Women in aviation facts for kids
Women have been flying for a very long time, starting even before airplanes were invented! People used to call women pilots "aviatrices." Women have been flying powered aircraft since 1908. For many years, before the 1970s, most women pilots worked privately or in support jobs in aviation. Flying also gave women a chance to travel alone on amazing journeys. Many successful women in aviation have helped guide younger women in their careers.
In the early days of powered flight, women pilots were already setting new records for speed, endurance, and how high they could fly. They competed against men in air races and often won! Women on every continent except Antarctica started flying, performing in air shows, parachuting, and even carrying passengers. During World War II, women worldwide helped with war efforts. Even though most were not allowed to fly in combat, many female pilots flew in support roles. In the 1950s and 1960s, women mainly worked in jobs like flight simulation training, air traffic control, and as flight attendants. Since the 1970s, women in most countries have been allowed to join military flight roles.
More and more women have joined the world of aviation over the years. The Ninety-Nines was the first organization for women pilots, formed in 1929. Many famous female pilots have been members. It started after the first official women-only air race in the United States in 1929. Ninety-nine of the 117 women who had pilot licenses became founding members, which is how the group got its name. In the United States, there were about 200 women pilots in 1930, but this grew to over 700 in just five years. While the total number of female pilots has grown, the percentage of women pilots has stayed about the same since 1980 in the U.S. Globally, about 3% of airline pilots are women. However, in India, women make up 20.6% of all commercial airline pilots!
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History of Women in Aviation
The first woman known to fly was Élisabeth Thible. She rode as a passenger in a hot air balloon over Lyon, France, in 1784. Four years later, Jeanne Labrosse became the first woman to fly a balloon alone. She was also the first woman to use a parachute. Sophie Blanchard started flying balloons in 1804 and became a professional balloonist by 1810. She was even made Napoleon's chief of air service in 1811. Sadly, Blanchard died in a crash in 1819. In June 1903, Aida de Acosta, an American woman, convinced Alberto Santos-Dumont to let her pilot his airship. She was likely the first woman to pilot a motorized aircraft.
Around 1906, E. Lilian Todd began designing her own airplanes. Her first plane flew in 1910, piloted by Didier Masson. Tiny Broadwick, an early parachutist, started working with a barnstormer (a pilot who performs stunts) in 1908 when she was 15. She made her first jump that year. In 1913, she became the first woman to jump from an airplane. Broadwick also showed the U.S. government how parachutes worked in 1914. By the time she retired in 1922, she had completed 1,100 jumps!
The first woman passenger in an airplane was Mlle P. Van Pottelsberghe de la Poterie. She flew with Henri Farman in Belgium in 1908. Soon after, in July 1908, sculptor Thérèse Peltier flew as a passenger and later made a solo flight in Italy. Edith Berg, an American, flew with Wilbur Wright in Paris in October 1908. Her flight even inspired a fashion trend called the hobble skirt.
The Wright brothers made the first machine-powered flight in 1903. They always recognized the help of their sister, Katharine Wright. She found teachers to help with their experiments and knew "everything about the working of their machines." Katherine supported them financially and emotionally. She even became their executive secretary after they patented their aircraft. She helped promote their work in Europe because her brothers were very shy. The World Magazine called her the "silent partner" of the Wright Brothers.
Early Women Pilots (1910s)
In 1910, French pilot Raymonde de Laroche became the world's first licensed female pilot. Seven other French women earned their licenses within the next year. One of them, Marie Marvingt, became the first woman to fly in combat, completing bombing raids over Germany. She also tried to get the government to use air ambulances before the war and became the world's first certified Flight Nurse. Hélène Dutrieu became the first woman pilot in Belgium in 1910. Later that year, she was the first woman to fly with a passenger. In 1910, before getting her license, Lilian Bland designed and flew a glider in Northern Ireland.
Blanche Scott always said she was the first American woman to fly an airplane. However, her short flight in September 1910 was "accidental" because a gust of wind lifted her plane. So, it wasn't officially recognized. Still, she became a famous daredevil pilot known as the "Tomboy of the Air." On October 13, 1910, Bessie Raiche received a gold medal for being the first American woman to make a solo flight. Harriet Quimby became the USA's first licensed female pilot on August 1, 1911. The next year, she was the first woman to fly across the English Channel.
