted on here stating that they don't appreciate the change of direction of this thread. Sorry if my opinion disagrees with both of yours. I know that my opinion is not superior to yours.

Quote:

---

Why does their opinion not matter and why do you think you know better about what is acceptable than they?

---

I never made either of these assertions.

I never judge a person by their looks, but I do appreciate beauty and it should be acceptable in society to acknowledge someones beauty. I don't believe that is a sexist attitude. It takes more than that.

If this is unacceptable behaviour then this thread would've been closed/locked/deleted by the mods.

I think the photos and names were to show prominent or accomplished women in the field. They illustrate that there are indeed women who have accomplished much in the field.

As to why there aren't more, that's a cultural thing that goes well beyond the realm of those here. Aviation in general is still a profession associated with a daring and aggressive attitudes, rotorcraft flying probably even more so. Then you throw in the working conditions and a little bit of engineering and math required to fly. Rightly or wrongly, fewer girls and women are taught and/or socialized to pursue professions that involve these things than are boys and men. It becomes self-perptuating to some extent in that more men go into the field, which discourages women from trying at all.

Why aren't more men nurses or elementary school teachers? It works both ways. As society has become more open and accommodating of different interests that cross traditional stereotypes, "men's" and "women's" professions have become more integrated, but these things take a long time.

Just over 15 years ago, women weren't even allowed into many, if not most, military helo jobs. That's a big source of qualified helo pilots. Even in the civilian world, seeing a female pilot used to be like seeing a zebra. It's still not an everyday thing, but it's no longer shocking.

Things don't change overnight.

Ah my Fair Whirls....and I never once mentioned my Sikorsky S-58T days when I enjoyed being bouyed up by a great Twin Pac!:E

All joking aside folks....the Ladies have had a hard row to hoe in the helicopter world. I recall seeing the first US Army few....and wondering how it would all turn out in the end.

If one keeps an open mind about things and consider the price they have paid proving themselves every bit the equal of their male counterparts....including being Killed and Wounded in combat....then I think we can all accept the fact they have more than earned their place at the bar with us hairy legged neanderthals.

As I have said of many of them individually....they are welcome at my end of the bar...and I'll buy the first round! Based upon some of the piccies....some of them would be especially welcome!

(Sorry...couldn't help me self, Whirls!:E)