While exact recent numbers vary, Virgin Australia has had around 9% female pilots in recent years, with some cadet intakes reaching over 50% women, though overall representation remains low, reflecting industry trends where women are significantly outnumbered by men in piloting roles globally.
Virgin Australia celebrates International Women's Day with an all-female flight operated by Deborah Lawrie. Ms Lawrie operated the service almost 45 years after winning a landmark High Court discrimination case that paved the way for women to enter the profession.
INFOGRAPHIC: Airlines with the most female pilots. United and Lufthansa are leading the pack, with no African airline in the top.
Virgin Australia currently has around 1,250 pilots, each of whom will participate in two EBT-based simulator sessions every six months.
For International Women's Day, Virgin Atlantic pilot Lauren Wigglesworth, who has spent nearly two decades in aviation, has spoken out about her experience of being a woman in a male-dominated industry.
Airlines in India lead with the highest percentages of female pilots in their workforce, while Asian and Middle Eastern airlines tend to have the lowest. Of the four major air carriers in America, United leads at 7.4%, Delta at 5.3%, American Airlines at 5%, and Southwest at 4.1%.
In Qantas Group, only 7.5% of its pilots are women, while just 4.3% are engineers, according to Australian Aviation.
The principle, also seen as a descent ratio, means that for every 3 nautical miles (nm) flown over the ground, the aircraft should descend 1,000 feet. This flightpath profile simulates a 3-degree glideslope. www.FAASafety.gov AFS-920 18-09 business aviation operators to the common "3:1" descent ratio.
Women pilots, for example, represent only six percent of the total pilot population. At the first Women in Aviation Conference in 1990, participants recognized the need for more women in the industry and for a support group to serve as mentors, advisors and interested colleagues.
Once considered a male-dominated profession, the skies are now open to aspiring female pilots, thanks to increased support from airlines and aviation academies. The demand for skilled pilots continues to grow, making it an ideal time for women to pursue their passion for flying.
Angelina Jolie, in addition to her acting and humanitarian work, is a licensed pilot. She earned her pilot's license in 2004 and owns a Cirrus SR22 aircraft, which she often pilots herself. Jolie views flying as a way to experience freedom and clear her mind, balancing her busy life.
Amelia Earhart
Earhart was one of the most famous female pilots in the world, and the first female pilot to make a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. She was also one of the organizers of the Ninety-Nines organization for female pilots.
Her tour with the Blue Angels lasted two years through the end of the 2024 season. She returned to the fleet in late 2024 to serve as a department head at VFA-87, where she was working on the squadron's 2025 deployment aboard the Navy's newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R.
CUMULATIVE DUTY LIMITATIONS (Domestic and International)
A Reserve Flight Attendant may be scheduled to fly up to thirty-five (35) block hours in any seven (7) consecutive days.
For single-pilot, the maximum duty period is generally 8 hours. For two-pilot, the maximum duty period is up to 14 hours, depending on start time. The FAA acknowledges that initiating a duty period late at night or very early morning raises fatigue risk.
There are four forces that act on things that fly. These are weight, lift, thrust, and drag. Each of these plays a key role in keeping an aircraft in the air and moving forward.
Charter pilots on the other hand, are one of the few pilot positions that are typically paid on a salary basis. Salary is based on the size of the jet flown as well as their years of service and a charter pilot's salary can rage anywhere from $90k-$200k.
India proudly holds the record for having the highest number of female pilots in the world, with women making up over 12% of its commercial aviation workforce—well above the global average of just 5%. In a male-dominated industry, Indian women are quite literally soaring to new heights.
Being an airline pilot is one of the few positions in the entire world where you become a millionaire while you're still on the job. A 20 to 30 year career as an airline pilot will earn you anywhere from 10 to 13 million dollars.
More than many other professionals in roles typically associated with stress, pilots are considered to be highly affected by stress levels.