Soon after, Lydia Zvereva got the first female Russian pilot's license. By 1914, she performed the first aerobatic loop (a flying stunt) by a woman. Hilda Hewlett was the first British woman to get a pilot's license in 1911. She even taught her son to fly that year. Melli Beese became Germany's first woman pilot in 1910. She later designed her own airplane. On October 10, 1911, Božena Laglerová from Prague got the first Austrian license for a woman.
Rosina Ferrario, Italy's first female pilot, earned her license in 1913. Like Marvingt, she tried to convince her government to let women transport wounded soldiers during World War I, but she was unsuccessful. Elena Caragiani-Stoenescu, Romania's first woman pilot, also faced rejection for flying in the war. Lyubov Golanchikova became the first female test pilot in 1913. The first woman in Africa to get a pilot's license was Ann Maria Bocciarelli of South Africa.
In 1916, Zhang Xiahun became China's first female pilot. She insisted on flying at an airshow and became a national hero when she survived a crash. Katherine Stinson became the first woman air mail pilot in the U.S. in 1918. The next year, Ruth Law flew the first official U.S. air mail to the Philippines.
Women also taught others to fly. Hilda Hewlett and Gustav Blondeau started the first flying school in England in 1910. Charlotte Möhring, the second German woman to get a pilot's license, managed a flying school in 1913.
Flying High (1920s)
After World War I, many men and women bought old military planes. Since there wasn't much demand for pilots, they traveled from town to town offering rides. These daring pilots performed stunts like loops and even wing walking to attract crowds. They formed "flying circuses," with promoters advertising their amazing feats.
In 1920, Phoebe Omlie decided to become a stuntwoman pilot. By 1921, she set a world record for a women's parachute jump (15,200 feet). She also worked as a wing walker for movies. By 1927, Omlie earned the first transport pilot's license and airplane mechanics license given to a woman. Another stuntwoman, Ethel Dare, was the first woman to walk from one plane to another in mid-air by 1920.
Bessie Coleman was the first African American woman to become a licensed airplane pilot in 1921. That same year, Annie Langstaff was called Canada's first woman to fly in a magazine article. However, it was Eileen Vollick who officially became the first woman in Canada to get a pilot's license in 1928. Japan's first woman pilot, Tadashi Hyōdō, earned her license that year. Kwon Ki-ok of Korea became her country's first female pilot in 1925. After World War II, she helped create the Republic of Korea Air Force. German pilot Marga von Etzdorf was the first woman to fly for an airline, co-piloting for Lufthansa in 1927.
In the late 1920s, women continued to compete in air races. In 1929, Pancho Barnes became the first woman stunt pilot in Hollywood. She worked on films like Hell's Angels and started the Associated Motion Pictures Pilots Union. The first Women's Air Derby, also called the Powder Puff Derby, was an official women-only race in 1929. It was won by Louise Thaden.
Marie Marvingt continued to promote her idea of using airplanes as ambulances. During French colonial wars, she used Aviation Sanitaire, a flying ambulance service, to help injured soldiers. Canadian Eileen Vollick became the first licensed female pilot in 1928 at age 19. Elsie MacGill became the first woman to earn a master's degree in aeronautical engineering in 1929. Janet Hendry became the first woman pilot in Scotland in 1928. On November 2, 1929, 26 women pilots met and formed the Ninety-Nines, an international organization to support women pilots.
New Heights (1930s)
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression made it harder for flying circuses to continue. In the 1930s, options for women pilots in the U.S. were mainly sales, marketing, racing, and teaching. In 1930, Ellen Church, a pilot who couldn't find flying work, suggested that airlines hire women as hostesses. She was hired by Boeing Air Transport and chose the first seven flight attendants. They had to be nurses, unmarried, and under 115 pounds.
Many "firsts" were achieved by women in the 1930s. In 1930, English aviator Amy Johnson made the first flight from England to Australia by a woman. The same year, Mrs Victor Bruce became the first person to fly from England to Japan and the first woman to fly around the world alone (crossing oceans by ship).
Antonie Strassmann, a German pilot, was the first woman to successfully cross the Atlantic in an aircraft in 1932. She also piloted a Zeppelin from Germany to Brazil.
In May 1932, American Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. She encouraged young women to become pilots and taught aviation classes at Purdue University.
