RAAus new website/members portal

[facthunter]

Regarding the gender balance in flying. It must be that the situation as presented is not that attractive to women/girls. There are NO impediments to them participating as far as I can see, that are real. Perhaps some of the comments here and there are a bit sexist. They could be a bit off putting if you are expecting better. Nev

 

 

[fly_tornado]

Why don't you heap some praise on them?

 

 

[facthunter]

Have I been posting in invisible ink? Nev

 

 

[fly_tornado]

sorry, i have you on my ignore list

 

 

[facthunter]

Problem solved. Nev

 

 

[rankamateur]

There seems to be a fairly active push for girls to become commercial pilots, perhaps once they filter through the system and wander off into retirement we will see a lift in lady recreational pilot numbers.

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

Australian Women Pilots Association (AWPA.org.au) have been encouraging women since Nancy Bird started flying. The actual discrimination is mostly gone - the days when the airlines made it impossible for women to fly and the Forces wouldn't take them, are mostly over. Despite offering scholarships and doing great things with girls, the number of female pilots is no where near the percentage in the population. The number of female members in RAA has declined - the Annual report says the % women has remained stable over 5 years (see above) - however the membership total was larger 5 years ago, making that LESS women members.

 

 

 

RAA did give their only female board member (Carol Richards) a terrible time, forcing her resignation despite her sterling work on Natfly, GYFTs etc; but the Board and management have changed since then. I am confident that our newest female board member will be treated on her merits. Most of the dinosaurs are gone. There are women flying, instructing, building - just have encourage more girls to give it a go.

 

Sue

 

 

[DrZoos]

If our club, which is big is reasonably representative, then i think its just a lack of desire to be PIC... there are lots of women who like to come to social events, they help out at club functions, but they just dont fly... I can only think of three that actually fly and very occasionally.

 

Clearly if I was RAAus and looking to boost the numbers, women are a great target market to go after...there must be some that want to fly...

 

Affordability is a huge issue at any age....but if you look at our demographics where the majority of our members are in the 50+ categories..then many women at that age would possibly have grown up under very stereotypical expectations fo what woman can/cant should/shouldnt do and many would have spent time out fo the work force raising kids... this compounds the affordability issue, especially given 51% go through divorce and thus more economic turmoil...

 

Then there is the fact many would be starting to think about retirement and would have little in super due to lower wages and time out of work force....

 

So its not at all surprising that our numbers are low and will rise....but my guess is it will take a substantial amount of time and many will come back to RAAus after commercial aviation careers, rather than come into RAA as 50 year old first time pilots.

 

 

[gandalph]

I can't see how a person's ability to learn to fly, enjoy flying, take an interest in the governance of the RAA or stand for office in that organisation should be in any way affected by the type of gonads with which they come equipped. I suspect the root of the problem (or perception of the problem) lies 'tween the ears not the legs.

 

 

[DrZoos]

I can't see how a person's ability to learn to fly, enjoy flying, take an interest in the governance of the RAA or stand for office in that organisation should be in any way affected by the type of gonads with which they come equipped. I suspect the root of the problem (or perception of the problem) lies 'tween the ears not the legs.

I dont think anyone has mentioned ability....we are talking about possible reasons.

 

 

[facthunter]

They don't race motorbikes either to any extent. I noticed a few brave ladies on very used motorcycles in the Territory, who had obviously done a lot of Kms on their own. I'm not sure I would try and persuade anyone who didn't show much enthusiasm, into flying U/L's, who didn't show signs of at least a slight feeling of identification with the idea of flying. Gliding has a few serious ones I think. They don't show off as much as blokes. (a generalisation I know, but true I reckon. ). Nev

 

 

[DrZoos]

a generalisation I know, but true I reckon. Nev

Lol not bagging , you just having some fun at your expense....but when is a generalisation ever true....lol

 

its a bit like when we say....

 

IM NOT >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> BUT >>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

i do it all the time, but find it much funnier when others do

 

 

[gandalph]

I dont think anyone has mentioned ability....we are talking about possible reasons.

Doc, whether it's ability or reasons..... or potential; motivation; opportunity or any number of other appropriate nouns, I don't think that substituting any them significantly changes the point I was trying to make.

