The other day as I was looking through national news I came across something that surprised me.
Someone had left a female pilot with WestJet a strange note, which simply stated that "The cockpit of an airline is no place for a woman. A woman being a mother is the most honor, not as 'captain.'"
The note went on to say that he would have preferred being told in advance that it was a female pilot because he would have switched his flights.
Throughout his time on the airplane he apparently asked flight attendants about the pilot's abilities and if she had logged enough time behind the controls.
After the note, which was left on a napkin, was found and read the pilot then went to Facebook where her post soon went viral: "I respectfully disagree with your opinion that the 'cockpit' is no place for a lady. In fact, there are no places that are not for ladies anymore."
Though WestJet did not have a comment regarding the incident they did say that they employ 1,118 male pilots and 58 female pilots according to CBC, while WestJet Encore employs 96 male pilots and 10 female pilots.
Though they are by far the minority amongst total employed pilots with WestJet the fact remains that male or female the position is obtainable should you want to pursue aviation.
I do find it odd that someone would take this stance today, but everyone has their own opinions. However, I feel that this opinion was one he maybe should have kept to himself. Unless it comes to physical strength women can keep up with men in any field, while even when it comes to strength many women have performed physical tasks throughout their entire lives and could give some men a challenge.
It's an archaic idea for gender specific roles in this day and age, especially when there have been pilots like Amelia Earhart. The note left for the female pilot seems to be something that should have happened in Earhart's time, not something in 2014.
The situation seems even more ridiculous when you realize it happened a few days before International Women's Day held on Friday, March 7, which WestJet released a salute to women in aviation.
Equality for women has been a long road over the years. When once they were treated like property we now have the ability to vote and are supposed to be equal in the sense of being able to work in the same fields as men.
For the most part, however, it is still reported that women make less than men in the same job a lot of the time and there is still a difference between the genders although this gap is narrowing.
The world has changed completely over the years and it seems to me this individual who wrote the letter is perhaps behind in the times. Hopefully one day he realizes that equality and respect are deserved for all people, that everyone should be given the opportunities to succeed and follow their dreams.
Carey Steacy also wrote on Facebook: "You were more than welcome to deplane when you heard I was a 'fair lady.' You have that right. Funny, we all, us humans, have the same rights in this great free country of ours. Now, back to my most important role, being a mother."The world has changed a lot in many different senses, but to belittle approximately half of the human population by saying women shouldn't be allowed on the flight deck is quite surprising because of all these changes the world has seen.
