Why are just 7% of pilots women?
In 2018 there were fewer than 200 pilots and those in the industry say gender stereotypes continue to perpetuate. Piers Fuller reports.
When Chani Leitch told her high school careers advisor she wanted to be a pilot, she was told hairdressing might be more appropriate. But more than two decades later the Christchurch businesswoman and mother is pursuing her aviation dream.
Experts say gender stereotyping is one of the reasons the proportion of women in the aviation industry is still very low.
According to the 2018 Census, there were 174 female pilots in New Zealand, just 7% of the total. But the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), major industry players and prominent air shows are trying to change that with a range of programmes aimed at women.
After selling her business two years ago, Leitch, 39, decided to train for her private pilot’s licence and now she has her sights on a commercial licence to become an instructor.
She says it has been rewarding, but challenging. ‘‘It’s been the most amazing experience so far... being a mum is my first priority, but my kids have been along in the journey with me.’’
Leitch says her Rangiora-based flight school Tie-Upp Aviation had a women in aviation programme and she found support from female aviators online.
A major focus of biennial air show Wings Over Wairarapa is its STEM offering to students to help to guide them into science careers, with an emphasis on aviation. One of the key contributors to this year’s show, which has been postponed until later in the year, would be an introduction to the Air Force’s School to Skies programme, which gave young women hands-on experience.
RNZAF squadron leader Lisa Eavestaff says the programme was created in 2017 after the Air Force recognised that it needed more diversity. Currently 8% of its pilots are women, and 16% of those in aircrew trades are female.
‘‘It’s not just an Air Force issue, it’s a whole societal issue. Women in aviation are really underrepresented, and not just in the pilot side, but also in the engineering side.’’
Eavestaff says there is still a lot of gender stereotyping in everyday life, which continues to have an impact on young people’s choices. ‘‘It’s really good that we’re starting to see a shift ... very slowly we will get there, but culture change is never fast.’’
The annual School to Skies camp was for Year 13 students, bringing together a cohort of 40 young women onto its Ohakea base in central North Island, to ‘‘show them what life in the Air Force could be like. What life in a STEM role really looks like, to try and persuade them, not even necessarily to come to Air Force, but to get into these STEM roles’’, Eavestaff says.
The RNZAF achieved its initial goal of 20% female representation by 2020, and Eavestaff says its next target is 25% by 2025.
Aviation New Zealand chief executive John Nicholson says the industry needs more qualified pilots and engineers and air shows helped promote the profession. He says between 11% and 15% of trainees are women, but there are efforts to attract more with scholarships and education programmes.
New Zealand Association of Women in Aviation president Margaret Wright says society is still not encouraging young women into the industry. ‘‘The public perception of what a pilot might look like is certainly not looking like a female.’’
Wright has been flying for 40 years and her father, who was a World War II pilot, introduced her to aviation and became her mentor. She says her organisation and others are particularly focused on exposing young women to career options by talking to groups at schools and supporting individuals.
Air New Zealand is the most significant career pathway for commercial pilots in this country and women make up 9% of its pilots. Air NZ chief people officer Nikki Dines says this compares favourably to the international rate of 5% .
About 18% of Air NZ’s engineering team are women and 8% of its maintenance crew.
‘‘The lack of women is a challenge for the aviation industry across the globe, and we know that as an industry and organisation there is more we can do to attract and retain female talent in our business,’’ Dines says. ‘‘Gender diversity isn’t just the right thing to do, but it also brings valuable perspectives and skills that help us to better serve our customers and communities.’’
Air NZ is working to increase female representation with a range of initiatives, she says.