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Can you expect a lady to say these words? "Welcome on board. Now, we are flying to…...". Surely that words from a lady will surprise you because we rarely find a woman welcoming you on a flight as a pilot as it is a common concept that it must be a man sitting in the cockpit. For example, only 4-5% of North American pilots are women. In your opinion, what is the reason for this profession's lack of women, and what must be done to increase the number of women in the aviation profession, and what are the requirements for a captain female pilots ? That is what we're going to learn in this article.   There Aren't More Female Pilots Promoting incorrect ideas Rumors say that the aviation profession requires people with special characteristics and distinct physical abilities to engage in it!. It is a mistake, as women are no different from men in flying aircraft. Women are always working hard to prove to the world that they are skilled, fit, and qualified for the job, Claire Booth Luce wrote, “Just because I am a woman, I have to make double efforts to succeed. If I fail, no one says, "She can't succeed" Instead, they will say, "Women do not have all the capabilities necessary to succeed." The lack of examples in role models for female pilots The lack of female role models may be one of the reasons why many girls are not considering becoming pilots. Thus we need more female pilots as role models for women to dare to take the step.   *Role models in the Aviation field:   - Hanadi Al-Hindi She is the first Saudi woman to fly a commercial plane. Hanadi faced many challenges in order to fulfill her dream of working as a captain pilot, as her name was included in the book of the 100 Greatest Women in Aviation. She was also chosen by the Arabian Business magazine among the 30 most strong Saudi women.   - Lotfia El-Nadi She is the first Egyptian pilot to fly a plane. She flew alone in the sky of Cairo in October 1933, when she was only 26 years old. She has been honored for her efforts in the aviation field.   - Maryam Al-Mansouri She is the first female fighter pilot of the United Arab Emirates. She has won many medals for many achievements.   - Touria Chaoui She is the first Moroccan female to obtain an aviation certificate at an early age, as she got an aviation certificate from the Air School, and she was the only woman in college.   - Elly Beinhorn She is the first German female to fly a plane, and one of the world's first group of aircraft pilots, she obtained a pilot's license in 1929, and her first flight to Africa was in 1931, and she achieved records in 5000 flying hours.   - Jessica Cox She is the world's first licensed armless pilot, as she can fly the plane with her feet. She entered the Guinness Book of Records as the first person in the world without arms to get a license to fly.   % of the total number of pilots employed  3 to 6% of the world's largest commercial airline pilots are women. Globally, 5.18% of commercial pilots are women, according to the Air Line Pilots Association International trade union. Indian airlines employ the highest proportion of female pilots at 12.4%   The skills women need to study aviation   - Communication skills  She must have communication skills as she will deal with a lot of people daily.   - Critical thinking You need to be confident and willing to accept responsibility and find the right solution if you encounter a problem.   - Leadership and authority There is no time to hesitate. You have to be a leader and be confident when it comes to making decisions. This is very important if you want to make passengers feel safe during the journey.   - Planning Before the flight, pilots carefully examine the aircraft to avoid any obstacles during the trip and plan meticulously for the trip.   How do I become a female pilot? Because you are a woman, don't let that be the reason to stop you from becoming a pilot. Just like any other studies, both males and females have to take the same steps to become pilots. There are requirements that you need to follow to become a pilot:   You must be medically fit and obtain a medical certificate from the Civil Aviation Authority before you can start flying.   You will have to apply for a student pilot license. The student pilot's license allows a student only to drive the aircraft under the command of a trained pilot.   You have to fly all the hours required to take the private pilot's license exam.   Once you have your own license, you are ready to travel alone to record the minimum hours required by civil aviation to apply for a commercial pilot license.   How can we increase the number of women in the aviation field? After we learned about why there aren't more female pilots and the skills women need to study aviation, we must know what must be done to increase the number of women in that aviation field.   - Positive action and cultural development It is important to work positively and make it easy for ​​women to be in the aviation industry and to advance along the career ladder up to management positions. Hence there is a need to change the culture and prejudices about women's participation in the aviation field.   - Funding initiatives It is well known that studying aviation is costly, and many students, especially women, end up dropping out. Given the high level of fees paid during training, it is important that women are motivated in their studies and training. Therefore, a lot of scholarships should be offered to women who are interested in a career in the aviation industry.   Read More Become the next one: Famous Arab pilots Women in the cockpit: Famous female pilots in history