In 1933, Lotfia Elnadi became the first Egyptian and Arab woman to get a pilot's license. That same year, Marina Raskova became the first Russian woman navigator for the Soviet Air Forces. She later became the first female flight instructor at the Zhukovsky Air Force Academy.
Hazel Ying Lee, an American-Chinese citizen, got her pilot's license in 1932. She tried to volunteer for the Chinese Army after the Japanese invasion but was rejected because she was a woman. In 1934, Chinese actress Lee Ya-Ching got a pilot's license in Switzerland. She later founded a civilian flying school in Shanghai.
In 1935, Nancy Bird Walton got the first Australian license allowing a woman to carry passengers. She used it to fly an ambulance service for children. She also founded the Australian Women Pilots' Association. That same year, Phyllis Dunning earned the first women pilot's license in South Africa. She later became the first female commercial pilot and flight instructor there.
In France, Suzanne Melk was the first known woman in her country to fly and the first woman in Europe to get a pilot's license in 1935. Sarla Thakral was the first Indian woman to fly, earning her license in 1936. She completed over 1000 hours of flight time.
In 1936, Hanna Reitsch of Germany was one of the first people to fly a fully controllable helicopter. Within two years, she earned the first woman helicopter pilot's license.
Women were allowed to compete in the prestigious Bendix Trophy race again starting in 1935. In 1936, women took first, second, and fifth place! The winners were Louise Thaden and Blanche Noyes. Jacqueline Cochran won the race in 1938.
In 1937, Sabiha Gökçen of Turkey became the first trained woman combat pilot. She flew search and bombing missions during the Dersim Rebellion. She was the first woman trained as a military pilot.
In 1939, the South African Women's Aviation Association (SAWAA) was formed with 110 women members. It quickly grew to thousands and changed its focus to support the war effort as the Women's Auxiliary of the South African Air Force.
Women in World War II (1940s)
As World War II began, women became involved in combat support. In the U.S., pilots usually flew only in good weather. But combat flying needed pilots to fly in all conditions, so instrument training became very important. By 1944, about 6,000 women were trained to operate Link Trainers, teaching male pilots how to read instruments.
In 1939, Jacqueline Cochran suggested using women pilots in the military to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Later, Nancy Harkness Love made a similar request. Both ideas were put on hold until 1942. Love then led the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS). This group became known for its quiet efficiency. On August 5, 1943, the WAFS merged with another program to form the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). The WASPs helped the military by flying new planes from factories to bases, working as test pilots, flying as chauffeurs, and towing targets for anti-aircraft gun practice. The WASPs never got full military benefits and were disbanded in December 1944. They finally earned veteran status in 1979.
Besides flying, American women also became air traffic controllers during WWII. Women were also hired by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) as scientists, engineers, and analysts, reviewing data from windtunnels on airplane designs.
In 1940, Major Phyllis Dunning became the first South African woman in full-time military service, leading the South African Women's Auxiliary Air Force. In 1941, the Southern Rhodesia Women's Auxiliary Air Service was created. Women recruits provided clerical services, packed parachutes, and worked as drivers and mechanics.
The Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA), a British civilian group during WWII, had 166 women pilots. Fifteen of these women died while flying, including famous aviator Amy Johnson. Margot Duhalde, a Chilean woman, flew transport missions for the ATA. After the war, she became the first woman pilot of the French Air Force. For her service, she received the Legion of Honour. Valérie André, a French army neurosurgeon, became the first woman to fly a helicopter in combat in Indochina (1945). The Royal Canadian Air Force created a Women's Division in 1942. Women were not allowed in combat but performed aircraft maintenance and served in air traffic control. By the end of the war, over 17,000 Canadian women had served.
Unlike other countries, the Soviet Union created an all-woman combat flight unit, the 588th Night-Bomber Air-Regiment, also known as the Night Witches. This group flew bombing missions from 1942 until the end of the war. All the women were volunteers. The Night Witches flew 30,000 missions and dropped 23,000 tons of bombs. The Soviets also had the only women who were considered flying aces (pilots who shot down five or more enemy aircraft). Lydia Litvyak was credited with 12 solo kills and 3 shared kills. Yekaterina Budanova was credited with 11 kills.
