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.