“The feminist movement was responsible for the most amazing growth for the American female pilot population.”
Really? How does Ms. Goyer quantify that emphatic statement? I suggest those years were incredible growth years in aircraft production combined with air travel becoming mainstream for the average American citizen. Without the internet of today, businesses leveraged airplanes for the fastest way to ink a deal. The Vietnam War, demands for business aviation, and aircraft production was at an all time high. Pilots were needed to fill those seats.
“In that era, women were willing to attempt to dismiss their gender identity to fit in.” Isn’t that the way for all people to behave when engaged in business?
Aviation has indeed provided an opportunity for over 100 years for both sexes to be private and professional pilots based solely on meeting all established performance parameters. Many women played key roles in developing those standards. Pancho Barnes, Louise Thaden, Blanch Noyes, Jerry Cochran, Amelia Earhart, Betty Skelton, Jerrie Mock, Katherine Stinson, Harriet Quimby, Tiny Broadwick, Julie Clark, Ruth Nichols, Elinor Smith, Fay Gillis Wells, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Nancy Harkness Love, Gloria Heath, Mary Utterback Barr, Willa Brown Chappell, Helen Richey, Evelyn Bryan Johnson, Patty Wagstaff, Vicki Cruse, Olive Anne Beech, Arlene Elliot, June Maule, Martha King, Hanna Reitsch, Shannon Lucid, Martha Lunkin, Judy Resnick…the list is long spanning from 1903 to present…and growing, including my flight instructor in the mid-nineties. I suggest Ms Goyer spend a little more time reading, studying, and reflecting upon these and so many other women who helped grow aviation. A study of aviation history can be quite refreshing and invigorating.
No argument that there were challenges during all of this period of history. Those challenges included race, creed, gender, among a long list of selfish prejudices that is at the heart of the human soul creating unjust cruelties that all of us have had to deal with. Pure selfishness is an equal opportunity employer.
However, aviation has been open to anyone with the money, tenacity, drive, ambition, and discipline to do what is required becoming a pilot, mechanic, administrator, engineer, etc, that encompasses aviation.
Are their still “man caves” and male chauvinists? You bet, just like “she sheds” and female chauvinists. Ego is gender neutral. Are there prejudices in this world? Absolutely. But there is nothing stopping a motivated individual to become gainfully( a relative term) employed in aviation…and that has been a part of aviation since 1903.
Instead of pink T-Shirts, women in aviation acronyms/alphabet groups, and photo ops showcasing women at airshows, etc., I suggest aviation deal with the rules, regulations, money, and time it takes to become an integral part of itself.
For some reason, many within and outside of aviation thinks participating in a three dimensional world is the same as any other endeavor in a two dimensional world. It is not the same, never will be the same, and will only be taken up by a very small proportion of the population. They idea that aviation can be approached denying that reality is ludicrous.
The three dimensional world is still a frontier, and will remain that for a very long, long time, if not forever. Challenging those frontiers will never be for the masses. Sound idealistic? The numbers speak for themselves.
Even today, if anyone finds out I am a pilot and an aircraft owner, I am considered by most as somewhat unique, quirky, adrenaline junkie, rich, privileged, over-achiever, pick a stereotype, pick a prejudice…but never considered average. Sometimes that appeals to my ego, other times it is frustrating. We all have been there.
And if I don’t cooperate with the three dimensional frontier, I can get hurt…or worse. All of those frontier physical laws, when dismissed, ignored, misunderstood, and challenged will hurt you eventually. Most human beings intrinsically know that. Therefore, it will never be for all, but is very open for anyone who enjoys those challenges…male or female.
Normalize aviation? Really?