INSTRUCTORS’ COLUMN HUGH TURNER
Last issue Hugh Turner introduced us to some of the differences between women and men when it comes to learning to fly and going on to become recreational glider pilots. He continues the discussion. SoaringNZ asks for comments and feedback on this and other articles.
WOMEN PILOTS
PART II A (MALE) INSTRUCTOR’S PERSPECTIVE
on first being introduced to new trainees or aspiring aviators; then I Long-term commitment have to consciously work hard to dismantle my own preconceptions to Do men and women have different priorities with long-term give them fair treatment. My generalisations would seem to be: commitment to recreational activity? Aviation is not something one can Men tend to be overconfident, women under-confident in practido well at unless there is significant dedication of long term and regular cal appliance. time from one’s weekly schedule. Is being immersed in any activity Men tend to consider their skills are better than their instructo this degree an encouragement or a barrier to male/female partictors give them credit for and that they are ready to take on increased ipation levels? Clearly if women elect to raise children this becomes responsibility earlier than their instructors will release it to them. a 20 year full time commitment. Yet their spouses are often happy Women tend to be slower to each goal along the learning path and are to manage a dedicated recreational pursuit during this same period often apologetic for being careful or having a perceived lack of skill. of family commitment, so the answer is not clear. While women may Instructors find themselves looking for ways to suppress the assertive delay serious commitment to recreational or athletic pursuit, interestmomentum of the men while encouraging the women to take earlier ingly it would seem that many women athletes achieve their personal responsibility. best achievements after pregnancy and as mothers. Raising children, Men tend to accept lower standards of accuracy and have less managing a household, coupled often these days with working at the tolerance of repetition to gain skill and understanding. Women tend same time teaches women significant skills in multi tasking, time and to display greater desire to get it right, are stress management that may exceed the more self-critical and inspired to do the abilities of their men folk and could prepare task well. They are more prepared to repeat them well for flight management. How well do women thrive exercises as often as necessary to achieve Perception of risk and risk when being taught by men this. management Men have a tendency to trust they can Has our evolution included the develin a man’s world? extract themselves from unidentified diffiopment of an ‘adventure gene’ that is active culties, will face them if needed and in fact in most men, inactive in most women? Do can welcome or invite challenges from the boys and girls get equal exposure to risk unknown. Women have a tendency to need to identify all threats and activity and its management? If it exists, is the relative activation or have answers to them before getting surprised by them. Men tend to dormancy of an adventure gene related to the level of exposure to have an inherent trust in their instructors and the equipment. Women risk activity in the childhood formative years? How much personal risk tend to ask questions about both before committing themselves to the will women accept in comparison to their male counterparts and how unknown (air) yet will often place absolute trust in their male companmuch more or less risk management practice needs to be in place to ion’s (instructor’s) ability and decision-making. make an activity more or less acceptable to either party? Men tend to have a preference to learn their skills practically while Learning methods flying and accept a level of clumsiness along the way as part of the What differences if any can be identified in general in the way process. Women tend to have a preference to know the theory before each gender prefers to learn, be taught, receive and process informathey go flying and expect to handle the aircraft well from an earlier time. tion in terms of accepting or rejecting teaching methods that have been Male instructors may have an instructional technique based on devised and delivered by their own or the other sex? Can we adapt our greater or lesser degrees of intimidation and criticism that may be learning preferences to accept alternative methods or will this inevitaeffective in teaching men. Women may be less accepting of this style. bly compromise our learning ability or confidence? How well do women They are more likely to shop around for an instructor to whom they thrive when being taught by men in a man’s world? relate well then be insistent on doing the bulk of their training with that Some (major) generalisations: instructor. In working as a gliding instructor I find I make some generalisations
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April 2010
