Women soaring pilots - need some advice

I run the Junior group at our soaring club and we've had a recent influx of girls in a primarily male-dominated Junior group. This is outstanding and I want to encourage more of it, but I need some advice from female soaring pilots about what will motivate young women to remain in our program.

For all of the kids there is a warm up period that can be difficult for them to get through before they are comfortable enough to come out the field and feel useful. At age 14, we're talking about kids who are at that awkward end of middle school, start of high school age. The culture of the boys is that they tend to kid around and tease each other a lot. They laugh it off and usually form a bond that sticks as they continue as Juniors.

All I really know about the girls is that this *isn't* the way they form bonds, particularly with a group of kids that are mainly boys. I know that there's more of a social aspect to their participation -they prefer when they are at the field that another girl is there with them, for example. They are also much more sensitive to making mistake, so they are more hesitant to just jump in and help, which makes it take longer for them to acclimate.

I'd be interested in hearing from any female soaring pilots of any suggestions that you may have for ways to encourage the girls during this initial period. If I can encourage this group I've got to stick around, I think I can recruit some of their friends next season and begin to build on that.

On Friday, August 28, 2015 at 10:31:48 AM UTC-7, wrote:
I run the Junior group at our soaring club and we've had a recent influx of girls in a primarily male-dominated Junior group. This is outstanding and I want to encourage more of it, but I need some advice from female soaring pilots about what will motivate young women to remain in our program.

For all of the kids there is a warm up period that can be difficult for them to get through before they are comfortable enough to come out the field and feel useful. At age 14, we're talking about kids who are at that awkward end of middle school, start of high school age. The culture of the boys is that they tend to kid around and tease each other a lot. They laugh it off and usually form a bond that sticks as they continue as Juniors.

All I really know about the girls is that this *isn't* the way they form bonds, particularly with a group of kids that are mainly boys. I know that there's more of a social aspect to their participation -they prefer when they are at the field that another girl is there with them, for example. They are also much more sensitive to making mistake, so they are more hesitant to just jump in and help, which makes it take longer for them to acclimate.

I'd be interested in hearing from any female soaring pilots of any suggestions that you may have for ways to encourage the girls during this initial period. If I can encourage this group I've got to stick around, I think I can recruit some of their friends next season and begin to build on that.

A couple of suggestions, which may help the newby junior girl -
chose one of the boys - (or one of the girls) to help break the ice and give the new girl some tips about how things are done. Specify a task that she could take on, after briefing. One of our girls was particularly shy and needed one to one coaching to feel more comfortable, and specific directions re how to help. Also of course, encourage the new girl, do not laugh at her mistakes etc.

On Friday, August 28, 2015 at 11:31:48 AM UTC-6, wrote:
I run the Junior group at our soaring club and we've had a recent influx of girls in a primarily male-dominated Junior group. This is outstanding and I want to encourage more of it, but I need some advice from female soaring pilots about what will motivate young women to remain in our program.

For all of the kids there is a warm up period that can be difficult for them to get through before they are comfortable enough to come out the field and feel useful. At age 14, we're talking about kids who are at that awkward end of middle school, start of high school age. The culture of the boys is that they tend to kid around and tease each other a lot. They laugh it off and usually form a bond that sticks as they continue as Juniors.

All I really know about the girls is that this *isn't* the way they form bonds, particularly with a group of kids that are mainly boys. I know that there's more of a social aspect to their participation -they prefer when they are at the field that another girl is there with them, for example. They are also much more sensitive to making mistake, so they are more hesitant to just jump in and help, which makes it take longer for them to acclimate.

I'd be interested in hearing from any female soaring pilots of any suggestions that you may have for ways to encourage the girls during this initial period. If I can encourage this group I've got to stick around, I think I can recruit some of their friends next season and begin to build on that.

You might contact Kathy Taylor at Albuquerque Soaring Club/US Southwest Soaring Museum. She built a display on women in soaring for the museum and might have some suggestions on presenting gliders as not 'boys' toys'. You might also make them aware of the WSPA, http://www.womensoaring.org/ if they haven't PM'd you already. You might also make them, and their male counterparts, aware of youth flight and academic scholarships.

Frank Whiteley

Good suggestions both online and via PM. Thanks everyone, and feel free to chime in if you have additional ideas.

-Tom

http://www.womenglide.co.uk/


At 17:31 28 August 2015, wrote:
I run the Junior group at our soaring club and we've had a recent influx
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girls in a primarily male-dominated Junior group. This is outstanding
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I want to encourage more of it, but I need some advice from female
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pilots about what will motivate young women to remain in our program.

For all of the kids there is a warm up period that can be difficult for
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m to get through before they are comfortable enough to come out the field
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nd feel useful. At age 14, we're talking about kids who are at that
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d end of middle school, start of high school age. The culture of the
boys
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is that they tend to kid around and tease each other a lot. They laugh
it
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off and usually form a bond that sticks as they continue as Juniors.

All I really know about the girls is that this *isn't* the way they form
bo=
nds, particularly with a group of kids that are mainly boys. I know that
t=
here's more of a social aspect to their participation -they prefer when
the=
y are at the field that another girl is there with them, for example.
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are also much more sensitive to making mistake, so they are more
hesitant
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to just jump in and help, which makes it take longer for them to
acclimate.

I'd be interested in hearing from any female soaring pilots of any
suggesti=
ons that you may have for ways to encourage the girls during this initial
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eriod. If I can encourage this group I've got to stick around, I think I
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an recruit some of their friends next season and begin to build on that.

I am a father of two girls who were/are juniors at our club and are now private pilots. I would say that in some ways they are no different than boys when it comes to the actual flying part - but they are there for the 'romance of adventure' if you will, and may need more mentorship/encouragement then the boys. I have a couple of suggestions:

- Be sure that a mentor, usually one of their main instructors, is keeping not only the short term, easily achievable goals in their minds ("you're going the fly the entire flight", you're going to thermal and soar", etc.) but also longer-term - just beyond the horizon type goals believable. Sometimes that means referencing other women who started the same way and some cool soaring adventures they had.

- My girls at least seemed to need more of the 'hey, you're good at this' type of encouragement than the boys do. That may have just been them...

- Keep them motivated by talking up the cool gliders they will be able to fly after soloing, getting their ticket, etc. Keep dangling the carrot.

- If you have some older gils who have stayed on, encourage them to take the newbies 'under their wing'. Even if it is just to show them how to help our around the field.

- More than anything, they just need the reassurance that they CAN do this. and that the adventure doesn't need to end at any short term goal.

- And don't downplay this - because it does happen... they are out their either because it looks like a cool thing to do, or... there is a cute boy they are interested in. So, once their interest is piqued in actually getting their ticket - keep them on track before they get too distracted by all that teenage stuff.