Legislation promotes aviation career paths for women
More than half the nation’s workforce is female, but only 6 percent of pilots are women. Legislation recently introduced in the Senate seeks to improve on those numbers by encouraging the aviation industry to help women pursue aviation careers.
The bipartisan bill, titled the Promoting Women in the Aviation Workforce Act of 2017, is sponsored by Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine).
It would “express the sense of Congress that the aviation industry should explore all opportunities to encourage and support women to pursue a career in aviation.”
Other provisions include directing the FAA to establish a Women in Aviation Advisory Board “to promote organizations and programs that provide education, training, mentorship, outreach, and recruitment of women in the aviation industry,” directing the FAA to report to Congress on trends that discourage women from pursuing aviation careers; expanding existing scholarship opportunities for women in aviation; and coordinating professional training and recruitment programs, according to a news release announcing the measure.
“Our bipartisan legislation encourages the aviation industry to offer opportunities, such as pilot training, STEM education, and mentorship programs that would help women to pursue and succeed in aviation-related careers. Sen. Duckworth and I urge our colleagues to join this effort to improve and increase the educational opportunities for women in aviation,” Collins said.
Women in Aviation International President Dr. Peggy Chabrian noted that the bill cites WAI’s Girls in Aviation Day “as a program that helps ‘young women be introduced to the different opportunities that are open to women in the aviation and aerospace industry.’”
She also noted the recent passage by the House of Representatives of the Women in Aerospace Education Act, which was “designed to engage girls at a young age” to set their sights on fields with low participation by women.
Why it’s a top trainer
Explore safety highlights of the popular Cessna 150/152 series
By Machteld Smith
The Cessna 150/152 series remains one of history’s most successful two-seat airplane designs. More than 30 years after the last 152 left the factory, some 12,000 remain registered in the United States. While many of the 150s that preceded the 152s were originally marketed for personal use under the model name “Commuter,” the models’ simplicity, durability, handling qualities, and low operating costs have also made them hugely popular as training aircraft. While they are fun and affordable to fly and have a proven track record of reliability, like all airplanes certain aspects of their operation require particular care and caution. The AOPA Air Safety Institute’s recently released Safety Highlights: Cessna 150/152 report examines how the 150/152 accident records differ by patterns of use (personal versus instructional), and how they compare to those of other models of similar power and size.
Web: www.airsafetyinstitute.org/C150-152safetyhighlights
Machteld Smith is an aviation technical writer for the AOPA Air Safety Institute.
Fly the airplane, not the panel!
Do you get distracted by glass? Fly along with the AOPA Air Safety Institute’s iPanel Pilot Safety Announcement, which takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the modern electronic cockpit’s endless opportunities for distraction. Be assured, it’s only a satirical reminder that aircraft are still aircraft and need a pilot mentally aboard. Enjoy the ride and remember to fly the airplane.
www.airsafetyinstitute.org/psa/ipanel
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