Ask Captain Lim

Hi Captain Lim,

I have read some of your responses to ladies aspiring to be pilots. However, there are a few things they never seem to ask. I know airline pilots can be very busy and I always wonder if it is possible for lady pilots to maintain fulfilling relationships with the opposite sex.

Is it even possible for then to have successful marriages considering the traditional roles of women. Can they even have children?

Naketa,

Jamaica

Hi Naketa,

Whether female pilots will have successful marriages would generally depend on the kind of airline operations they would be on - long haul, short haul, domestic or regional low cost carriers. Flying in the main airlines is normally less hectic than flying with a low cost carrier.

Well, this is not to say that an airline lady pilot (Captain or First Officer) is less likely to maintain fulfilling relationships with the opposite sex or to have a successful marriage when she is in any of the above operations. Each has its own problem. For instance, long haul flying would entail being away from home for a fairly long period of time each month. Although those on domestic or regional carriers are home most days, they do fly more hours on shorter sectors. So these would impose some difficulties on the traditional roles of women in raising a family.

Whether they can have children would depend on the company's policy. Some would apply the same rules as those of the Flight Attendants whilst others may impose some restrictions. Previously, a lady pilot who became pregnant would be grounded instantly but in the UK, it seems that she can now fly up to the middle trimester (4 to 6 months of pregnancy).

The chances of a lady pilot marrying another pilot are high due to the nature of their work. So when the question of starting a family arises, which of the pilots would put the family on hold?  Many female pilots are in the same predicament - to raise a family or fly? Well, a few find that the grueling schedule of the airlines makes it very difficult to raise a family and would give up flying temporarily.

Yes, it is possible for female pilots to have successful marriages as long as they are aware of the problems that come with the job. There are unglamorous things such as, working at odd hours, stresses that come with checks and the maintenance of the flying currency after their maternity leave and many others.

I do not want to discourage you from becoming a pilot if that is the reason why you are asking me all these questions. Well, even with these issues, there are still many happy female pilots flying around. As one inspiring female pilot said about her interesting career, "Find something you enjoy doing and then find a way to do it for life! ...then, you'll never have to work - you're paid to have fun!"