Beyond Recruitment: Making Aviation a Lifetime Career

It’s frustrating to see the energy expended on attracting more women to aviation, led predominantly by older men from a generation accustomed to stay-at-home mothers and wives, or by younger women who may not have experienced the challenges of balancing work, marriage, and children.

These advocates often portray aviation as a glamorous career, but perhaps the focus should be on improving the industry rather than mass-producing new pilots, who may well leave when it’s time to start a family.

Henry Ford’s introduction of the five-day, 40-hour work week in 1926 was a groundbreaking concept that faced resistance from other business owners. Despite the initial backlash, Ford’s shorter work week eventually became the global standard. His insight that happier workers were more productive, and that increased leisure time would stimulate consumption was transformative.

Perhaps it’s time for another shift. The Covid-19 pandemic altered many people’s perspectives on life, with many, including pilots, choosing not to return to their industries. It’s crucial to consider how to make the industry not just more welcoming to women, but also more family friendly.

Let’s discuss maternity leave. I’ve noticed that some contracts only offer three months. However, if we consider this practically, many airlines don’t allow women to fly as passengers after 28 weeks of pregnancy. ICAO states that a pilot should only fly until they are 26 weeks pregnant. Strangely enough EASA says that you can continue to fly until 36 weeks if you have a medical certification.

"I firmly believe that no woman should be forced to work after six months of pregnancy"

As a woman who has been pregnant, I firmly believe that no woman should be forced to work after six months of pregnancy, especially with demanding rosters. Various global health and safety organisations recommend that pregnant women, particularly in their third trimester, should not work more than 40 hours per week. However, five days of 12-hour duties amount to 60 hours.

They also state that pregnancy causes fatigue and there is emerging evidence that working long hours can increase the risk of certain pregnancy complications, including pre-term deliveries and pre-eclampsia. In my case, I experienced a sudden onset of pre-eclampsia at 32 weeks and my body started to go into kidney failure within a matter of hours.

Essentially, airlines offering three months of maternity leave are expecting women to continue flying until they are eight months pregnant. Financial pressure may force women to do so, potentially putting themselves and their unborn child at greater risk due to increased fatigue. Alternatively, they stop flying at six months and are expected back at work the day after the baby is born. If they are ‘lucky’, the airline might allow them to take unpaid leave. Even a six-month maternity leave is not sufficient, as it means returning to flying when you have a three-month-old baby at home who is probably still not sleeping through the night and is still being breastfed.

However, once the miracle of life unfolds and a baby is born, the dynamics of life undergo a profound transformation. It’s not just the mother who is affected by this seismic shift, but the father too. Anyone who has welcomed a newborn into their home can vouch for the fact that it’s a period of intense emotions, a whirlwind of joy, anxiety, and exhaustion. It’s akin to navigating through a dense fog, where time blurs and the world outside seems distant.

I recall a time when my mother visited us after the birth of our daughter. Amid the constant cycle of feeding, changing, and soothing the baby, all I yearned for was a brief respite. A mere 20 minutes where she could cradle our daughter, allowing me to retreat to the sanctuary of a warm bath and the simple pleasure of washing my hair.

"While it’s commonly acknowledged that mothers are susceptible to ‘baby blues’, it’s important to recognise that fathers are not immune to it."

While it’s commonly acknowledged that mothers are susceptible to ‘baby blues’ or postpartum depression, it’s important to recognize that fathers are not immune to it. In fact, studies have illuminated the reality that both parents can be engulfed by the wave of postpartum fatigue.

In the aviation industry, we have stringent laws governing flight and duty periods, which take into account the debilitating effects of fatigue. Yet, surprisingly, there is no clear guidance on the duration of leave that should be taken by either parent after the birth of a child.

Given our understanding of the detrimental impact of fatigue on pilots and the potential compromise on safety, should we not consider adopting a Scandinavian-style policy for maternity and paternity leave? Shouldn’t this progressive approach become the standard?

By fostering such supportive policies, we can create an environment where women don’t have to make the agonizing choice between having a child and pursuing a career. It also paves the way for fathers to play a more active role in their child’s life, a desire shared by a majority of men in the 21st century. This additional support could significantly ease the path for women to remain in the workforce, thereby promoting a more balanced and inclusive society.

There are many roles in aviation that don’t require unsocial hours and are more suitable for family life. These roles could benefit from a pilot’s practical operational experience. Some examples are roles in the training department such as a simulator instructor or content creator for training, or roles in the safety and quality assurance departments.

However, I think there are other roles that would benefit from having experience as a pilot who has flown operationally. I was offered a freelance job a few years ago for a company that trained air traffic controllers and they acknowledged that some of the subjects are areas of training were conducted much more effectively if it was delivered by pilots with experience.

I think this philosophy of cross-departmental knowledge sharing can be highly beneficial in the aviation industry.

If pilots were to provide training modules to flight dispatchers, it could foster a deeper understanding of the reasoning behind certain aviation laws. For instance, a pilot could explain the importance of weight and balance calculations from a practical perspective, detailing how an improperly balanced aircraft can affect handling and safety.

It is also impossible to return after kids, because licences become invalid

Another barrier for pilots who have decided to take time out from flying to look after their child or children is returning to the industry. It is also impossible to return, because licences become invalid. I have many friends in this situation, that their circumstances lead them to stop flying to look after the kids and many of them now have children that are old enough for them to return to work but having not flown for a number of years, means they are no longer current and rating are no longer valid.

If airlines were to implement an unpaid leave scheme that allows pilots to take a few years off while still providing the annual simulator session needed to revalidate their licenses and type ratings, it would offer a viable solution. This approach would enable pilots to take a sabbatical to care for their children and then return to their careers. It’s a win-win situation: the airline retains experienced personnel, and the pilots gain a whole new skill set from their parenting experience. Moreover, it’s a cost-effective strategy, as it’s cheaper than training new pilots only to lose them a decade later. This means that the pilot can return and provide another 20 to 30 years of service. Experience, after all, is invaluable.

Therefore, a combination of measures that allows parents of young children to take on training and other roles, enabling them to work more family-friendly hours, perhaps even some days from home, could be beneficial. With support from airlines to maintain the currency of pilots’ licenses, more women could continue to contribute to the industry.

Perhaps it’s time to initiate a new era, reminiscent of the ‘Henry Ford – 40 hour a week’ movement. A time to reimagine the workplace as a family-friendly environment that enables both parents to actively participate in their children’s lives. This could be the next pivotal step in our collective journey towards genuine equality.

In the broader context, these changes align with the principles of feminism, which at its heart, advocates for the social, economic, and political equality of all genders.

However, the practical reality paints a different picture. The gender gap continues to exist, and it cannot be effectively bridged until society creates an environment where both parents can be actively involved in their children’s upbringing. This is the essence of true equality.