Why Do So Few Women Become Pilots?
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Hellfire Corner
Posts: 374
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I've no answer, but would dearly like to see the end of the pink toys/clothes default for young females. I thought things had changed a decade or two back, but when I read that Lego felt the need to produce its highly useful bricks in pink I realised we have made no progress at all. More importantly, schools should be teaching subjects equally. At primary school, I had the dubious benefit of sewing when the boys were learning woodwork (both would have been welcome), compounded by the time I left grammar school by the lack of any exposure at all to the things our male peer groups could enjoy, such as metalwork or car maintenance. Ergo, my only exposure to getting ones hands properly dirty came from hanging about the men of the family.
I suspect and hope times have changed in education, but as was mentioned in a post above, the meedja promotes some ridiculous ideas. The instant world enabled by the internet doesn't seem to be working for the greater good, although one would hope there's easier routes now to information for would-be pilots or engineers or umpteen other occupations.
My 2d worth.
I suspect and hope times have changed in education, but as was mentioned in a post above, the meedja promotes some ridiculous ideas. The instant world enabled by the internet doesn't seem to be working for the greater good, although one would hope there's easier routes now to information for would-be pilots or engineers or umpteen other occupations.
My 2d worth.
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 1,546
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My dad was a sailor. Grand-dad designed racing boats - invented the first hull that climbed the step. But he didn't drive them, his Chaffeur had to do that....
And Grand-dad to keep his offspring challenged, founded a one design sailing club that got a lot of youngsters out on the water. Wartime rather interupted this sort of thing, but in 1950 my Dad paid half the cost of a secondhand Comet, 17 feet long, which I sailed solo exploring the rivers of Chesapeake Bay.
A very good beginning for a girl to gain self-confidence and technical background at fairly low cost. We all learned to swim at an early age, that goes without saying.
Taking the next 28 years off to raise a family, I came late to aviation, but the background was there, the physics, the management of a craft with an airfoil, the weather, navigation, emergency procedures, judgement. The basics all too often missing from the power pilot insulated in his heated cockpit and cosseted by gadgets, imagining himself safe because ATC is telling him what to do.
My Dad was still alive and very proud when I passed the examinations and the flight test and proudly showed him my British PPL. He passed away the following year.
Thanks, Dad.
And Grand-dad to keep his offspring challenged, founded a one design sailing club that got a lot of youngsters out on the water. Wartime rather interupted this sort of thing, but in 1950 my Dad paid half the cost of a secondhand Comet, 17 feet long, which I sailed solo exploring the rivers of Chesapeake Bay.
A very good beginning for a girl to gain self-confidence and technical background at fairly low cost. We all learned to swim at an early age, that goes without saying.
Taking the next 28 years off to raise a family, I came late to aviation, but the background was there, the physics, the management of a craft with an airfoil, the weather, navigation, emergency procedures, judgement. The basics all too often missing from the power pilot insulated in his heated cockpit and cosseted by gadgets, imagining himself safe because ATC is telling him what to do.
My Dad was still alive and very proud when I passed the examinations and the flight test and proudly showed him my British PPL. He passed away the following year.
Thanks, Dad.
I think that children need a friendly handle to get into things. If that's pink fluffy lego, why not. I bought a neice a book on world history for Christmas - which I'm sure if it was a standard worthy book on the subject, she'd have ignored. But as some bright spark at the publisher did all the illustrations with playmobil characters, she loves it and is getting really enthused because it's not to her a worthy book about history, it's a book of stories about her favourite toys.
Interesting your experience with your Dad Mary. Mine was a designer at Supermarine originally, working on the UK's early jet fighters. When I learned to fly he declined to ever come flying with me citing it having been scary enough teaching me to drive. Strange thing is, it was my Mum who taught me to drive - and she loves coming flying with me.
People are strange creatures.
G
Interesting your experience with your Dad Mary. Mine was a designer at Supermarine originally, working on the UK's early jet fighters. When I learned to fly he declined to ever come flying with me citing it having been scary enough teaching me to drive. Strange thing is, it was my Mum who taught me to drive - and she loves coming flying with me.
People are strange creatures.
G