In 1948, Ada Rogato, Brazil's first licensed woman pilot, became the first female agricultural pilot. She was hired to spray coffee fields. The next year, Rogato became the first woman to fly solo over the Andes Mountains. In 1951, she flew solo from Tierra del Fuego to Alaska, crossing South, Central, and North America. In 1948, Isabella Ribeiro de Cabral became the first woman pilot of Trinidad and Tobago.
Breaking Barriers (1950s)
In 1951, China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) enrolled 55 women trainees. They became communication operators, navigators, mechanics, and pilots. A second class of 160 trainees entered in 1956.
In late 1952, during the Korean War, the North Korean Air Force had female jet fighter pilots. One of them, Tha Sen Hi, flew MiG-15s in combat and became a squadron leader.
In 1952, Earsley Barnett earned the first pilot license given to a woman in Jamaica. She later became the first Jamaican flight instructor and a commercial pilot.
Jacqueline Cochran became the first woman to break the sound barrier in 1953. By June 1953, she held almost all the world's airplane speed records for women.
During the Korean War, former WASPs were asked to join the Air Force. In 1953, the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) lifted a ban on women serving as mechanics. Kim Kyung-Oh was the only South Korean woman to serve as a pilot in the ROK Air Force during the Korean War.
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Organizations like the Australian Women Pilots' Association (AWPA) were formed. Another group, the Whirly-Girls, was started by Jean Ross Howard Phelan in 1955 for women helicopter pilots. She created the group to help members connect and support each other in a field mostly dominated by men.
In 1958, Dorothy Rungeling of Canada became her country's first woman to pilot a helicopter alone.
In the 1950s and 1960s, air travel was expensive. Laws that separated people by race in the U.S. were slowly being changed, opening up more job opportunities. This, along with workers coming from other countries, led to more women from former colonies entering aviation in the following decades.
Space and Speed (1960s)
In 1960, Olga Tarling became the first woman air traffic controller in Australia. Yvonne Sintes and Frankie O'Kane became the first female British air traffic controllers. That same year, Alia Menchari became the first Tunisian woman pilot. In 1961, Lucille Golas got the first pilot license for a woman in Guyana. Asegedech Assefa became the first Ethiopian woman to earn a pilot's license in 1962. That same year, Jacqueline Cochran became the first woman to fly a jet across the Atlantic Ocean. She and Jacqueline Auriol of France often broke each other's speed and distance records in what was called the "battle of the Jackies."
A private project called the Woman in Space Program tested women pilots in the U.S. to see if they could be astronauts. Thirteen women passed NASA's physical tests. However, the program was canceled because NASA required astronauts to have engineering degrees and military jet piloting experience, which these women didn't have. The next year, in 1963, Valentina Tereshkova, a Russian parachute jumper, became the first woman in space.
In 1963, Betty Miller became the first woman to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean. Anne Spoerry, a French doctor in Kenya, became the first female "Flying Doctor" for the African Medical and Research Foundation, flying her plane to provide medical help in remote areas. In 1964, Jerrie Mock became the first woman to fly around the world. In 1966, Soviet pilot Galina Gavrilovna Korchuganova won gold at the World Aerobatic Championship, becoming the first women's world aerobatics champion.
Because the Vietnam War was unpopular, not enough men were volunteering for the U.S. military. However, many women who wanted to join were turned away due to limits on women's roles. In 1967, a law was passed allowing more women into the military and to be promoted to higher ranks. In 1969, Kucki Low got the first pilot's license issued to a woman in South West Africa (now Namibia). That same year, Turi Widerøe of Norway became the first female pilot for Scandinavian Airlines. She is recognized as the Western world's first woman commercial pilot for a major airline.
Women in Commercial and Military Aviation (1970s)
Before the 1970s, aviation in the United States was mostly a male job. Rules made it almost necessary for pilots to have flown in the military to get enough flight hours. But until the 1970s, the U.S. Air Force and Navy didn't allow women to fly. Women were also often denied jobs in commercial piloting. The U.S. military didn't open fighter jet flights to women until 1993. Women started entering major U.S. commercial aviation in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1973, the first female pilot was hired by a major U.S. airline, American Airlines. American also promoted the first female captain of a major U.S. airline in 1986.
