OK, for those who think female pilots and flight crew are a liability because they'll "panic" in an emergency-- remember Aloha 243? The 737 that became a convertible in-flight? The co-pilot on that little adventure was a woman, whose calm and expert work got the plane to a smooth landing. She didn't panic-- in fact, the captain was faulted (in a brief, gentle reprimand in the NTSB report) for initiating a too-quick descent, but otherwise the entire crew was cited for their professionalism and skill in a very dangerous situation.

That old "but those darn gals get HYSTERICAL!!" line is going by the wayside. I'll count on the people in the cockpit being skilled and professional (although usually criminally underpaid-- I bet you didn't know that!) and hope for low turbulence.

Right on, RJW. At some point this thread became the John Birch Society jokeline.

But,the fact is,men are better pilots.

been chopping too much wood, lumberjack?

i love to fly, and always look for the pilot...not quite sure what I am looking for, but once flying out of Frankfort, back to the U.S. I saw the pilot reading a map and it freaked me out!

That "map" isn't like a Rand McNally roadmap-- it charts most recent wind patterns and shows the flightpath that has been filed for the flight (taking into consideration other air traffic etc.). Nothing to worry about.

This is an interesting article on male versus female pilots.

http://christianparty.net/womenpilots.htm

That's a shrill propoganda screed-- info has been spun and twisted until incomprehensible. Besides, once you get to the bottom, you see its true agenda: "Feminism-- An Abomination Before God!"

Yeah, that sounds rational and balanced....

I can't give you exact time frames, but long before 9/11 pilots needed 1500 hours before the airlines would hire them. During the airline boom time just prior to 9/11 the requirement was dropped to 750 because they needed pilots. Post 9/11 I know the requirement is back up to 1500 and when looking at some applications on line, I saw that at least on one airline required 3,000. Just a tidbit of info for you all to think about.

Regarding the above Website. You can make statistics say most anything you want them to say depending on the bias you come from. This is apparently published by some kind of off base, fundamental Christian group who maintain their purpose is, and I quote, "The Fathers' Manifesto Fighting feminism, ending affirmative action, and restoring responsible fatherhood"

Lumberjack I would be carefull if I were you, the beavers may get you! =-o

rjw and cd,

I think that maybe you are taking this out of context. I would not say that men are better than women, but the fact of the matter is that certain things men happen to be better at and other areas women excel over men. Each sex has their strong and weak points. As a rule, beacuse of our biology/hormones, etc. men are generally better in such stressful environments that require a person to think quickly and clearly (such as flying). Women on the other hand tend to be better at rationally thinking through a situation before make making a decision. Unfortunately, when there is an airline emergency there's no time to think rationally. You have to react with the proper action as quickly as possible.

Oooh boy.....I have an old flack jacket if you'd like to borrow it Jacksen! :D

The bottom line is the more senority a pilot has, the better route he gets to fly.

Say on Delta you are flying from Atlanta to London, probably a 100% chance your pilot and first officer each have at least 30 years experience.

Say on Delta you are flying from Atlanta to Greenville, South Carolina. Chances are very good your pilot is a young new hire. Still experienced but maybe 5 years?

As long as the pilot isn't female.

Hmmmm... Jacksen, first of all, I'm a man. I'm defending the RIGHTS of women like my sisters and nieces and my friends who should not have a priori BS assumptions about their skills get in the way of doing things they're good at.

Second of all, regarding the question "to react with the proper action as quickly as possible", may I remind you of American 587? A fully-leaded Airbus hits wake turbulence. The pilot reacts quickly, but his violent rudder movements end up snapping the tail off the plane-- and crashing. Granted, very unusual circumstances, but that lightning-quick reaction was absolutely the wrong one-- more gentle inputs could have got them through that 747's wake.

Duhh-- ! "...fully-lOAded...." My eyes are going...!

About six years ago we were flying from Dublin to Paris and noticed when we boarded that there were two women in the cockpit. When my husband asked the flight attendent if the pilot was a woman, she replied "Yes, do you have a problem with that sir?" "Not at all," he answered, "I think it's great!" (That's why I married him!)

