However, flying is always likely to appeal to more men than women, so
a 50/50 ratio would be unlikely.

Jay Honeck wrote:
Ha!

Tell that to Mary, Margy, Michelle, or many of the other women pilots
on this group, and they'll kick your sorry butt all over France...

I'm one of the women pilots in this group, and I think the statement
above about flying *generally* appealing more to men than to women is an
accurate one. If it weren't, how else would you explain that probably
90% of the pilots at the airport on a Sunday afternoon are men? or the
large number of men who complain that their wives aren't even interested
enough to fly with them? How many women do you find in coveralls
*happily* on a creeper cleaning the belly of their airplane on a
Saturday morning?

That doesn't mean that many of us (women) aren't just as interested,
driven and passionate about flying as you -- Mary, Margy, Michelle and I
(Shirl) definitely are! -- but overall, I agree with whoever said that a
50/50 men/women ratio is unlikely. In a random group of 100 men and 100
women, no way the same number of women will say they would like to fly
an airplane as men.

It may indeed be stereotypical to say, but more men grow up around
engines, motors, and mechanics than women, and while there are *of
course* exceptions, that knowledge/education, or the desire TO HAVE that
knowledge/education, is less common to a lot of (not all) women. Some
men enjoy sewing, too, but the *majority* do not, nor do they have a
desire to learn it even though they can appreciate the skill.

Of the girlfriends that I've discussed flying with, many say they'd be
interested in learning how but are very intimidated and put off by the
fact that they would have to have some knowledge of the mechanics of the
engine, and they have an inherent negativity and lack of confidence in
their ability to adequately learn about it, especially when they get
around groups of aviators discussing mags, pistons, fouled plugs,
mixture leaning, CHT/EGTs, etc. Add to that the large number of men who
make women feel like their questions are dumb or that they don't belong
and aren't welcome (yes, there ARE still many out there!), and it's no
wonder the ratio is not 50/50.

Shirl