This flight deserves a round of applause! Recently, Southwest Airlines made headlines by operating their first “unmanned” flight on their new Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft. On a Wednesday journey from St. Louis to San Francisco, the airline discovered that the entire crew, including both pilots, was comprised of women. They captured the moment with some photos, and corporate promptly tweeted, “The first ‘unmanned’ Southwest flight on a @BoeingAirplanes 737 MAX 8! All-female crew pic taken before flying STL – SFO.”
Significance of the Milestone
For those rolling their eyes and asking, “What’s the big deal?”—it’s actually a significant milestone. According to Air & Space magazine, a mere 6.61 percent of pilots are women, and that figure can be quite deceiving. Out of that percentage, only 25,216 hold an “other-than-student” pilot certificate, which equates to just 4.21 percent of all U.S. pilots.
A U.S. study conducted over two years highlighted the reasons for this underrepresentation: financial hurdles for flight training, communication issues between instructors and students, instructors abandoning their teaching roles for airline jobs, and a notable absence of female mentors.
Southwest Airlines’ Commitment to Change
Southwest Airlines isn’t just sitting back—they’re working to change these stats. They had Colleen C. Barrett as their first female president, a trailblazer in the industry. Additionally, they’ve contributed $33,500 to scholarships that help five female students pursue aviation careers, as per the Huffington Post.
This wasn’t Southwest’s first “unmanned” flight, but it was a special occasion given the introduction of their new Max 8 planes. Once the airline shared the celebratory tweet, they received an outpouring of positive feedback, but, predictably, a few detractors popped up as well. One particularly insecure fellow, in a now-deleted tweet, mused that Southwest wouldn’t have celebrated an all-male crew. The airline retorted perfectly, “You’re right—that’s happened quite a few more times.” Boom!
Changing Perceptions in Aviation
While some took to social media to crack jokes, the women of Southwest were likely too busy doing their jobs to let it phase them. They’re not new to the industry, which has evolved from a time when flight attendants were required to don hot pants and leather boots just to get hired. A nostalgic photo from 1972 shows how far the airline has come, with the caption noting, “Stewardesses working for Southwest Airlines of Texas must be able to wear hot pants and kinky leather boots or they don’t get the job.” Talk about a change!
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Conclusion
In summary, Southwest Airlines recently celebrated a groundbreaking all-female flight crew on their new Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft. While they faced some criticism on social media, the event underscored the importance of representation in aviation, especially given the low percentages of women pilots today. The airline has made significant strides in promoting female involvement in the industry.