Statistically there are more men than women on the earth. The ratio is somewhere between 1.1 or 1.2 to 1 depending on which source you accept. Though the 2012 census has 102,300 more females than males in Australia (11.4 million females vs 11.3 million males) so why isn't that ratio reflected in more of our society? I don't have the answer to that but I suspect it involves a mix of culture, traditional role modelling, psyche and a host of other things that are beyond my ken.

 

I think the point that Adele took umbrage at was that if you didn't specify your gender, the form on the website assumed that you were male. That presumption is almost certainly a reflection of the gender make up of the Association's membership. Perhaps we should be asking WHY the Association needs to know our gender? It's about as relevant to our flying as our hair colour!

 

 

[pylon500]

And this thread drift is fixing the RAAus website how exactly?

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

Statistically there are more men than women on the earth. The ratio is somewhere between 1.1 or 1.2 to 1 depending on which source you accept. ....

No, your figures are out by a factor of 10. A google of the subject provides many sources and they're all fairly close in agreement that there are between 101 and 102 males for each 100 females, the UN gives the figure as 101.8 males to 100 females. That's a ratio of between 1.01 and 1.02 to 1, not 1.1 or 1.2 to 1, which is a negligible difference of numbers between the genders as far as affecting the balance of male to female participants in a sport or pastime.

 

I'm inclined to think that fewer females get involved in flying, recreational or otherwise, because of what they most want out of life and that usually includes the security of a home and having a family, whereas young men live a more carefree existence and therefore can more easily adapt to the rigours of the process of gaining experience during the early years of commercial flying and the extended absences for tours of duty later on.

 

And I think it's for similar reasons that vastly fewer women take part in the other various forms of motorsport.

 

 

[gandalph]

No, your figures are out by a factor of 10. A google of the subject provides many sources and they're all fairly close in agreement that there are between 101 and 102 males for each 100 females, the UN gives the figure as 101.8 males to 100 females. That's a ratio of between 1.01 and 1.02 to 1, not 1.1 or 1.2 to 1, which is a negligible difference of numbers between the genders as far as affecting the balance of male to female participants in a sport or pastime.

Yep. You're right. Dyslexic fingers!

 

 

[Geoff13]

I have a female friend who has spent the last 2 years riding around Australia on a postie bike. She just clocked up 100,000 klms last week.

 

 

[facthunter]

Better than walking I suppose. I have a mate who used to service those for the Post Office . They get them real cheap and quit them at about 40,000 kms and lose hardly anything. They race them in New Zealand. They reckon if you race one you will probably beat it. Nev

 

 

[Geoff13]

They are well known for their comfortable seats. I have the postie Bike Challenge on my list of things to do one day.

 

 

[SDQDI]

I'm doing my bit to encourage the female half of my offspring into flying:thumb up:. She loves the zero g feeling and wants to be able to fly upside down, so maybe a future aerobatic pilot:nod: Yes yes not in the Hornet!

 

 

 

[gandalph]

http://www.chonday.com/Videos/pilotkidfunju3

[Guest Andys@coffs]

Kasper

 

There can only be migration problems if there is something to migrate......In the main there is little to nothing to migrate.

 

Net result is that today the data looks crazy..........but give it a year or 2 and it will start to look sensible

 

In turn that will allow sensible analysis and reporting........what a novel concept.

 

If the whole Jabiru/CASA thing were to reoccur in a couple of years time then there would be some serious ability to produce meaningful reporting rather than the current whistling in the wind.......

 

That all said I look at your data and wonder why on earth the migrated total flying hours was put into 2006......if it was 2014 or 2015 depending on your membership renewal date then that would be logical......not sure why the 2006 date was chosen because its clearly a falsehood given that I know the hours contained in the old system was simply a replaceable total that was upgraded at each membership renewal....... Presumably you've been a member continuously for the last X years without a break?

 

Andy

 

 

[terryc]

http://www.chonday.com/Videos/pilotkidfunju3

A future pilot for certain

 

 

[frank marriott]

I am missing the point, if a female is not a Miss, Mrs or if they choose Ms - then what are they, I probably don't need to know.

 

 

[Guest Andys@coffs]

I am missing the point, if a female is not a Miss, Mrs or if they choose Ms - then what are they, I probably don't need to know.

Im guessing at least 2 zero's to the right of the decimal point in terms of statistical relevance...... and based on a membership base of circa 9000 that means......less than 1......back to the drawing board!