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An Upwind Battle for Women Pilots

December 11, 2024 by Robert Mark Leave a Comment

In the Beginning

It was the afternoon of November 2, 1929, when a group of women pilots first gathered at Curtiss Field in Valley Stream, Long Island, New York. That meeting became the impetus for what became known as the Ninety-Nines, Inc., the International Organization of Women Pilots. The group named “Ninety-Nines” to represent the first 99 charter members. Today, the group’s membership includes almost 8,000 dedicated members from 44 countries worldwide.

In 1931, Amelia Earhart was elected as the group’s first President. Membership was immediately opened to other women as they became licensed pilots. In recent years, membership has been opened to include women with student pilot certificates. The 99s were organized long before the EAA, WAI, and other aviation organizations. Perhaps the Quiet Birdmen (QBs) are older, but we women are not allowed to know them. :-) Member benefits include the support given to women who yearn to make aviation a part of their lives.

We never stop promoting aviation for all.

The 99s Mission

Our purpose includes educating the pilot population and providing aviation outreach to the community. The 99s conduct pilot seminars to promote aviation safety. We also organize and conduct air racing and proficiency competitions to improve skills. We “air mark” the compass rose at local airports. We sponsor children’s career interest events, assist the FAA with safety presentations, and provide speakers to local community groups and schools.

Amelia Earhart in front of her Lockheed Electra in July 1937

One hundred seventeen women pilots assembled at that first 99s meeting to offer mutual support, promote aviation advancement, and create a central office to keep files on women in aviation. Louise Thaden was elected Secretary and worked to keep the group together as they struggled to establish themselves and grow. These early ideals still guide the organization today.

Although there are other female pilot organizations in various states and nations, virtually all women of achievement in aviation have been or are members of The Ninety-Nines. Those ranks include astronauts, military leaders, pioneering women airline pilots, honored record holders, renowned air show performers, high-time CFIs, airport managers, aviation industry CEO, and elected legislators – all united to support each other in a male-dominated profession.

Just how dominated? In the 1970s, women comprised approximately 6 % of the pilot population. By 2010, that number had only climbed to 7 %, a very small gain. More women are flying in every area of aviation and just for personal transportation. But still just a 1% increase????

For Those With a Financial Need

Support for the 99s comes in many forms. The group operates an incredible scholarship fund, the Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarship Fund (AEMSF), that has been growing since 1940. The scholarship’s protective charter mandates cautious investments and limited disbursements.

Scholarship applicants must be 99s members and can request funding for academic, technical, and advanced flight training. Adding student pilots to our membership ranks added another form of mentoring and more scholarships. The AEMSF funds First Wings scholarships for our active members who have the financial need to complete their initial training. These scholarships have made possible new certificates for women worldwide. Scholarship payments reward and repay achievements such as initial solos, successful knowledge test completion, and other worthy milestones.

A more recent program for mentoring career pilot aspirants is the Professional Pilot Leadership Initiative (PPLI), which provides a carefully curated pathway to success for women. This successful program is conducted by volunteers and given without cost to Commercial pilots who want to make their careers “take off.”

Our member’s directory is a real listing of women who understand and approve of the organization’s premises. If a 99 needs assistance in another country, she has a “sister” to call upon. The 99s is a non-profit, charitable membership corporation holding 501(c)(3) U.S. tax status, with an International Headquarters building on Will Rogers World Airport (OKC), adjacent to their well-respected Museum of Women Pilots. They also own and operate (in partnership with a local board) the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum in Atchison, Kansas.

The 99s are a community of our own. Those women at Curtis Field in 1929 knew how things worked. Today, we honor their foresight and continue their commitment.

Madeleine Monaco

If you are, or know, a woman pilot who wants more info or to join us, contact Ninety-Nines.org.

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About the author – Madeleine Monaco has been an active member of this outstanding organization since the beginning of her flight training. Her first instructor was a 99 who introduced her to the world of aviation, both local and international. “She made me feel welcome. This is no small feat in a world where only 6 percent of the occupants were of my gender,” she said.

Monaco is an active CFI, CFII, Multi-Engine Instructor, ASEL, ASES, Ground Instructor, airport ambassador, and activist. She co-founded the Palwaukee Airport Pilots Association (PAPA), which evolved into the Chicago Executive Airport Pilots Association (CEPA), where she served as president and other leadership positions. Monaco is currently the 99’s Chicago Area Chapter Chairman and has served the 99s in international, regional, and local leadership positions.

Two Different Aviation Companies; Two Entirely Different CEOs

December 2, 2024 by Robert Mark 4 Comments

Heaven knows journalists, me included, have spent an enormous amount of time pillorying Boeing and its CEOs over the past decade. It’s tough not to when this giant American corporation continuously offers so much ammunition.