Aviation is a dream and a passion. If you have a dream you probably are passionate about everything aviation-related. And if you love reading, you will definitely appreciate good aviation books. Many books take place in the aviation world, some in the form of biographies of famous pilots, some in the form of stories about aviation and aviators, whether true or fictional. To accommodate the avid readers among aviation lovers, we have read a lot of books to choose the best of the best. So here is our list of the best aviation books for aviation lovers. Flight of Passage: A True Story By Rinker Buck 15 and 17-year-old brothers take the journey of a lifetime. Born in an aviation family, the two brothers buy and restore an old aircraft. Then they take a journey across America with no formal pilot training or a working radio. The two brothers grow through this journey, they learn to cooperate and lean on each other to make their dream flight work. This true story is an adventure that takes you through the skies and makes you dream of endless possibilities. Written by one of the brothers, who is an amazing storyteller, this book is certainly one of the best aviation novels. I Could Never Be So Lucky Again By James Doolittle and  Carroll V. Glines This book is the autobiography of James "Jimmy" Doolittle, a military pilot, a stunt pilot and a scientist who pioneered the development of modern aviation technology. With a Ph.D. from MIT, Doolittle made a difference in civilian and military aeronautics. This book is full of life, aviation and inspiration. If you want a book that will make you fly through the aviation world, this is the one for you. The Spirit of St. Louis By Charles A. Lindbergh This Pulitzer Prize-winning book tells the story of a nonstop transatlantic flight from New York to Paris in 1927. This 33-hour flight has been completed by one single pilot, manning a single-engine aircraft, with no navigation aid except two compasses. That is why it is considered a very important trip to aviation history. The book itself is very well written, you will definitely feel like you are right there with Lindberg in the cockpit. Jet Age: The Comet, the 707, and the Race to Shrink the World By Sam Howe Verhovek Jet Age demonstrates the amazing race between brilliant engineers to create the first commercial jet airplane. The book weaves an exquisite tale of determination, drama and ambition, all with a fast pace befitting the jet age. It is a book that will make you fly between the pages. The marvelous action takes place in the year 1954 when Britain and the USA were competing for the first Jet airplane. Why did Britain’s Comet keep crashing? Was the Comet’s failure what gave the Boeing 707 the head start it needed? This interesting story is certainly one of the best aviation books. Stick and Rudder: An Explanation of the Art of Flying By Wolfgang Langewiesche This bestseller has been a favorite among aviation lovers for decades now, and for good reason. This book may seem old to you, but as it mainly talks about flying dynamics, it is still as relevant today as when it was first written. The book explains flying concepts in a simple and entertaining way. It is definitely the best place to start your aviation journey.  The Wright Brothers David McCullough Behind the scenes, this book tells us the real struggle and the real story of the brothers who made flying as we know it possible, Wilbur and Orville Wright. The first heavier than air flight carrying a pilot took place in 1903, who were the men behind this flight? And what is their story? Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner David McCullough tells us this fascinating and inspirational tale of a lifelong dream that changed the world. For more interesting tales about aviation see also: 5 Times when emergency landing saved everyone on board

The future is wide open for pilots, the sky is literally the limit to this career path. This is especially true for Arab pilots because the aviation industry is taking huge leaps in the Middle East. And as the aviation sector in the region grows, the need for qualified pilots grows. And the sector is expected to grow rapidly in the upcoming years. Laying the foundation for this bright future, some highly qualified Arab pilots have been working their way in the sector for years and years, making it easier for others to join. Let’s take a look at some successful Arab pilots and hear their inspirational stories, one way or another these pilots have accomplished what we all dream of, a successful career in their chosen field. Wesam Sameer Al-Najjar The youngest Saudi to fly the A380, Wesam has flown the A318, A319, A320, A330, and A330 Cargo aircraft, among others. Before his 29th birthday, Al-Najjar had already flown to more than 100 countries and spent around 4000 hours in the cockpit. One of 10 children, Al-Najjar has lost both his father and mother early, his beloved uncle has been his first supporter in achieving all his dreams. Al-Najjar grew up in Madinah, in the western region of Saudi Arabia. He decided to become a pilot in his late teens because he found it to be the perfect job. He started to pursue his dream right after graduating from high school. Nevin Darwish The first female pilot to fly the world’s biggest commercial plane, the Egyptian pilot flew the Airbus 380 from Dubai to Vienna, and back.  