Why Should You Consider Being a Pilot as a Woman?

“This is your captain speaking”… This comes by as a surprise if we heard a woman say this. Why? Because we hardly get to see a woman pilot in the cockpit. But we would love to.

If you are a woman aspiring to join the aviation industry, here are some reasons you should consider becoming a pilot:

• Inspire the change – The aviation industry is facing a pilot crisis in general. On top of that, the shortage of the feminine gender in particular. Despite the respect pilots claim, numerous women cite the lack of gender role models; seeing the job role as “masculine”, and uncertainty of the unknown as reasons for not opting to be a pilot.

As a woman pilot, you can be a role model to your passengers, inspiring them to admit their wards in flight schools and to the upcoming generation inspiring them to fly high.

• The profession of a pilot is for you too – It is easy for anybody to assume that the profession is meant for men upon seeing the complicated engine control at the cockpit as well and the lack of women pilots.

In contrast to the assumption, the profession commands a blend of feminine and masculine characteristics. A pilot needs to multitask, handle different kinds of people and communicate effectively. These are some of the feminine characteristics you can bring to the table.

• You are encouraged – There are more programs and professional pilot courses available to boost you than you may be aware of. Programs such as EasyJet’s Amy Johnson Initiative and Virgin Atlantic’s Future Flyers Program are designed to encourage more women to join their pilot team.
• Multiple payment options – Flight schools are costly. We can’t but agree that the expense of flight school is a factor that keeps many deserving candidates at bay from pursuing their career as a pilot. We have good news. If you do not have a sponsor and you do not want to take loans, you can still opt for the course you want to take up by pursuing a degree in aeronautical engineering and working as a flight instructor. The number of hours you serve earn you enough to be able to pay for the course.

Besides, there are several scholarship options that you can avail of. Women in Aviation; and Association for Women in Aviation are two of the many organizations that offer scholarship programs to women interested to pursue their careers as pilots.

• You are welcome – Negative comments are a very rare occasion once you become a captain. Even if  it comes in, you may realize that it is coming from a place of fear and may not be meant to disrespect you.
• The Perks – The perks that come along with being a pilot is what attracts most people to the profession. A career that pays you well, provides you a good work life balance, allows you to travel locally and internationally and also gives you the travel perks to stay at exotic locations and visit with your family at discounted rates is a dream too good to be true for most people. Not for you though! If this is what you desire, you can make this dream come true by becoming a pilot.

Conclusion

Women have played an instrumental role flying the aircraft during World War II. They displayed the courage and strength at a time when the media presence was not as great as it is today to generate awareness. Therefore, there is no reason for you to think that you will not be able to do it.

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