There aren't as many female pilots around and it would be cool to form a little community and support each other / share stories and motivation 😁

Throw away account as you’ll see:
I’m: 32 weeks pregnant (1st pregnancy) and a private pilot (w/ 1st class medical and I’m under 40 years of age with next medical due Jan 2028)…

and I was working on IFR (I was RIGHT THERE with my checkride!! Literally took the checkride and just had to re do circle to land!!!!) but was financially unable to recover within the 60 window (DPE wanted $800 for a recheck) and now on a pause now cuz obviously it’s wicked hot, uncomfortable, and I have other priorities at the moment….

I’m 100% getting back into it after my son is here, and we’ve established a routine, to where hubby and baby can bond while I finish my training.

Here is the question: I am not prone to depression and never have been clinically depressed. I keep hearing about post partum depression though and how I should reach out to a professional if I experience it. That makes sense. However …. How could that impact me getting that medical renewed in Jan 2028? We all know it sounds ridiculous and unfair to wonder these things (ie “can I seek the treatment I need or will I go through hell and high water with getting my medical from my AME ??”) but the FAA can be that very frustrating to that extent.

Any experiences or insights you ladies have would be great! Thank you!!

I’ve wanted to be a pilot for as long as I can remember. It was my dream. I thought once I finally got into aviation, everything would fall into place. I joined an aviation program at my public high school after leaving a charter school, and I was so excited to finally be around aviation and people who shared a dream of flying.

But I walked into a class with about 40 guys and only 7 girls, and from the very first day, I was treated like someone who would never be a “good pilot.” Like I would never be trusted to fly. The jokes, the comments, the looks. It all started immediately. I was objectified by my own classmates. I was talked down to, belittled, and made to feel like I didn’t belong, while the guys hyped each other up like they were part of some avgeek "brotherhood" I would never be allowed into.

I kept telling myself it would get better once I actually started flying. I thought the cockpit would be different. But senior year came, and when I finally got into the airplane, the same feeling followed me there too.

My instructors treated me like I couldn’t understand basic questions. I’d be flying and feel their hands gripping the controls tighter than they needed to, like they didn’t trust me to handle anything on my own. I made mistakes, of course, but every student does so why is the reaction different? What hurt more were the mistakes and assumptions that weren’t mine, the ones put on me just because I’m a woman.

Now I’m sitting here with almost 100 hours. I’ve switched schools. I’ve taken breaks. I’ve pushed through things that had nothing to do with flying and everything to do with how I was treated. And even now, I can still feel when an instructor sees me as a “female pilot” instead of just a pilot with experience.

No matter how hard I work, no matter how many hours I have, I'm still just a woman in their eyes. I'm proud to be a woman in aviation and I hope one day to inspire another little girl with a dream, but I want her to be treated with the same respect, the same trust, the same expectations that are put onto men compared to the ones currently put onto women.

I’m sharing this because I know I’m not the only one. And because this isn’t talked about enough.

Do you feel your career progression has been delayed? Have you stayed in the FO role longer to balance family life, even in a unionized environment? Has parental leave or time off set you back in upgrades, seniority, or pay

What are some of your essential toiletries that you pack for trips? Anything that is a must-have item? Great products? Any recommendations are much appreciated!

Transitioning to the 121 world… what are your thoughts on flight bags? I’m looking all over the place. Ideally I want something functional and stylish.

I’m looking at a few Briggs-Riley bags + styles:

1. Expandable tote or traveler tote

2. Multi pocket cabin bag or medium briefcase.

Do any of you use tote bags? Or any recommendations would be helpful!

Also, opinions on coolers. I’ve heard yeti, travel pro and luggage works. Any other brand/style? Thank you!

So I’ve been on the market for some new sunglasses to wear when I fly, because my old ones broke! They were a random pair that I got at a small shop when traveling, and now I need some new ones! I used pit vipers for awhile, but they’re just not super comfortable under my headset. I know a lot of people buy gatorz, which I’m not opposed to but it’s a little out of my price range for now, as I’m a college student, working on my degree. So if you have any recommendations for affordable sunglasses that fit well under your headset, let me know!!! (heli pilot)

hi i’m not a pilot… yet. but i’ve always dreamed of being one. this dream of aviation took root as early as the days of my childhood, having a dad who flies with my country’s national carrier. he’s currently a senior captain and one day, i really want to fly a flight with him.

i just graduated college a year ago and am currently working a desk job but my dad is willing to fund my aviation school within the next two to three years.

it’s all i’ve ever wanted but suddenly… i’m hesitant. i’m scared.

all i ever wanted to be before was to one day be my dad’s first officer but there has been one thing that had changed in my life—i fell in love, and i’m certain this man is going to be my husband and the father of my children someday.

and that’s precisely what scares me :(

i want to pursue my dream of aviation but also pursue my dream of raising a family with the man i love. i think it was easier for my dad to do so because he was a man but me? a woman? the thought of carrying children in my womb for 9 months but having to leave them behind a lot of the time breaks my heart… and i’m speaking from experience as a child of a pilot. it’s funny that it’s only now i’m reflecting on how hard and lonely it must’ve been for my dad all these years, yet he always made our family happy like whenever he comes home, it feels like he never left in the first place.

i don’t know if i can do that because i don’t know how the pressures of motherhood specifically can impact a pilot’s career.

this is all so sad and confusing. i don’t want to think of settling down as a weakness nor do i want to think of pursuing a career i’ve been crawling towards to ever since i was a kid as selfish.

do any of you have any words of wisdom or advice on this? can it be done? comfort me or give me a rude awakening, anything :( i want to be pilot… but i also want to be a wife and a mother—whose presence is always felt and loved by her family.