The captain soared through the skies, leading an all-female crew on the special occasion of International Women’s Day.  Emirates Airlines announced the event by posting a 2-minute long video on its YouTube channel, showing a glimpse of the glorious flight. In the video, Captain Darwish is accompanied by Emirati Captain Alia AlMuhairi. The event is a huge milestone and motivates younger women to pursue their dreams and thrive in glory. Mariam Al-Mansouri The first female fighter pilot of the United Arab Emirates. Flying an F-16 Fighting Falcon, al-Mansouri led UAE mission airstrikes against ISIS. She was one of the first women to join the United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAEAF). In an interview with CNN, Al-Mansouri said she’s dreamt of becoming a pilot since high school, but she had to wait until women were allowed to join the airforce. Before overcoming gender stereotypes, Al-Mansouri earned an undergraduate degree in English literature from United Arab Emirates University and worked for the army general staff in other categories. One of 8 children, Al-Mansouri said her family supported her dream career. Princess Basmah Bani Ahmad  The Princess is the second wife of Prince Hamzah Bin Hussein of Jordan. Living most of her childhood in Canada, her royal highness left her studies in Mathematics at the University of Western Ontario to take the hobby of aviation.  Her royal highness moved back to Jordan in 2005, where her highness trained with The Middle East Aviation Academy in Amman to obtain a flight instructor license.  Her highness was Jordan’s first female to earn a basic aerobatics certificate. Her highness met Prince Hamzah at Dubai Air Show in November 2011. Sheikha Mozah bint Saeed bin Rashid Sheikha Mozah is the first royal from Al Maktoum family to fly a commercial plane. She is the beloved niece of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and ruler of the Emirate of Dubai. Sheikha Mozah passed the commercial test from CAE in April 2016. She has been documenting some of her work by posting pictures on her Instagram account, wearing the pilot uniform. She also has a picture with the Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed bin Rashid. She was featured in Vogue Arabia’s March 2018 issue. Sheikha Mozah is very proud of her achievements, as she should be, breaking social norms for women in royal families.   Karim Nafatni One of the most famous Arab pilots, the French-Tunisian captain pilot lives in the United Arab Emirates. At the age of 19, Nafatni was the youngest co-pilot on an A320 in Tunisia.  Working as a pilot has been his dream as a child, and now he’s living the dream and more. Nafatni found his hobby of photography when he bought his first camera, and he fell in love with architecture photography. That was when he realized that he could take gorgeous shots from the cockpit.  Stating that he only started to take photography seriously in 2010, Nafatni won the Best Architecture Shot for the 2013 award on the popular photography and photo-sharing website 500px. His work went viral all over the internet. He was mentioned by the UK’s Daily Mail, which called his work “a bid to document his daily routine through a series of otherworldly images that look more like oil paintings than photographs and reveal exactly what it is like for pilots at 35,000 feet.” Nafatni was also the first to create the genre of photography “called high-flying”. Alia AlMuhairi Emirates Airlines’ First Officer since 2012, Emirati Alia AlMuhairi has been shining ever since the Emirates Airlines’ ad campaign showed her co-piloting the first all-female crew Airbus A380 on International Women’s Day.  In an interview with Al Arabiya, AlMuhairi said that she received support from her family and community, but that wasn’t always the case, “At first, my mother was scared for me and telling me it would be difficult to travel alone and such. There were also others in my society who said that customs and traditions forbade women from such fields. But at the end I gained all their support,” she said.  And in the same interview, Muhairi told Al Arabiya “Thankfully my country, the United Arab Emirates, opened up opportunities for women to enter this field. Aviation is obviously dominated by men so I thought why can’t I, as a woman, try out for the job. I’m no less than my male counterparts”. Muhairi says that she aspires to, one day, become an aviation trainer to help the next generation of young pilots. To learn more about famous pilots see also: Women in the cockpit: Famous female pilots in history

