Originally Posted by
planecrazyjenn
This is directed towards the fighter guys. I've worked fighter units (A-10/F-16) most of my ANG career thus far, and everyone knows I want to fly. When I mention this, almost everyone says go heavies because your a female. This isn't a heavy v. fighter debate. I want to know how you, as pilots, feel about having females flying along side you in fighters. I've met many females that I feel really know their stuff, and make me wonder why men are so hard on female fighter pilots. What do you see wrong with them, and how could they be better? It's a bit discouraging to hear such words, yet on the other hand...it makes me want to get the slot to really show them that there are females who live and breathe military aviation. Be as harsh as needed. I've met some that make me think they've killed the chances for a female to get hired with some guard units for a while.
So I'm curious what you guys see as faults right now...so that I wont be one to make the same mistake(s) down the road.
Jenn
Not a fighter guy, but have experience in male-only military specialties. I also lived through the tail-hook debacle...
As far as flying airplanes goes, I think there is no reason that women can't do as well or better than men. Most past problems have involved affirmative action...ie starting with a very limited pool of interested women (as opposed to the pool of male applicants lined up around the block) and trying to make the available female candidates fit into a mold they may not have been cut out for.
The combat aspect is more of an issue. Realistically, fewer women have the natural physical aggression that male combat-arms types usually display. In ground-combat, it's just not realistic. I'm a skilled operator and a life-long athlete. There are women who are smarter than me, women who are stronger than me, and women who have more stamina than I do...but I haven't met one who was stronger AND had better stamina. The ones with the stamina weigh 110 punds, and their stamina doesn't work well with 80 pounds of gear and weapons.
Fighter pilots obviously have to be aggressive, and there is a physical aspect to it as well (not quite like the stuff I do though). I'm sure there are women who have what it takes in the fighter community, but you probably want to do a self-assessment as to your own level of aggressiveness. There's a difference between being able to qualify to fly the airplane and actually doing justice to the weapon system. You are the only one who knows the right answer.