Scared Of Flying? Science Says Book A Flight With A Female Pilot For This Very Important Reason
Women may have the advantage in this field.
MrKotov / Shutterstock If the thought of turbulence makes you sweat and you end up gripping the armrest the whole flight, you're not alone. According to a study about the fear of flying, up to 40% of the population is afflicted by aviophobia.
There are steps you can take, however, to reduce your nerves on a flight. Listening to calming music, using deep breathing techniques, and distracting yourself with entertainment can all help take your mind off your fear. And, according to science, you can feel more at ease if you're flying with a female pilot.
Research shows that female pilots are better at handling stressful situations than their male counterparts.
In a study conducted at the University of Waterloo in Canada, researchers discovered that female pilots have unique strengths in high-pressure situations. The results showed that women had "more stable landing approaches, completed tasks faster in the emergency scenario, and had higher [situational awareness] ratings."
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The study was quite small, involving only 20 experienced general aviation pilots using a high-fidelity flight simulator as researchers analyzed their reactions and skills. Additionally, the authors emphasized that this does not necessarily mean that female pilots are safer than male pilots, but rather that they may be able to handle a stressful situation better.
Naila Ayala, lead author of the study and postdoctoral fellow in Waterloo’s Multisensory Brain and Cognition Lab, said, "We can’t assume that because two pilots are looking at the same things, they will react the same way. Our study shows that women may be better at keeping control and making decisions in stressful flight scenarios."
Women make up only a small percentage of professional pilots in the workforce.
Industry statistic data from the non-profit Women in Aviation International shows that, in 2024, only 10.8% of all pilots were women. Even out of all aviation students last year, women made up just under 16%. This discrepancy could be attributed to a combination of financial barriers, cultural stereotypes, and a lack of support.
However, the researchers are hoping this study can help change things for women in aviation. "Understanding how different people perform under pressure helps us build better training programs for everyone, safer cockpits, and more inclusive aviation systems," stated Suzanne Kearns, associate professor and director of the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics.
She added, "At a time when the industry is facing a pilot shortage, tapping into the full potential of all pilots, regardless of gender, is more important than ever."
According to psychology, women tend to respond to stress differently from men.
Dr. Sharon Batista, a board-certified psychiatrist and assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, pointed out that women and men tend to have very different responses when it comes to stress. Men, she noted, are more likely to default to a "fight or flight" stress response, while women respond with "tend and befriend," which involves seeking social support and exhibiting nurturing behaviors.
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Batista told HuffPost, "Cognitively, some studies suggest women may maintain or even enhance certain executive functions under stress, whereas men may experience greater impairment in these domains."
Several psychological factors affect decision-making and problem-solving. "Acute stress can narrow attention and increase reliance on habitual or automatic responses, sometimes at the expense of more deliberate, analytical thinking," Batista explained. Personality, ability, experience, and instinct are also factors, of course, so it's hard to say for sure whether male or female pilots are better.
What is important to note, however, is that there is no reason why women shouldn't be taking to the skies in larger numbers as pilots. Perhaps if there were more women pilots, research would be able to more accurately pinpoint why they seem to have better outcomes when it comes to high-stress situations. Until then, I wonder if there's a way to find out which flights are piloted by women before booking my next trip...
Kayla Asbach is a writer currently working on her bachelor's degree at the University of Central Florida. She covers relationships, psychology, self-help, pop culture, and human interest topics.