But I’m also old enough to remember a different Boeing, the Seattle company that also created some of the greatest aircraft known to man, like one of the most successful jet airliners in 1957, the 707. In 1969, Boeing took on a huge gamble and won when they launched the first jumbo, the Boeing 747, just a few years after the first flight of the 737. Before the airliners, in 1955, there was the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. The rock-solid B-52 is still an active part of the US Air Force arsenal nearly seven decades later. Before that, the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress made a decisive difference in the Allies’ battle against Hitler over the skies above Europe during WWII.

Kelly Ortberg is Boeing’s current CEO, and for once, they seem to have hired a guy with his head screwed on straight. In the few short months he’s been at the helm, the company successfully weathered its first strike in a decade. The union pushed, and Ortberg bent a little. He also took up residence in the Seattle area, not in DC, near Boeing’s headquarters. He seems to have a management strategy and style Boeing employees can finally relate to and perhaps even respect.

From the WSJ a few weeks back, Ortberg tossed some much-needed cold water in Boeing’s face during a widely viewed meeting. “We spend more time arguing amongst ourselves than thinking about how we’re going to beat Airbus,” Ortberg said. “Everybody is tired of the drumbeat of what’s wrong with Boeing. I’m tired of it and haven’t been here long. Boeing has faced many highs and lows,” he said. “We’re at a low here, folks. Today, we have an opportunity to come racing out of where we are and improve.”

But the topper was, “Don’t sit at the water cooler and bitch about people,” Ortberg said. “Let’s focus on the task at hand.”

Ortberg sounds like the kind of leader this once-grand company and its employees may be able to count on to have their backs over the next few years. [Read more…] about Two Different Aviation Companies; Two Entirely Different CEOs

Understanding Takeoff Calculations

November 18, 2024 by Robert Mark 1 Comment

Safe Initial Climbs Can Mean Tradeoffs

A pilot’s first takeoff in a jet airplane is a true rite of passage, almost as eye opening as a first solo. Push those power levers forward, and a pilot’s body is soon pressed back against the seat. That feedback is tough to duplicate in a piston airplane. But jet power, speed, and flight safety—not to mention strict certification standards—demand a real understanding of the performance calculations that many new pilots today are trusting to an iPad app.

Ponder one departure myth, for instance—the one that claims jet pilots needn’t worry about engine failures at takeoff because of all the extra power waiting in those big turbines. Not necessarily. Matching true jet performance against these myths becomes much clearer through the scenario-based evaluations now demanded in the new airman certification standards.

The Engine-Out Performance Myth

Consider an engine failure just after rotation. Certainly a Hawker 800XP with one engine idled will climb better than a Cessna 310 with one throttle pulled back, won’t it? But like a twin Cessna, the climb performance of a jet drops off precipitously when one engine stops operating, depending upon how the change is measured.

On a standard day, even at maximum takeoff weight of 28,000 pounds, our Hawker 800XP’s power will rocket the aircraft from sea level to FL370 in about 20 minutes, at about 1,850 feet per minute. If an engine quits at that same weight, however, the airplane’s single-engine climb rate drops to approximately 470 feet per minute—a decrease of about 75 percent. How well the aircraft climbs after that, as in all aircraft, is also dependent upon the skill level of the person behind the controls. Looking back at the nearly negative single-engine climb rate of a light twin such as that Cessna 310, a 500-fpm climb rate might sound impressive. But there’s more to creating a safe departure in a jet.

Imagine our 800XP is departing Aspen, Colorado, an airport nestled between monumental peaks of the Rockies at a 7,838-foot elevation. Today’s outside air temperature (OAT) is 15 degrees Celsius. A quick check of the approach and departure plates highlight the first departure concern: the rocks. The minimum safe altitude (MSA) northwest of the field reaches just above 13,000 feet. Southeast of the airport, the safe altitude climbs to nearly 16,000 feet within just a few miles. Usable runway is 8,006 feet. So no big deal, right?

A close look at the Aspen Six departure is next to see if the Hawker’s takeoff performance can best any published restrictions. Plenty of runway, of course, and a check of the performance section of the aircraft flight manual (AFM) confirms that the Hawker can safely clear the runway—with one small glitch. The aircraft can’t do it at maximum takeoff weight. In a jet, the term usable runway length really needs a note that says “usable sometimes.” [Read more…] about Understanding Takeoff Calculations

Flight Planning Demands a Dose of Common Sense

July 1, 2024 by Robert Mark

Decades ago, when I learned to fly, it was well-known that a commercial co-pilot/first officer was allowed to occupy the right seat of a transport airplane only if they’d proven themselves subservient enough to understand that the guy in the left seat was perfectly capable of handling the airplane all by himself.

