Texas Woman's University (TWU) is launching a new flight school, the Doswell School of Aeronautical Sciences, this semester, aiming to empower women and address the pilot shortage.
Congratulations to Texas Woman’s University on launching the Doswell School of Aeronautical Sciences! This groundbreaking program will empower women in aviation and help address the pilot shortage. Best wishes for continued success!
Handing out free money for education will certainly fill the seats and TWU will certainly hand out degrees. Flight schools will eagerly take grant money for their operations. Reality is that there is a long tradition of failures in this regard, I certainly hope that “this time” will have a different outcome.
This program is part of a larger effort to create long-overdue opportunities for women in fields like aviation, where they’ve been historically underrepresented. We’ve already seen significant progress in the military, with more women becoming pilots thanks to increased recognition and support.
The new aeronautical school at TWU aims to extend that same opportunity to women in civilian aviation. It’s not just about filling seats; it’s about providing the training needed to make a real impact on the pilot shortage. Programs like this are essential because they promote diversity and help ensure the future success of aviation.
Well put, RAF. TWU is a respected venue for higher education, and they don’t just “hand out degrees”. The student has to earn it. I wonder if they have, or will have, a track for air traffic controllers—another area where real shortages are a problem.
If the airlines cannot attract enough men now, what makes you think that women would put up with all the underlying problems? Calling it “diversity” and empowerment" sure sounds a LOT better than “even men don’t want the job so let’s encourage women to accept it”.
Fix the job, then no labor shortages.
Oh, Arthur - it’s a shame that, at least as far as your participation in this forum suggests, you haven’t found any aviation endeavor worthwhile since wheels replaced tail skids. Relax and enjoy the ride, man! New stuff is good, too!
Arthur, I’ve noticed you seem pretty set on dismissing programs like this before they even get off the runway. Are you genuinely concerned about the underlying issues in aviation, or is there something else fueling your skepticism? It feels like you’re more interested in pointing out potential failures than seeing how these initiatives might actually take flight.
I get that the industry has its deeper problems, but why not give these efforts a fair shot instead of grounding them before they even have a chance? It’s like you’re stuck in a hold, assuming no change can ever work. What’s really motivating that? Genuinely concerned.
Programs that DON’T address the underlying problems only extend those problems.
This is a disservice to women and it let’s the industry skate under the guise of “equity”.
Why would women stick around in these jobs if men are not? That’s the serious question.
We both want the best for all people. Let’s work for that first and the rest will sort out just fine. See ya!
Arthur, waiting for everything to be perfect before creating opportunities won’t move us forward. I’ve seen my mother, sisters, and wife—all in challenging professions—make meaningful contributions despite obstacles.
Women like Amelia Earhart, Eileen Collins, and Bessie Coleman broke barriers in aviation by acting, not waiting for a perfect system. Encouraging women to enter the field isn’t about ignoring problems, but about giving them the chance to help shape solutions. Progress comes from action, not from waiting.
The logic fail is that women (or anyone) do not have the opportunity.
Your idea that women today are too clueless or too insecure about aviation is frankly condescending and patronizing toward women.
Point is that helping train new pilots is always good! Training that is targeted at those who did not have a strong personal desire is not a recipe for long term success. That is why “I” don’t see such secondary programs as this one having much impact at all, again.
Arthur,
It’s disappointing to see you misrepresent my argument rather than engage with it directly. At no point did I imply that women are “clueless” or “insecure” about aviation. In fact, my point is the opposite: women, like men, are fully capable and deserving of the same opportunities to contribute meaningfully to aviation. Programs like TWU’s are about addressing systemic barriers, not about suggesting that women lack personal desire or capability.
Dismissing these initiatives as “secondary programs” not only undermines the importance of creating equitable access but also ignores the role that diversity has played in strengthening industries throughout history. We can’t wait for the perfect set of conditions before offering opportunities. That approach would have stalled the progress of every pioneer in aviation—including those women who made groundbreaking strides in spite of the same problems you now point to.
If you truly care about fixing the deeper issues in the industry, then advocating for solutions like this, which encourage broader participation and bring new voices to the table, should be part of the answer—not something you immediately discount. Women have been overlooked in this field for far too long, and it’s past time to support efforts to change that, rather than wait for some idealized version of the industry that may never come.
I respect your concerns about the industry’s flaws, but blocking progress because everything isn’t perfect isn’t the solution. I encourage you to reflect on whether your resistance to programs like this is rooted in genuine concern for their effectiveness—or simply an unwillingness to accept that change is already underway.
And frankly, Arthur, it’s exhausting to see you take every opportunity to tear down initiatives before they’ve even had a chance. Perhaps it’s time for you to stop looking for reasons why things might fail and start considering how they might succeed. Aviation—and society—have moved forward despite people saying “it’ll never work.” Don’t be the person who tries to keep us stuck in the past.
Since we already have opportunities for everyone these days, this free education program will attract those who want a freer education, not those with who had the passion to succeed and have already started doing so. Yea, the overall tendency here is attracting second tier applicants in hopes that a few might have the gumption to stick with it for a decade of servitude and cyclical employment to actually stay in long enough to sit left seat.
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