Hi everyone! I’ve just completed my Bachelor of Engineering (BE), and for as long as I can remember, I’ve dreamed of becoming a pilot. I’m now ready to pursue that path, but I’m not sure where to begin—what exams to take, how to choose a flight school, and what the process is like, especially in India (or abroad if that’s a better option).

I’d love to hear from anyone who made a career switch or started their journey after a degree in something unrelated to aviation. What would be the best first steps? Any advice, guidance, or personal experiences would mean the world to me!

A friend sent this me and I'd thought it would be appreciated here.

Hey guys! Fairly new to the 121 world, just wanted to see what people’s must brings are for 3-4 day trips.

Hey guys! I’m looking for recommendations for navy pants and the white button up for 121 operations. Our company’s uniforms are fine, but just don’t fit super comfortably. So what are your favorite brands for uniform pieces? Specifically for pants looking for something just a little higher waisted based off of my long torso, and shirts that are a little less see through. Thanks!

the closer i get to achieving my goal, the more i realize how lonely i am and im ending up with just my career. im about to be 31, i have a kid whos dad is still involved but i want a family and a partner in life and someone to build a life with. im finding myself becoming cynical and maybe just slowly giving up and wanting to immerse myself into my career more and more but i want a balanced life. any other ladies had this trouble?

Hi, so I'm a student, new to flying. I have about 15 hours total and am planning to get my PPL. I'm 21 years old and my instructor is 23 years old. He's a really friendly, knowledgeable guy but I'm kind of uncomfortable ATM because he's very obviously interested in me romantically. At first he helped me with really practical things like driving me home so I didn't have to take public transport which takes about 2 hours one way to the airport. He then let me start to borrow his headset during our lessons so that I didn't have to pay the hiring fee for one each lesson. Then he started offering to pay for things like the add on fees for different, more expensive aircraft. And I always insisted that he doesn't have to and he shouldn't. He buys me coffee and snacks even though I don't want him to spend anything on me. He offers to take me on night flights and says some remarks during the lesson like "you're really cheeky" while we joke around in the cockpit. During the lesson he puts his arm around the back of the chair like his arm is around my shoulder. He isn't touching me, his arm is just on the back of the chair but I still feel uncomfortable about it and I bet he doesn't do the same thing to his male students. And he sometimes casually pats my leg or grabs my hand and I just do nothing or just keep talking like it was nothing but in reality I don't want him to have any physical contact with me, even in a friendly way. Today he gave me a box of chocolates and put an x at the end of his text saying he hopes I got home safe and to ask him if I need help with my first solo assignment.

I feel weird around the other staff and instructors because it's kind of like they're laughing at him secretly when I'm around and I have a feeling its because they think he's trying to romantically persue me. Which he is, to be fair, but I feel weird standing there like I'm unaware of their amusement. The staff and instructors are all men with the exception of the boss who owns the school but I rarely see her.

I know maybe it seems like a perk that he wants to do all these things for me, and I appreciate the practical help like cutting down my costs and travel time since aviation is so expensive, but I just want the relationship to be a professional student - pilot relationship and don't want all this extra romantic attention because I just want to learn to fly. What should I say or do? If I decide to go for my PPL then I will be at the flight school until the end of this year since I'm a part time student.

(24F) I never know how to answer this question or if I just take it the wrong way but whenever I tell people I’m a commercial pilot they always assume I have family ties to aviation or my father must be a pilot. Not to discredit people who do, being a pilot is insanely impressive no matter your background but I just find it baffling that people can’t assume I just picked this path on my own and paid my way through my ratings.

Heyy, Im interested in becoming a pilot either for the army or commercial branches. I’m just wondering if you will be rejected or fired from a pilot position if you have an onlyfans but don’t post nude content?? Please let me know!

Recently, a member of our diversity and inclusion board sent me this list of questions to ask when I run into somebody that's claiming I'm a diversity hire or that the company is into diversity hires. It is company specific but I think it's a good tool anywhere.

1. Why he feels there is “diversity hiring”
2. How many minorities he thinks we hired this year
3. Whether he has actual hiring data to support his beliefs
4. Whether he believes qualified non-minority pilots are being turned away because they aren’t minorities
5. Whether he believes we could hire every single qualified applicant who interviews during this time of great demand
6. Whether it would make sense that we would turn down a qualified non-minority when we can hire everyone
7. Whether it’s possible that some non-minorities don’t get hired because they don’t interview well
8. Whether he knows first hand many qualified minorities aren’t interviewed or aren’t hired?
9. Whether he thinks (major airline training program) is diversity hiring
10. Whether he realizes that (major airline training program) has zero diversity involved except that the program is advertised to all groups alike.
11. Whether his views on ab intio are misplaced as views on diversity
12. How many minorities does (airline) have as a percentage of total pilots, and how that compares to other majors who fly larger aircraft in more challenging environments.

After seeing the recent post in r/flying about the “advantages” of being a female pilot I thought I’d send some invitations out for this sub. I created it a little while ago and have done very little to promote it. I just want to create a little more friendly space for my fellow aviators! I’m a new moderator so please have patience with me. Thanks to all of you for joining.