Jacksen
I'm taking nothing out of context. You are entitled to your opinion. This publication has the right to voice their opinion, that's what freedom of speech is. However, I draw the line at my believing their hogwash regarding fighting feminism and ending affirmative action because it is God's will. That is what their entire article is based on and they will make their articles say anything that falls into their belief system.

Jasksen, I have been a police officer for 23 years and have fought your type of beliefs all my service. In fact the only time I didn;t have to fight it was in one particularly risky situation when my male collegues left and I decided to go in. I was commended for bravery for that one, perhaps thats because their instincts told them to run!

About this whole male/female pilot thing - it doesn't make any difference what typical gender differences there are between men and women. There are plenty of exceptions to those trends.

The bottom line is that the pilot is well trained and able to fly the plane safely.

Whoa!!

trishfromoz, I never said that woemen were not brave or inferior to men in any way. In fact I believe that men and women should share household responsibilities, for example. Not where the woman is the one who alwayys cooks and cleans, etc. All I was trying to say is that there are certain areas where women excel more than men and vice versa.

rjw,

The issue of AA flight 587 turned out to be a structural defect with the composite material in the rudder system coupled with the severe tubrlence creatd by the preceding plane that took-off.

This really isn't an issue of women's rights. Women certainly do have the RIGHT to fly a plane or be a police officer, etc. as long as she can prove to be qualified for the job. In making my previous commendts I was merely making an observation as to why there are very few women pilots as compared to men pilots. I did not mean to come across as saying that women should not be pilots. They should, again, as long as they have the ability.

There are more men pilots because it was not an option for women for a very long time. The same way as it was not common for women to become physicians. Even now, most of our surgeons are men. Not only do women have to qualify intellectually, but they also have to fight the prejudice of the religious fundamentalist.

I thought i was the only one that was trying so hard to see who the pilot was, lol. First of all, i absolutely hate to fly, so i must take medicine to calm my stomach. After the flight, i ALWAYS make a point to thank the pilot and tell them what a wonderful job they did.

When i see the pilot before takeoff, i do start pinpointing things about him...is he older...younger...etc...and then those anxieties go to work.

Oh and i look for that friendly staff as well......i remember a guy who wouldn't hold a conversation with me; he just didn't have that "friendly" personality to soothe my flying fears. Then there are some very "friendly" staff who i so do appreciate!

From my own personal experience-I still prefer airline pilots that have gotten their "hours" from the military.This variable will be gone within the next few years for the most part because of the mandatory retirement age of 60.The pilots who have gotten their hours through military training rather than at their local private airport seem to understand the team concept in the cockpit which is crucial in flying. There is alot to be said about the older more experienced pilots in the cockpit with all that is going on these days.I personally to do not care if the pilots are male or female but just someone who is ALOT older than my oldest child? As to to the pilots carrying guns-if you are trusting the pilot to get you and the other 200 plus souls in an aluminum tube through the skies safely(with weather, terrorism and airplane malfunctions)...why would you be concerned about the gun issue? Again,if you are taught to fly and know how to use a gun in the military then what is the problem?
Lastly,even though there are quite a few aircraft these days that have the glass cockpit(computer) type flying(757,767,MD-80's,etc.)the pilots are still having to be on alert to constantly override the computer. For example,its like your car when you put it on "cruise control" but you still have to constantly monitor conditions in front of you.

A couple of years ago I took a flight from ORD-SFO and we were the last passengers to get off the plane. Our pilot got off right after us. We stopped at the women's restroom and our pilot (a man) entered was well. He ignored all the women in the restroom, walked to a stall, peed with the door open, and then left (without washing his hands to boot). A little disconcerting knowing this person just flew us home!! :-S

wow..jacksen..keep digging yourself in that hole.
men are generally better in stressful environments? i guess that's the people who go on shooting rampages at their workplace are men, huh?
and as the previous poster stated, it's really not that long ago that women started getting the opportunity to get in that line of work.