Captains believed the FO was only there to check a regulatory box. If the co-pilot was lucky, the captain might let them work the radios and help with a few navigational duties, but the phrase “Gear up and Shut up” was considered a normal cockpit environment.

Questions, opinions, or ideas from the right seat were not welcomed. If the FO had learned anything, it would have been by accident. And there were plenty of accidents; a few airliner crashes a month, while tragic, were not unheard of.

In 1979, a pivotal moment in aviation history occurred when NASA psychologist John Lauber’s research team revealed that human error was the cause of nearly 75 percent of commercial aviation accidents. This finding highlighted the role of communication, decision-making, and leadership in cockpit behavior and the resulting accidents. It also led to the birth of cockpit resource management (CRM); a process designed to train crews to utilize all the flight deck’s human resources effectively. CRM became a leading force in preventing ‘pilot error’ and reducing accidents. Pilots actually began talking with each other before making any life-or-death decisions. Later, the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) combined with CRM (now called crew resource management) led to a global reduction of air carrier accidents. There hasn’t been a fatal air carrier accident in the US since 2009.

Despite the incredible improvements in commercial aviation safety, the same cannot be said for general aviation. The fatal accident statistics remain alarming despite the dedicated efforts and safety enhancements from groups like the General Aviation Joint Safety Committee (GAJSC). Nearly 50 years after NASA’s groundbreaking research, most accidents in non-airliner flights are still attributed to pilot error, indicating that much work is yet to be done in this sector.

Hawker Accident at Aspen

On February 21, 2022, the crew and four passengers aboard a Hawker 800 nearly lost their lives when the twin-engine business jet sailed off the end of Runway 33 into soft snow at Aspen Pitkin County Airport (ASE), Colorado, during its takeoff run. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage.

Unique to this accident was the wind that morning. “The ATIS indicated the wind was from 170° at 18 knots and gusting to 30 knots,” according to the NTSB’s final report. That represented nearly a direct tailwind at takeoff. The Hawker certification limits the aircraft to a tailwind component of no more than 10 knots for landing or takeoff.

I took a special interest in this accident because I’ve flown in and out of ASE many times and also flew the Hawker 800. [Read more…] about Flight Planning Demands a Dose of Common Sense

Lessons Learned from an Industry Bankruptcy

February 7, 2024 by Robert Mark

It’s about trust

I remember riding our crew bus with a bunch of other pilots, and flight attendants in the spring of 1991 not long after our employer Midway Airlines had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The old red and white school bus ran the flight crews from the parking lot on Midway Airport’s north side parking lot along 55^th Street to the terminal so we could connect with our aircraft. Since pilots have all the solutions to every problem on Earth (just ask one) a bunch of us were complaining about the current state of the airline and our future. Being a big mouth — yes, even then — I wondered why Dave Hinson, our CEO was still running the place. “If Hinson was in charge when we entered bankruptcy, why should we expect he’ll be able to get us out?” After a few nods, the back of the bus was quiet for a few minutes before we moved on to complaining about the crew meals.

As it turned out, my worries about what the big guy at the airline’s helm would be able to accomplish continued as Midway Airline continued its decline. For a few weeks though, we thought there was a silver lining to the dark cloud we all found ourselves beneath when word came that Midway was about to be purchased by Northwest Airlines (Northwest was later absorbed by Delta). We were overjoyed that somehow the management team had managed to pull a save out from the throws of Chapter 11. Our celebrations were short-lived, however, when on November 12, 1991, Northwest informed Dave Hinson they were pulling out of the negotiations. The original Midway Airline ceased operation the next day on November 13, 1991.

After Midway

Many of those memories have come flooding back to me over the past few weeks as the latest crisis erupted at Boeing, a company also once headquartered in Chicago. The current mess began when a door plug ripped a gaping hole in the fuselage of an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 on January 5^th. Luckily no one was killed although many cabin items not tied down were sucked out of that fuselage hole when the cabin depressurized. It all could have been much worse. The door plug was eventually located in the backyard of a local high school science teacher. I think his name was Bob.

And what’s the connection between my former life at Midway and Boeing’s current jam? A bunch of Midway employees didn’t think Dave Hinson and the airline’s board of directors back then could save the ailing carrier. And as for Boeing? A recent story in Fortune magazine said, “Business pundits are watching closely to see whether CEO Dave Calhoun can lead Boeing through the aftermath of its latest crisis or if he’ll be replaced. But Boeing’s board also deserves scrutiny …” [Read more…] about Lessons Learned from an Industry Bankruptcy