Hey guys, thanks for the responses. When I was looking to make the career switch to aviation, I was really worried about potential misogyny and asked a male pilot friend of mine about it. He said the age of misogynistic pilots are retired (or retiring), but that wasn’t to say I still wouldn’t run into it occasionally. I have been pleasantly surprised by my fellow male pilots who have treated me as nothing but an equal. Only during one regional airline interview did I run into a male pilot who actually started talking to me about female pilots getting pregnant and taking time off of work, and being too pregnant to fly. The scene would never make it into a movie because of how unbelievable it was. It was bananas and needless to say I got out of there fast!

Anyway, I think rather than offer affirmative action in hiring, it would be more beneficial for airlines to contribute to outreach programs for minorities and females. I can’t vouch for minorities, but a a female, the higher paying STEM fields really aren’t encouraged at young age. Guidance counselors encourage us to become nurses, teachers, flight attendants, when they should be encouraging us to be doctors, professors, and pilots. I don’t think it’s a conscious effort, but looking back, definitely an observation. Hopefully it’s different with the new generation. Anyway, thanks for being supportive! I hope you’ll encourage your daughters, sisters, and female friends to become pilots. There’s no reason we should be such a small minority of pilots, other than most of us aren’t exposed to aviation as a possible career path.