Aviation used to be a male-dominated field, aka a man's job, but some amazing women through history decided to choose the road less taken and learn how to fly. These early female pilots were the pioneers who opened the gates for the upcoming generations. Now it is almost natural to find women in the cockpit. Some of those names are so famous that you must have heard of them before, and some are less known, but they are all equally strong and impressive. So let’s take a look at some of the most distinguished female pilots. Raymonde de Laroche [caption id="attachment_2696" align="alignnone" width="949"] Raymonde de Laroche[/caption] Born in 1882, in Paris, Raymonde de Laroche was the first woman to get a pilot license. Elise Raymonde Deroche was an actress, but watching the demonstration flights by the Wright brothers in 1908  in Paris, as well as meeting various aviators, ignited a passion towards the field, and she started to dream about flying herself. Tutored by Charles Voisin, a pilot, and an airplane builder, she flew for the first time in 1909 and got her official pilot license in 1910. She broke several world records during her career, first for flying a distance of 323 kilometers, and for flying an altitude of 4500 meters above the ground in 1913 and then 4800 meters in 1919. Flight magazine called Raymonde de Laroche "The Baroness", and the title stayed with her all her life that a lot of people thought she was of noble origin. Anne Spencer Morrow Lindbergh [caption id="attachment_2697" align="alignnone" width="949"] Anne Spencer Morrow Lindbergh[/caption] Born in 1906, Anne Spencer Morrow Lindbergh was a writer and a pilot. A prime example for women’s rights, Anne worked side by side with her husband, Charles Lindbergh, she was his co-pilot for years. In 1930, Anne became the first woman in the U.S.A to get a glider pilot’s license. She later worked as her husband’s co-pilot, navigator, and radio operator. She helped Charles set a new transcontinental speed record, they flew from Los Angeles to New York City in 14 hours 45 minutes, which was a record at the time. And in 1931 they made a three-month-long journey to survey air routes from Canada and Alaska to East Asia. That trip was the subject of Lindbergh’s first book, North to the Orient, which was published in 1935. Her most famous written work, Gift from the Sea, was published in 1955. It comprises a collection of essays that discuss the struggle we all go through to achieve balance and serenity in life, with a focus on the life of modern women. Bessie Coleman [caption id="attachment_2698" align="alignnone" width="949"] Bessie Coleman[/caption] Born in 1892, Bessie Coleman was the first African American woman, as well as the first woman of Native-American descent to earn a pilot license. Even though flying schools in the United States did not accept black women at the time, she was determined enough to find another way to achieve her goal. Bessie learned French and moved to France. She studied at Caudron Brother's School of Aviation and got her international pilot license in 1921, thus becoming the first person of African-American and Native American descent to earn an international aviation license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. In order to start a career as a stunt flier, Bessie needed advanced lessons. She spent another two months in France where she took an advanced course in aviation, then left for the Netherlands to meet the renowned aircraft designer Anthony Fokker. After that, she traveled to Germany, where she received additional training at the Fokker Corporation from one of the company's chief pilots. After all this extensive training, Bessie went back to America to start a career in exhibition flying, becoming one of the most famous female pilots in the USA. Bessica Medlar Raiche [caption id="attachment_2699" align="alignnone" width="949"] Bessica Medlar Raiche[/caption] Not only did she make solo flights, but Bessica Medlar Raiche also designed and built an airplane with her husband. A doctor, a linguist, an artist, a musician, and a pilot, Bessica was certainly both gifted and motivated. Bessica, who was born in 1875, graduated from Tufts Medical School in 1903. She practiced medicine as a doctor and a dentist. When she was in France studying painting, she saw Orville Wright demonstrate his Wright Flyer. This affected her tremendously that she decided to build a similar aircraft when she went back home to the USA. With the help of her husband, she built an airplane based on the Wrights’ design but using lighter-weight materials. And because she was lighter than her husband it was decided that she would be the one who tries the plane. The flight took place on 16 September 1910, Bessica flew the plane exactly five times. The last flight, however, did not end with the smoothest landing, but Bessica was unharmed. Later on, Mr. and Mrs. Raiche formed the French-American Aeroplane Company and built several more airplanes. Sheila Scott [caption id="attachment_2700" align="alignnone" width="949"] Sheila Scott[/caption] Born in 1927, British aviator Sheila Scott broke more than 100 flying records between 1965 and 1972. She is definitely one of the most powerful women in the cockpit. She earned her pilot license in 1960 and started racing with her old biplane. To support her passion for flying, she worked