In the 1970s, women were allowed to fly in the United States Armed Forces again, for the first time since WWII. This started with the Navy and Army in 1974, and then the Air Force in 1976. Louise Sacchi was the first international woman ferry pilot. She flew planes across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans over 340 times. In 1971, she set a women's speed record by flying from New York to London in 17 hours and 10 minutes. The first class of ten female Air Force officers earned their Silver Wings on September 2, 1977. In 1978, former WASPs formed the Women's Military Pilots Association (WMPA).
In 1975, Yola Cain became the first Jamaican-born commercial pilot and flight instructor. The next year, Cain became the first female pilot with the Jamaica Defence Force. In 1979, Maria Ziadie-Haddad became one of the first women in the Western Hemisphere to be a commercial jet airline pilot when she was hired by Air Jamaica. Another Jamaican, Michele Yap, became the first female airline captain in the Caribbean in 1988. The next year, Captain Yap was the first to pilot an all-female crew in the Anglo-Caribbean.
On September 9, 1976, Asli Hassan Abade made her first solo flight as the only female pilot in the Somali Air Force. In 1977, Cheryl Pickering-Moore and Beverley Drake of Guyana became the first two women pilots of the Guyana Defence Force. Drake later became the first female pilot of the Guyana Airways Corporation. Jill E. Brown joined Texas International Airlines as a pilot in 1978, becoming the first African American woman to fly for a commercial airline in the United States. That same year, Chinyere Kalu became Nigeria's first female pilot. In 1979, Koh Chai Hong became the first woman pilot in the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF). Patrice Washington, from The Bahamas, became the first woman pilot hired by Bahamasair. She later became the first black female to command airplanes for a major U.S. carrier service when she was promoted to captain by United Parcel Service (UPS) in 1994.
In 1977, Barbara Ann Christie was recorded as the first woman police pilot in the United States.
The End of the 20th Century
Towards the end of the century, legal efforts helped remove barriers of race and sexism in aviation. This led to changes in hiring practices. In the U.S., courts monitored companies to ensure they followed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In military services, women's roles grew in North America, Europe, and Asia.
In 1980, Lynn Rippelmeyer of the U.S. became the first woman to fly a Boeing 747. Four years later, she became the first woman to serve as captain on the plane. That same year, Olive Ann Beech received the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy for aircraft manufacturing. In 1981, Mary Crawford became the first women's flight officer in the United States Navy. That same year, Yichida Ndlovu earned the first civilian female pilot's license in Zambia. Elizabeth Jennings Clark became the first female pilot for LIAT in 1983. That same year, Charlotte Larson became the first woman to captain a smoke jumper aircraft, and Deanne Schulman became the first woman qualified as a smoke jumper.
In Canada, the Air Force started a trial program for women pilots in 1979. Dee Brasseur was one of the four selected. In 1988, she became one of the first two women in the world to fly the F-18 jet fighter. Khatool Mohammadzai became the first Afghan woman paratrooper in 1984. In 1986, Rebecca Mpagi joined Uganda's National Resistance Army as its first woman pilot. She rose to Lieutenant Colonel. In 1987, British Airways hired their first woman pilot, Lynn Barton. Sakhile Nyoni, a Zimbabwean woman, became the first woman pilot in Botswana in 1988. The next year, the Afghan Air Force admitted Latifa Nabizada and her sister, Laliuma, as the first women to train at the military flight school. They graduated in 1991, becoming the first women Afghani pilots.
Although five women officers had qualified as Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots in the 1950s, the RAF didn't allow women to have a career in flying until Julie Ann Gibson and Sally Cox became the RAF's first career pilots in 1990. On July 31, 1991, the United States Senate lifted the ban on military women flying in combat. By 1998, U.S. military women were flying combat missions from aircraft carriers. In 1992, the first female helicopter pilot to fly in Antarctica was Judy Chesser Coffman of the United States Navy. That same year, Lt. Kelly J. Franke was the first woman pilot to receive the Naval Helicopter Association Pilot of the Year Award. In 1993, Matice Wright became the first black woman flight officer in the United States Navy. That same year, Nina Tapula became the first woman military pilot of Zambia. Harita Kaur Deol became the first female solo pilot in the Indian Air Force in 1994, at age 22. Chipo Matimba became the first woman to complete the Air Force of Zimbabwe's pilot training course in 1996. In 1998, Kendra Williams was the first woman pilot to launch missiles in combat during Operation Desert Fox. In 1999, Caroline Aigle received the French Air Force's fighter pilot wings.
