AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - November 2022 - 24

FLYING LIFE
Men and women
in the cockpit
Different doesn't have to be uncomfortable
BY NATALIE BINGHAM HOOVER
MY BOSS AT THE FLIGHT SCHOOL recently came in and slumped into
the chair beside my desk with a worried sigh. " These young
women in the office are saying some of the male pilots around
here make them feel uncomfortable. You don't get treated like
that, do you? " Our discussion that day led to a much larger conversation
with all the men and women working at the flight
school about how to treat each other with respect and professionalism.
And while my colleagues rarely manage to make me
feel uneasy anymore, I was a 20-year-old girl in the aviation
industry once, and that girl didn't handle things quite as well as
the 40-year-old version does now. Older and wiser is a real thing.
Things have happened to me and my female friends that
should never have happened in this " modern " century. One of
my friends, who was a first officer on a corporate jet, was told to
go sit down when attempting to give a safety briefing to her passengers
because the passenger didn't need a " flight attendant "
telling him how to open the door of an airplane. Another of my
I'm saying the things I wish someone would have
told me when I took my first flight lesson.
friends endured long, unwanted hugs from the flight school owner's
father every day at work because she didn't want to be rude.
A female flight instructor friend was told by one of her students
that he would be asking a male CFI to conduct his long crosscountry
because he was aware that women tire easily. A regional
airline friend found pornographic magazines left in the right seat
of the cockpit that she had to move so she could sit down and
get to work. Another pilot friend was asked about Viagra by the
examiner on her very first airline checkride.
OK, I'm lying. Those stories aren't entirely true. They didn't
happen to friends. They all happened to me.
Knowing these stories are tame in comparison to what the
first women in cockpits experienced, please understand I'm not
looking for sympathy here. I am simply speaking to an industry
full of well-intentioned men and women who want to fly together
in peace, but maybe don't have all the tools or knowledge to do
so. I'm saying the things I wish someone would have told me
24
AOPA PILOT / November 2022
when I took my first flight lesson, or since I have two daughters
and a son, maybe I'm speaking to them, too, so they can fly in a
world that is better equipped to handle each other's differences.
Hey Nat,
I'm so glad you made the decision to take that first flight lesson.
You're going to love flying for the rest of your life. It will complete
you and challenge you in ways you can never imagine. There will be
hard things though. You're working in a male-dominated industry.
As part of the 6 percent of female pilots, there are some things
you need to know. Never let anyone make you feel uncomfortable.
If a male pilot wants to hug you or stand too close or lean right
over your shoulder while you're reading a checklist, you can just
say 'I'm not a hugger,' or 'No thank you,' or whatever makes him
respect your personal space. Don't worry about sounding rude or
hurting his feelings. That's not your problem. If a male pilot says
something that feels off, like he enjoyed flying with you because
you have a 'nice smile,' ask yourself whether he would say that to
another male pilot. If the answer is no, then it's OK to speak up.
You have a right to be respected in the cockpit for your flying skills
rather than the way you look.
On that topic, please don't look like you're going to the bar when
you're at the airport. Dress like a professional if you want to earn
the esteem of your male counterparts. Even the nicest guys, especially
the nicest guys, may rush to be chivalrous or offer help when
you don't really need it. You're not on a date. You're at the airport.
So, open your own door or hold it open for him if you get there first.
Don't let your male co-pilots preflight for you just because it's cold
or raining. Don't sit back and wait for help. You are fully capable of
handling anything the airplane may require of you.
Men and women alike will get these things wrong. But it's
important to keep trying to base your behavior on mutual respect
for the folks you are flying
with. They are some of the
kindest and bravest people you
will ever meet. Enjoy them
while you can.
Love,
Your older self
myaviation101.com
NATALIE BINGHAM
HOOVER began flying
in 2004. After corporate
and airline work, she
now serves as an FAA
designated examiner and
chief instructor of a flight
school in Mississippi.
http://www.myaviation101.com
AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - November 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - November 2022
