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
OK, I'll bite. I was a single seat fighter guy. When I was active duty, women fighter pilots were JUST beginning to enter the fray. Personally, I didn't care what was in your pants if you were flying on my wing, just as long as you knew your job and did it! But I wasn't niaive, I sure wouldn't want to be the FIRST woman fighter pilot in the USAF. It was certainly a mans fraternal organization.
Time will tell, as women fighter pilots assimilate and integrate. Hopefully you would be recognized for your abilities, not your sex. I never flew with a woman fighter pilot, but I sure flew with some marginal male fighter pilots.
If you WANT to fly the high performance fighter, in a complex and demanding mission on a global scale, go for it! You'd be doing something very few people in the world could do. If you want to build time and fly heavies from point A to B, then do that instead. I've done both, and the most rewarding flying was my F-15 time (and I'm certainly not talking about $$ here).
Good Luck.
