Page 7 - InterPilot 2020 Issue 1

PRESIDENT’S EDITORIAL PAGE 7

“It’s difficult to state, as a 25-year-

old, that you will love 14-hour

flights when you’re 60!”

Of course there are a multitude of other reasons. In the number of reasons for a low
proportion of women in our profession, I find one relationship particularly compelling and it
is the educational and career path for a pilot.

Today, regulations are designed in a way that you need a flight license to pursue the profession,
you do not need a university degree, as in most other professions. There are examples of pilot
training at private flight schools, airline inhouse pilot training/flight schools and there are
examples of University training/education funded by the authorities which in principle lead
to the same result, an eligibility to control an aircraft.

The only immediate consequence of the two educational paths is that the person who chose
the academic route generally carries at least twice as much debt as the person who did not.
Historically, these educational choices ultimately had little consequence in a career: you got a
job and a seniority number and followed the flow until you retired (ideally). I think the coming
generations think differently. They do not necessarily envision a career where you will fly until
you retire, or work in the same company until you retire.

The lack of flexibility and variety that locks you into one company and position is not an
incentive to younger generations. It certainly does not contribute to increased recruitment
of female pilots. I think we must fundamentally change our thinking in terms of what a pilot
education should entail in order to adapt to future requirements and appear attractive to new
talent.

This is a responsibility that must be taken seriously by the authorities and other industry
stakeholders. Increased liberalization, increased automation and digitalization, and more
complex scenarios establish new requirements for a commander and must be reflected in the
educational process and qualification requirements.

I strongly believe that this is best accomplished via an academic university environment that
ultimately results in a bachelor’s degree. A university student has access to resources in many
different areas that will be relevant to future pilot education. An academic degree will provide
the flexibility and the choices I think many are looking for, opportunities for further education
and qualifications for different career paths if desired or required. It’s difficult to state, as a
25-year-old, that you will love 14-hour flights when you’re 60!

As a basis for a further discussion of the topic, I believe we need to think a little beyond
the current Annex 1 when future recruitment is to be discussed and explore how to achieve
gender balance in our profession.

*IFALPA’s position remains that the current standard of flight safety can only be maintained with two or
more well-trained, well-rested pilots on the flight deck.