In civilian aviation, Veronica Foy became the first woman pilot of Malawi in 1992. By the end of the decade, she was Malawi's first woman captain. The first black female Malawian pilot, Felistas Magengo-Mkandawire, began flying as first officer for Air Malawi in 1995. In 1993, Aurora Carandang became the first woman captain for Philippine Airlines. Asnath Mahapa, the first black South African woman, became a pilot in 1998. That same year, Nicole Chang Leng became the first woman pilot of the Seychelles. In November 1998, M'Lis Ward became the first African American woman to captain for a major U.S. commercial airline, United Airlines. Also in 1998, Barbara Cassani became the first female CEO of a commercial airline, Go.
In 1998, Aysha Alhameli became the first Emirati female pilot from the United Arab Emirates.
More groups were formed to support women in aviation. The Ninety-Nines started the Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarship Fund in 1940. This fund has provided over $12 million in scholarships to women worldwide to help them succeed in aviation. Women in Aviation, International (WAI) formed in 1990 and created the Pioneer Hall of Fame to honor women who made special contributions to aviation. In 1995, the Federation of European Women Pilots (FEWP) was founded. Two years later, the Association for Women in Aviation Maintenance (AWAM) was formed.
Amazing Women in Aviation
Over the years, many women have made incredible contributions to aviation. Some were true pioneers whose influence opened doors for many more women in different parts of the aviation industry.
Harriet Quimby – 1875 to 1912 Quimby was a famous pioneer in the United States. She was adventurous and encouraged more women to join aviation. Through her articles in magazines, she challenged women. Her ideas for airlines to carry people and planned air routes greatly helped the aviation industry grow. She warned pilots about being too confident and stressed the importance of safety. Taught by John Moisant, Quimby was the first woman to fly across the English Channel. In her article "Aviation as a Feminine Sport," Quimby wrote that there was no reason why women couldn't be as confident as men in flying. She believed that with careful attention, accidents could be avoided. Quimby strongly believed in the U.S. aviation industry and encouraged more women to fly.
Nancy Harkness Love – 1914 to 1976 Nancy Love played a key role in getting women accepted as both career and military pilots. At 16, with only 15 hours of solo flying, Nancy had to land her plane safely when the weather changed and her instruments failed. This event marked the start of her 40-year career. In 1940, she and 32 other pilots flew American planes to Canada to be shipped to France. At 28, she was made Director of the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS). This group of women tested aircraft, delivered planes, and trained other pilots. The WAFS were crucial in bringing women pilots into the military. Under her leadership, women flew every type of military aircraft. Her strong belief that women could work alongside men in non-traditional roles opened many doors for women in aviation.
Geraldine (Jerrie) Cobb – 1931 to 2019 Born to a commercial pilot in 1931, Jerrie Cobb was the first woman to qualify to go into space. She learned to fly with her father's help and a flight instructor who owned a plane. By her 17th birthday, she had a private pilot's license. She saved money from playing semi-professional softball to buy her own plane. At 18, she got her commercial pilot's license, allowing her to fly professionally. Jerrie later joined the Lovelace Foundation, where she passed all 75 Mercury astronaut tests. She and 11 other candidates were chosen for Project Mercury. Even though she was later removed for not having jet piloting experience, her contributions inspired many other women to join NASA and the aviation industry.
Women in Aviation Today
Today, women's involvement in aviation is still low. As of December 2019, only 5.4% of all certified civilian pilots in the United States were women. In Canada, this number is 8.15% for civilian pilots, and 18% of jobs in the Royal Canadian Air Force are held by women. The global average for women airline pilots is 3%.
In 2008, only 16% of people working in aircraft and spacecraft manufacturing were women. Women made up only 25% of aerospace engineers in 2014. Also, less than 6% of senior leadership positions in airline companies were held by women in 2015. Ayesha Farooq was the first female fighter pilot for the Pakistan Air Force. India has been very successful at getting women to pilot commercial airliners, with women making up 11.6% of pilots in 2014. Women there say that strong family support helps them balance family and career. By 2012, China's PLAAF had trained over 300 female pilots. Many have been trained to fly China's most advanced combat jets. In 2016, Wang Zheng became the first Asian woman to fly solo around the world.
