Around this time of year, airlines usually rustle up an all-female crew to operate a flight or two. No small task, considering under 5% of all pilots globally are women. Although, India is way ahead of the rest of the world at over 12%, allowing its national airline to operate not one but 90 all-female crewed services since the beginning of the month. Apart from India, are these flights simply paying lip service to gender equality, or is the industry really taking action to reduce gender imbalances?
What needs to happen for more women to join aviation (in roles other than cabin crew), and what advice would those currently working in aerospace offer to young women considering a career in the industry?
Ahead of International Women’s Day, Simple Flying sat down with two women working for one of the most exciting startups in hydrogen propulsion, Germany’s H2FLY, for a chat about what inspired them to work in the sector, how the industry can support greater female representation and what to look for in an employer, as well as what is next in zero-emission propulsion.
Liquid hydrogen testing planned this year
Before we dive into the interview itself, let’s give a quick overview of H2FLY. While it may be flying a little under the radar compared to larger aircraft projects from other hydrogen-electric powertrain developers, the company has been operating its hydrogen-gas-powered HY4 four-seater aircraft since 2016.
In April last year, the aircraft set a record for the highest zero-emission flight at 7,230 feet. This upcoming summer, it has plans for another test campaign following the installation of a new liquid hydrogen fuel system.
No longer just a concept
Debjani Ghosh works as a Design & Development Engineer and has been working on the HY4 since 2016. Mara Linn Becher is H2FLY’s Project Manager for funding Projects and Processes, part of the team building the innovative Hydrogen Aviation center at Stuttgart Airport, to be ready in 2024. She is also pilot in her spare time and gives talks about the importance of decarbonizing air sports. They both agree that mostly when people learn what they do for a living, there is some surprise that hydrogen-powered commercial aviation is no longer a mere concept but a reality. Although, according to Ms Ghosh, this is changing,
“When I say that I work in aviation, or particularly in hydrogen propulsion, the reaction used to be that it’s more research-oriented work, that it is just a concept. But I feel now that people know more about it, so they are more interested, and they ask what’s going on and what the current situation is. So they are not as surprised by this technology anymore.”
As for differences between reactions from women and men, Ms Becher sees this most clearly when it comes to her flying.
“I would say women are curious, and they would like to do the same. And while no man ever told me that it’s crazy that I do it or anything like that, they do react more often along the lines of “and you dare to fly?” or something similar.”
Meanwhile, the main misconception when it comes to hydrogen-powered aviation, they both agree, is that it will be unsafe. Ms Ghosh states,
“Of course, hydrogen is flammable. But with proper safety and storage, it has great potential – and it has been used in space aviation for decades. So it’s not actually something very new that we are introducing; it has been there, and it is very safe.”
Unintentional structural disadvantages to be met with education
When it comes to the challenges of being a woman in aviation, these are no different from any other male-dominated industry, Ms Becher believes,
“For all marginalized groups, not only women, there are structural disadvantages. But I think most of it happens without intent. So I think there is a lot of work to do to educate people and show them how it should be and that male privileges are not shrinking while women catch up and that it will lead to a better future.”
Ms Ghosh stated,
“For me, personally, I would say that I’m privileged because I never had any particular difficulty just because I’m a woman in this field. But it’s still a very male-dominated industry, so there are a few times when you start to feel a little bit isolated, a little bit lonely.”
Indeed, as reported by Harvard Business Review in 2021, research shows that firms with more women in senior positions are more profitable, more socially responsible, and provide safer, higher-quality customer experiences, among other benefits.
Furthermore, more women in the c-suite equaled a shift away from mergers and acquisitions towards research and development. However, this was directly correlated to having at least more than one woman in senior management.
Role models matter
Of course, raising the number of women in senior positions is only one part of the puzzle – representation matters at every level. As Ms Ghoch recalls, her desire to go into aerospace was born from hearing about Indian-American astronaut Kalpana Chawla.
She was, tragically, one of the seven astronauts who died when the Columbia space shuttle disintegrated upon its re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere in 2003. It was only Chawla’s second mission, but learning of her existence inspired Ms Ghosh, who is now, in turn, also part of shaping the future of aviation.
“When the news came, I saw that there was a female astronaut as well. And it was very unusual in those days because you would always hear about male astronauts. I learned about her career, and it became an inspiration; okay, you can also do this.”
Now being the role models themselves, both have some advice for other women looking to pursue a career in aerospace. Ms Ghosh says,
“Don’t listen to the stereotypes that only men can work in these fields. Because I know from my personal experience when I came into electrical engineering or aviation, people used to say, “isn’t computer science better because you get to work at that desk all day? You don’t have to go to the labs and work with whatever equipment.” So don’t listen to them. Just develop your technological background; that’s very important. Develop your knowledge. And if you’re interested, nowadays, with social media, it’s very easy to follow the professionals that are working in the field.“
Ms Becher continued,
“I think you just have to dare and don’t think you’re being impolite. I think that’s very female way of thinking, unfortunately. And contact, for example, women who are already working in a company or in that area, and just ask questions and ask for advice. I think most of us are happy to share the experience. And a very important thing for me is to find the right leader. Because it all depends on how someone supports you in the first years. And it’s not about the best, the biggest company. It will bring you so much further when you find someone you can really work with and who supports you.”
Furthermore, Ms Becher states that companies can be supportive in the way they choose to present themselves, for instance, through their websites. Are they really interested in gender equality, or are they just trying to hit specific key performance targets?
And the drive for equality can come from all layers of a company, not just from senior management. Media also has a significant role to play in supporting gender equality and responsibility in educating both themselves and the public.
Early practical experience to foster aerospace interest
And how can we get more young women interested in aerospace science, to begin with? As early as possible. Dr Ghosh shared what would be a collaborative strategy between education and in
“It would be great if we can create some opportunities to gain some practical experience or exposure early on in their education. And it could be by inviting children’s schools to industrial visits. Or sometimes, the universities arrange practical days when they get to work on the labs and so on. This helps to motivate them to want to work in this particular field further down the line.”
Source: simpleflying.com