as a demonstrator for Cessna and Piper aircraft. In 1966, Scott flew around the world for the first time, covering around 50,000 kilometers in 189 flying hours. She started setting world records after that, starting with her flight between London and Cape Town in 1967, her flight across the North Atlantic Ocean in 1967, and across the South Atlantic Ocean in 1969, and her flight from the Equator to the Equator over the North Pole in 1971. Her 100th world-class record was set during her third around-the-world solo flight. In addition to an impressive flying career, she published two books:  I Must Fly, which was published in 1968, and On Top of the World, published in 1973. Jacqueline Cochran [caption id="attachment_2701" align="alignnone" width="949"] Jacqueline Cochran[/caption] At the time of her death in 1980, Jacqueline Cochran, who was born in 1906, held more distance, altitude and speed world records than any other pilot, male or female. Known as the speed queen, Cochran was the only woman to compete and win in the Bendix race, the first female pilot to break the sound barrier, the first woman to land and take off from an aircraft carrier, and the first female president of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale. Cochran used her fame and money to help empower women, contributing to charitable causes and trying to establish a place for women in the space race. She believed that it was not enough to put more women in the cockpit women should also conquer space. To learn more about famous women in the cockpit see also: Hanadi Al Hindi: the first Saudi Woman to become a pilot The first Arab female pilot: Captain Pilot Lotfia Elnadi Aviation pioneers: Amelia Earhart References: http://www.femtechleaders.com/the-11-most-famous-female-pilots-in-history/ https://www.pilotweb.aero/features/10-outstanding-women-from-aviation-history-1-4006901 https://www.aerotime.aero/rytis.beresnevicius/23357-raymonde-de-laroche-first-licensed-pilot https://www.britannica.com/biography/Anne-Spencer-Morrow-Lindbergh https://www.biography.com/explorer/bessie-coleman https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_Raiche https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sheila-Scott https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jacqueline-Cochran

No doubt that the kingdom is rapidly developing, especially regarding women rights. Saudi women are now driving and pursuing many careers that were deemed male only jobs until a few years ago. However, that was not always the case, and certainly not during the time when Hanadi Al Hindi was born. And yet, despite the community at the time believing it to be a man job, Hanadi Zakaria Al Hindi became a captain pilot. Let’s take a look at the career of this extraordinary woman, a woman who believes that the sky is the limit. Early dream Born in Mecca in September 1978, The Saudi pilot says that it was her father’s dream to see her become a pilot and that she couldn’t have accomplished what she did without his love and support. “I remember one time at the Jeddah Corniche when I was younger, my father saw an airplane and said, ‘would you like to be pilot?’ but I did not take him seriously. Then he told me if I want it, he will help me accomplish it,” Hanadi Al Hindi. And as there wasn’t a proper aviation academy in the Kingdom that accepted female students at the time, Hanadi had to study abroad. Early career Hanadi did some training after getting her private license in 2001. In 2013, she received a commercial pilot license from the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). By receiving it, Hanadi Zakaria Al Hindi became the first Saudi woman to successfully obtain a such a license in Saudi Arabia. After receiving her official license, she started her career as a pilot with the Kingdom Holding Company. When asked repeatedly by the media why she did not accept an offer to fly with an airline abroad, Hanadi said that she believed she had a vocation to help pave the way for other Saudi women who want to become pilots. Present career Hanadi has got a 10 year old contract flying private jets for Kingdom Holding Company. She also gives aviation related lectures and works as an aviation instructor in several esteemed establishments. In addition to that, she has become an international advocate for women’s rights. Hanadi Al Hindi is an internationally 'looked up to' woman. She believed she could be whatever she wants so she did. She has stated recently after Saudi Women received the right to drive cars that she really believes in Vision 2030, she absolutely trusts that flying planes will be a normal career choice for women soon. Bright future Nowadays, with aviation schools such as SNCA, a CAE Authorized Training Centre opening their doors to both male and female students, the future for female pilots in Saudi Arabia looks brighter than ever. What was once an impossible dream is currently a realistic goal, a goal that a student needs only to work on to achieve. Hanady may be the first Saudi woman to become a captain pilot, but many others will soon follow. The sky is the limit for Saudi women right now. "Pioneers face many challenges and obstacles, but we are paving the way for future generations,” Hanadi Al Hindi.