In Japan, Ari Fuji became the first female captain for commercial passenger flights in 2010. In the Asia-Pacific region, there's a shortage of pilots. This is helping to reduce gender biases and encourage airlines to hire more women. Vietnam Airlines offers flexible flight schedules to help with personal needs. EasyJet provides scholarships for women pilots to help with training costs.
In Africa, many trained pilots move to the Middle East or Asia for better career opportunities. Women Aviators in Africa was founded in 2008 to inspire young women to train in aviation. Efforts are ongoing to increase the number of women in aviation because women are less likely to move away if they can find good jobs in their own communities. In 2022, Zara Rutherford became the youngest female pilot to fly solo around the world.
Challenges Women Face
Women often had to work very hard to prove they were as capable as men in aviation. Clare Boothe Luce once wrote, "Because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed. If I fail, no one will say, 'She doesn't have what it takes.' They will say, 'Women don't have what it takes.'" Early aviator Claude Grahame-White even thought women were "not 'temperamentally suited' to handle the controls of an airplane."
During the first National Women's Air Derby in 1929, women faced "threats of sabotage." Headlines even read, "Race Should Be Stopped." Because flying was seen as dangerous, many aircraft manufacturers in the late 1920s hired women as sales representatives. The idea was that if a woman could fly a plane, it couldn't be that hard or dangerous.
In 1986, a spokesperson for the Airline Pilot's Association said there were only two women Boeing 747 captains because women in aviation were "relatively recent." However, in 1934, Helen Richey became the first woman to fly a commercial airliner. She quit after ten months because the all-male pilot's union wouldn't let her join, and she rarely got to fly.
Old ideas about men being in the cockpit and women serving drinks have made it hard for women who want to fly. They often have to deal with negative attitudes from co-workers and society.
A study in 2005 found that many women pilots either didn't know about sexism or hadn't experienced it directly. However, many women believe that more women face prejudice than they admit.
Education and Training
Historically, women were often excluded from education. But after the Civil War, women were allowed to attend classes with men. More recently, the number of women going through education has greatly improved. In 1970, 42.3% of college students were women, growing to 56.1% in 2007. This means women have more access to education and training programs than ever before. So, women can get the aviation training they need, just like men. This helps show that women are capable of handling any job in aviation. Therefore, women should have the same opportunities as men, given their skills and knowledge.
Unequal Pay and Career Growth
Wage inequality, where women are paid less than men for the same work, is a problem in aviation and other industries. Even with the same skills and experience, women often earn less. Also, the culture in the aviation industry has often favored men for career advancement. Few women reach top positions, which are mostly held by men. Women have a harder time moving up the career ladder, while men often move up more easily and quickly.
To help with these inequalities, programs are becoming more common. For example, A-WING is a program run by volunteers that teaches young women about aviation job opportunities. It aims to increase the number of women in aerospace jobs by 25% by 2025, a goal called "25 by 25." Such programs are important for addressing career advancement inequalities for women in aviation.
Solutions for Gender Equality
Affirmative Action
Studies show that affirmative action (policies that favor groups that have been discriminated against) has encouraged women to become pilots. It has motivated women to take on challenges and enter this male-dominated field. Continuing to use this approach is important to make it easier for women to enter aviation and move up to top management roles. A positive attitude and a change in culture are needed for men to change their views on women's involvement in aviation.
Funding and Scholarships
Getting the necessary training and knowledge for aviation requires a lot of money. These high tuition and training fees are often paid by parents, students, or through loans. Given the high costs and the lower starting incomes for women, it's important to offer incentives for their studies and training. Many aviation students drop out because of the high costs of qualifications, licenses, and the time it takes. Therefore, more scholarships should be available for women interested in aviation careers to help achieve gender equality in the long run.
Changing the Culture
Attitudes, stereotypes, and prejudices are deeply rooted in culture and have greatly contributed to inequality in aviation. It's important to educate men about how these attitudes affect women and why changing the culture in aviation is necessary. Understanding these impacts helps build better relationships among diverse flight crews. Women also need to be encouraged to pursue these careers to fix the problem where they have been discouraged from professional aviation in the past.
See also
