Comments on: The Glass Cockpit

By: Tracie in Tallahassee

Tracie in Tallahassee — Tue, 19 May 2009 13:22:42 +0000

I’m with the last poster – I’ve been struggling internally with a prejudice I didn’t know I had until the latest presidential election, and one I’m not proud to admit. Let’s just call it “youthism.” I hit that magic place that ALL of us eventually reach, where some of the people running for President of the U.S. are, gasp, YOUNGER than me. During the campaign I kept thinking things like “when he graduated from law school, I was already doing (fill in the blank).” I must say that I have absolutely no problem with female pilots and, in fact, prefer them over male pilots. I was a pilot myself in my younger years and learned that, in general, women pilots paid much more attention to detail, tended to stay more focused, were less tuned in to what others were thinking about them, and I could go on. So . . . Captain Amber and a crew of male flight attendants would suit me fine. As long as Amber was at least a year older than me.

By: Kevinlar

Kevinlar — Mon, 18 May 2009 13:22:40 +0000

What I’m curious about is, why is she shown in a graduation gown? You’d think the airline would have a proper photo of her in uniform, without that cute smile. This photo does nothing to gain public confidence.
I have no problem with her being a woman. No pilot wants to get themselves killed. It’s just that she is so young. I don’t see anyone so young reacting with the seriousness and leadership abilities necessary in an emergency. Any inexperienced young male pilot (like the one who flew me and my son around the Grand Canyon) would make me just as uncomfortable.

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 15 May 2009 22:25:07 +0000

I have also been morbidly fascinated with this. Above all, she just looks so YOUNG. And God forgive me, but he doesn’t look like the smartest guy in the world.
Bottom line? I won’t book commuter flights, and I don’t let my husband take them either.

By: lora

lora — Fri, 15 May 2009 13:26:01 +0000

I agree with Kristin. And I have the same problem. I want women to take care of me and men to keep me safe. It makes me feel little and secure, the way you feel when you are little and you can fall asleep in the car because daddy is driving and daddy always gets us home in one piece

By: Well Read Hostess

Well Read Hostess — Fri, 15 May 2009 12:01:12 +0000

1) Men are different from women. In terms of evolutionary biology, the primitive part of our brains trusts that men are going to kill the sabertooth tiger and women are going to stay home and sweep the cave.

2) You are a woman, and you wouldn’t trust yourself in the cockpit, despite the fact that you are highly competent in many areas. It is much easier to relinquish control of your entire life as it rockets through the atmosphere at 35,000 in a tin can to someone who is so clearly not anything like you. You can trust someone with whom you don’t identify in this situation more easily than you can trust someone with whom you do identify.

At least, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. I KNOW that I would react the same way.