A BA pilot

[Dinaki]

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/cat-burton-transgender-pilot-trnd/index.html

[Carolyn Marie]

Great story of a true role model.  Thanks, Dinaki!

 

Carolyn Marie

[Sally Stone]

So, want to hear something coincidental about pilots and trans women?  I have attended the Keystone Conference every year since its inception and the 3rd or 4th year we began to realize that a lot of us were commercial pilots.  Each year, as news spread of our existence, our numbers seemed to multiply.  We became known as the Fly Girls, and at last count, there were over twenty of us.  Now we all have little flair pins we wear when we attend.  There must be something about rarified air or being closer to the sun.

[Jani]

I saw that story on CNN.  What a wonderful life! 

 

Wow that's interesting @Sally Stone!

[KayC]

Great story, @Dinaki!  thank you for sharing!

[KathyLauren]

Great story, @Dinaki.  And an interesting perspective, @Sally Stone.

 

It may be that aviation is one of those occupations, like IT, that attract closeted trans women.  Airplanes, like computers, don't judge.

 

Not long ago, I came out to one of my old course-mates from my air force flying course.  I hadn't seen or heard from him in over 40 years, but when his name came up on Facebook, I contacted him.  Not only was he totally cool and supportive about my transition, I was not the first ex-military pilot he knew who had transitioned.

 

While there used to be a lot of old boys' club mentality in aviation, much of that is a thing of the past.  The Facebook group where I ran into my old course-mate is for those who flew or maintained the particular aircraft I flew.  I am quite open about my dates of service, so anyone with a sense of history will know that my dates pre-date those of the "first female pilot" in the RCAF.  In fact, that first female pilot herself has "liked" one of my posts in which I mentioned my dates of service, so she certainly has figured out my story.  No doubt many others have, too, even though I am only officially "out" to a handful.  And the reactions have either been positive or neutral.  I have had no negative reactions at all.

 

That is the way it should be.