Aviation needs more women, now

SALT LAKE CITY — Women make up 50.5% of the U.S. population. Yet only 5% of women are airline pilots.

To help balance the scales, a program is working to get more girls interested in the field of aviation by giving free flights.  According to Institute for Women of Aviation Worldwide founder Mireille Goyer, there were “no outreach initiatives targeting girls for this industry. But plenty for boys.” Until she started the program in 2010.

Goyer then pointed to several studies showing women make safer pilots than men:

“One study from the U.S. (Airforce) rated all combinations of pilots on planes; two men, two women and a male and female cockpit crew.  The study found having both sexes flying together was the safest of all combinations because each sex brought their innate strengths to the job,” Goyer said. “(However,) when women don’t think this is a career they can pursue there will never be enough women pilots for safer airline flights.”

Free discovery flight

Goyer wants girls and women to pursue all avenues of aviation, from aircraft maintenance to engineering to piloting.  She said all the roles in aviation are dedicated to getting airplanes in the air, which is why iWOAW enlists volunteers around the world to take girls for “discovery flights.”

Patrick Wiggins is a pilot in Utah and has taken more than 300 girls into the air. He echoed Goyer’s sentiments.

“Women can fly just as well as guys can,” he said. “A few studies show they can handle stress better than men.”

Wiggins has taken girls and women of all ages flying.  However, he said those under nine years of age typically can’t see out the windows, so he isn’t sure how much someone that young gets out of the flight. But their parents usually have a good time.

Wiggins said he allows the participants to fly as much or as little as they want.

“I’ve had girls take off, land the aircraft, and do flight maneuvers,” he said. “I always follow all FAA safety regulations during these flights.”

The busiest time to schedule a free flight is in March, Wiggins said. That is the anniversary of when the first female pilot, Raymonde de Laroche, received her certification on March 8, 1910.

“But I will fly any day, anytime, as long as we have blue sky for discovery flights,” Wiggins said. “… A few of the women have followed up and said they are pursuing a career in aviation.”

He hopes a lot more will get interested in aviation because he is so passionate about.

Still an uphill battle

Both Goyer and Wiggins are passionate about flying.  But there are many other fields in aviation where women are lacking.

“Overall, there are many more women who are mechanics than pilots. However, there are four times as many mechanics so, percentage-wise, only two or three percent of them are women,” Goyer said.

“It’s slightly better in aviation engineering,” Goyer said. “About 10% of women are in that field in the United States.”

Air traffic controllers have the highest percentage of women at 15 to 20%.

“At least they did until the layoffs started happening,” Goyer said.

She said getting the numbers worldwide is difficult. Some countries don’t even allow women to fly and many don’t release the data about how many women work in aviation. Goyer estimates only 2% of women across the globe are pilots.

“If women don’t see themselves in this career or are told by society it isn’t for them, it is difficult to get more females involved,” she said.

Get a support community

Having a support system is the best way to get girls involved.  Goyer said “many women of older generations wanted to fly or work on airplanes, but were told, No!  They are the ones who most often bring their daughters and granddaughters for a discovery flight.”

“When the younger girls get excited, their family members get excited for them and support them.  Including financially.” said Goyer.  Even when groups of girl friends take a flight together, their support for each other can propel women to pursue an aviation career.

Financial support is definitely needed, especially for flying.

Wiggins said it is a minimum of $100 per flight lesson.  “That includes fuel and a maintenance fund as airplanes must have checks every couple of thousand flight hours.”

All the volunteer pilots who work with the iWOAW give their time and plane for free for the first flight.  Wiggins said “I do this because I believe in the mission.”

Changing the system

Goyer said the system is geared to exclude women. Up until 2016 in the United States, the test to qualify as an airline pilot was called “Practical Test Standards” before it was changed to “Airman Certification Standards.”

“This is to make sure we understand this isn’t a girl thing. The new standards were written by men for men to get a pilot’s license,” Goyer said.

She said women are passing with flying colors.

“Yet, we are still being questioned whether we are qualified or not to fly,” Goyer said. “If there were Airwoman Certification Standards, then maybe you could question our abilities. But we all had to pass the Airman Standards in order to have a license.”

Goyer said she herself has been discriminated against as a female pilot in the workplace.

“Men are not questioned about being away from their families for extended periods of time. But those who hire pilots seem concerned when women might be away from home for the same amount of time.”

Goyer believes getting the message out and introducing girls to aviation at a young age is a good step to changing the system that currently exists. So far, nearly 560,000 girls have taken their discovery flights in 75 different countries through the iWOAW program.

Wiggins said he also wants to see more women in his field.

“They make up 50% of our population,” he said. “Why shouldn’t they make up 50% of aviation?”

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