Page 6 - InterPilot 2020 Issue 1
P. 6
President’s
Editorial
FUTURE EDUCATION AND FEMALE PILOTS
By Captain Jack Netskar
A worldwide pilot shortage is being structural elements, which in turn have
projected over the next twenty years. several sides.
There are many factors at play, including
retirement and the overall global increase One is the inability to attract female pilots,
in air traffic. In this situation, where there is and the other is the inability to appear
a high need for pilot growth, concerns are attractive enough to the talent that are
being expressed as to whether the industry candidates to enter the industry. Both
will be able to attract enough people who elements are very important, but I would
want to devote their professional lives to like to focus on the first and touch upon
becoming a pilot. some elements as a basis for further
discussions.
As an example; this concern about future
pilot shortages has motivated the largest It goes without saying that it’s difficult
aircraft manufacturers to explore new for an industry to attract enough talent
operational concepts such as reduced pilot when half of the global population is left
operations and autonomous operations out. Why isn’t the proportion of women in
where the cockpit is manned by only one, or our profession higher than about 5%. In
no pilot at all.* Of course, what lies behind most other male-dominated professions,
this concept may purely be estimated cost we have seen the proportion of women
savings, regardless of labour supply issues. increase greatly. In the medical, legal, and
financial professions, numbers of women
Is a concern for future pilot shortages also have been climbing steadily, but not
a contributor to the fact that training and amongst pilots.
qualifications are constantly subjected to
pressure in the wrong direction (such as The explanations for this situation are
MPL), with lower quality and less training/ many. It may be due to the fact that a
experience to qualify for a pilot seat in pilots’ lifestyle and work rhythms are often
commercial aviation. incompatible with family life. There are
also educational and economic conditions
Personally, I share some of the views of that cause men and women to choose
those who are raising concerns for future differently. The lack of promotion from the
recruitment, but perhaps not on the same authorities and airlines may be another
basis. My concern is based on two main cause.
