On 27 Oct 2004 09:47:44 -0700, (Robert M. Gary)
wrote:

(NoPoliticsHere) wrote in message . com...
C Kingsbury wrote:

As a proud fascist right-wing capitalist pig, what I'd like to know is,
what's yer point? We've already allowed them to fly planes, drive cars, own
property, even vote, so what precisely is it you would like to see done
about the scourge of chick pilots?

That's easy. No special allowances for gender. Female pilots should
be held to the same standards as the guys. If that means two females
in one cockpit, so be it, but make it equitable.

The problem with that is that there are fewer women signing up for the
military to fly than men. In order for the military to quicky meet
their quota they were forced to allow women to fly that did not meet
the same standards or receive the same amount of training time. That
was the case of Lt. Kara S. Hultgreen. Its been about 10 years now, I
hope they've resolved that issue.

They most assuredly have resolved it. It's taken some time, but the
early issues of quota filling are long gone. There are still a bunch
from my generation who have difficulty with the concept, but I've had
the opportunity to meet some of the current female tactical aviators
and it appears to me that they are doing a fine job and are fully
accepted by their counterparts.

One active duty, former F-15E A/C and squadron operations officer told
me that in Desert Storm he flew nearly one-third of his combat
missions with a "wing-woman". He's currently at USAFA serving as an
AOC. His wife, also an AOC was an F-15E WSO. Both attend annual River
Rat reunions.

Another woman I've met, entered service as an F-15E WSO, then after
flying combat in Kosovo, got selected for pilot training. She's now an
F-16 pilot in my old squadron, the 421st TFS. At River Rats in
Nashville last year, a group of male aviators--all still active in the
fighter force--told me (without prompting or politically correct
superiors hovering nearby) that "most of us have to work our asses off
just to be mediocre, she is outstanding without even trying". They
wouldn't say such things without good reason.

It has taken some time, but it has now been around 25 years and the
generations have changed the old thinking about gender roles.



Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
www.thunderchief.org